ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12070, 13 September 1902, Page 6 (Supplement)

ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

[FKOU THE SOCIETY PAPERS.]

JTaoi new Premier is one of the few of His Majesty' Ministers who is a personal friend of his Sovereign. At ouo time (writes a London clubman, in the Liverpool .Post) it looked as though Mr. Brodrick anight be drawn into the inner circle of the- King's friends, but the manners of the Secretary for War while on the Royal yacht - tang tonr last spring were not suave enough to commend him to the delicate discrimination of his master. Now, one of the many facets of Mr. Arthur Balfour is a certain n «ld-world courtesy, suited to the periods .iivhen powder and snuff were male fashions. Sir Henry Thompson once observed: — s ''Arthur Balfour will take a sentiment or a motive and thoughtfully analyse it, justsis a chemist inspects a poison, bub there is an aloofness about the sentimentalist 'which makes bis observations most attractive."

It is not generally known that, unlike some Foreign Secretaries of State, Lord •Lansdowne is an excellent linguist. He speaks French with precision, accuracy, and accent, an accomplishment which must stand him in good stead in Ids present position. His lordship, doubtless, owes much in this respect to his mother, who was '{Preach, and both he and his brother, Lord i'Edmond Pitzmaurice, when at Eton were enabled, by home example) and training, to stand high in the French class, which in those days was an " extra" at Eton. Another schoolfellow of Lord Lansdowne's was the newly-retired Lord-Lieutenant of IreSand, who also had extraneous help in gainsag proficiency in the language, having parsed much of his childhood abroad.

Baron Alloiton ? of Chapel-Alleiton, the title by which Mr. W. L. Jackson has elected to be known in the peerage, is derived from his residence at Leeds. The old portion of Allertou Hall belongs to the Tudor period. From the 14th to the 13th centuries it was the abode of the Kitchingmau family, one of whose eccentricities was to be buried by torchlight. Charles I. is said to have been lodged there when brought a, prisoner by the Scot-; from Newcastle to Leeds. Like Lord Beaconsfield, the new peer a few years ago experienced the unusual thrill of inheriting a fortune from an unknown admirer. An old lady who had closely followed his business and publit career bequeathed him the sum of £20,000 in token of her regard for his industry and integrity. As she made known her "intention before death Mr. Jackson endeavoured to dissuade her in the iaterest of one who was related to her, but she insisted on the terms of her will being accepted. Mr. Jackeon's elder son and heir, Mr. George Jackson, married not long ago into the Wickham family, about which there is also a business romance. The Wickhams are descended from a certain Mr. Hird. who, in concert with the Earl of Cranbrook's forbear, Mr. John Hardy, a Bradford solicitor, iaid the foundations of the world-known Low Moor Ironworks.

There were one or two very large dinnerparties in London in the last week in July. Mrs. Bischoffsheim led off, and Mr. and [Mrs. Cavendish "Bentinck had one for the Ihike and Duchess of Connaught, and Sir > .Francis and Lady Jeune had another later. Lady Aberdeen's afternoon party blossomed into a. dinner and dance, which ,was kept up till late. It was a gloriously iwarm night, and the garden was lit up and delightfully cool. Yet another dinner-party was given by Mr. and iady Esther Smith at their house in Grosvenor Place, for the Duchess of Albany and Princess Alice. The duchess was in white "with a lace veil falling from her diamond tiara; while her daughter was in pale blue. After dinner Lady Esther Smith had an evening-party to meet the Royal guests. and among the early arrivals was Lord Kitchener, who had been dining with Lord and Lady Cranborne in Grafton-street. Others present were the Duchess of Portland, in white with a pale blue sash; Lord and Lady Dartrey, the latter in pink Lady (Airiie, in. black, wearing a crown of diamonds; Lord and Lady Tweeedmouth, the latter wearing white brocade and beautiful diamonds.

Although the Duke of Marlborough's name has been -widely mentioned in connection with the vacant -Lieutenancy of Ireland it is far more probable that* the choice will fall on Lord Pembroke, who as at present Lord Steward of His Majesty's ■Household. Lord Pembroke possesses every qualification for the post, and Lady Pembroke, who is the elder of Lord Durham's sisters, has had plenty of experience as a hostess both at Wilton House, where very large parties are entertained annually during the shooting season, and also in •London. Lord Pembroke derives a considerable portion of his great wealth from 'Dublin, where he owns an immense property in the suburbs.

Miss Elizabeth Robins, who has done so anuub. to make Ibsen familiar in England, and whose " Hedda Gabler" is one of the finest impersonations of our time, is an American lady. Though she had previously won laurels on the stago it was her trip to Norway, and her introduction to Ibsen and his works, that proved the foundation ©f her fame as an actress. Miss Robins has a strong, clever face, illumined by c pair »f magnificent grey-blue eyes, and she lives in a charming house, where her wants are attended to by a faithful Scandinavian servant. That her gifts are by no means confined to the stage she has proved by more than one book of striking cleverness which she has produced. She is the writer, it will be remembered, of that - much discussed work, "The Open Question."'

The return of General Sir John French from his laborious duties in South Africa to take over the command of the First Army Corps at Aldershot is an event of the first importance. Hitherto the Transvaal has been more a grave of reputations than. a cradle, but General French, who went out to the war a comparatively untried man. comes back with a- iecord of which (says Cassell's 'Saturday Journal) even Napoleon might have been- proud. It was General French, it will be remembered, who relieved Kimberley. and within 24 hours of the relief he pushed on with his force to complete the circle formed by Lord Roberts for the capture of the famous Boer General Cronje. During this engagement an amusing episode occurred, which illustrates very strikingly the marvellous mobility of General French and the column under his command. Utterly oblivious of the lact that French had been on the scene for some hours ah over-san-guine brother general sent him a field cable, which ran:—"l have cut off Cronje." Indescribable, indeed, was the surprise of the sender of the message when lie received the •following reply:—'"Many thanks. 1 did that sixteen hour,, ago !"

Never (says a writer in the World) was the Consort- tti a Sovereign of less account in her own land than the German Empress. Her influence there i.-: nil: no out ever dreams of consulting her wishes or of taking ilier feelings into consider;'. li is the fashion in Germany to speak of the Empress as a, model wife and mother, and this she undoubtedly is. She cares no more for politics than she does for deep-sea fishing. To this day sue does not know the names of the, rival parties iu the Reichstag. That •die is singularly sweet-tempered, kindly, and patient cannot, he denied; even when most tried—and she has been sorely tried in her timeshe has never been known to make an ill-natured remark or do an illnatured action. Her devotion to her husband is unbounded ; she seems to have no will but his, ho wish but to find favour in his sight. She was most tenderly attached to her mother; yet, because he chose to look askance on her, she hardly ever saw Ler for years; and, because the fancy seized him to have his wife by his side at some ceremony or other, she left the poor old Princess" just as she was dying, and hurried back to Berlin. It is an open secret that it was only to please him that she underwent the cure that has robbed her of her health and strength, and wrought such havoc with her nerves. She had the misfortune to "develop" in a way that did not appeal to his taste—to become fat. ia fact, whereas he admires the slim. Whereupon hi insisted that this should be changed; and changed it was. Within three months the Empress was as slight as a girl; and from that day to this she ha* never been