ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13781, 20 June 1908, Page 5 (Supplement)

ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS

■.■ [most THE SOCIETY PAPERS.] _ Tire present Duebcw ■ of Devonshire *«:■■•■ graceful, handsome, and dignified woman, always courteous and kind, and with tho simplicity and swwtaca* of address which is the birthright of the typical "'Engl!.l*Sl great lady. She is the mother of six children, and tho elder of her two boys, true is now Lord Harrington, is neatly 13. ' The German Emperor is known to have the pen of a ready writer, and, according to a Cologne newspaper, lie writes on an average TOCO private tetters in a year wit!' his own hand. Besides this he ha* ar* enormous amount of writing in connection with State affairs, naval and military matters alone involving the writing of 100,000 messages in the com re of a year. The young King of Portugal has instituted many drastic economies since his accession, ■ In order to red me the Civil lift he has ordered the Minister for Fratiinee to sell numerous horses, from the Royal stable-* by public auction. Moreover,, an inventory is to be taken of all the Crown jewel?, including Pom MigwTs, which have. hitherto been retained by the Keyat hotsse. but which will now be given to the nation.

Greatly to his regret. King Alfonso has been obliged to is*uo instructions that tho preparations ''which were going forward for his visit- to Cnwcs regatta must remain, in abeyance for the present, a* His Majesty finds that the many important engagements which ho has already entered into probably will prevent him from visiting England until late in the year. The King was specially desirous of attending the regatta, as l»i;s interest in all forms of sport is increasing more and more-. He is undoubtedly the cleverest pigeon-shot among Boyal sportsmen, and ids wonderfully steady aim 3*: the more remarkable in view oi his excitable temperament. He also excels at golf, which he plays left-handed. His Majesty prefers thos.'i pastimes in which excitement is found by incurring a sporting risk. He once' insisted on a fencing bout with one of hi» courtiers, with the buttons off the toils, and was badly scratched in the encounter.

Quito a. sensation has been made in tier* many by the announcement that the three : sons of' Duke Albert of Wnrtemberg are to be educated for the Church, with a view; to going out as tmsMonut'ie* to the heathen in German East Africa by ami by. Since their birth the three boys have been proteges of tin? Emperor, who on more tliatt one occasion has advised their father to have them educated for the German navy. The boys, however., begged thai they might become missionaries, and they ore to have their way. In their hopes for the future they are", no doubt, influenced by .illicit mother, who has always been a great winker for the Church, 'in a recent patty photograph, Duke Philip Albert is -won in the background, nevt to him i.-> Duke. Albert Eugene, and sitting on the footstool is Duke Charles Alexander. On their mother's knee is the boys' younger •sinter, the Duchess Marie Thereee, and standing beside her is the Duchess Marie Amalie.

The Duke of Abruzzi's marriage with an, American heiress is a subject of intense interest throughout Continental Europe/ When and whether it will ever take place is still, to some extent, a question. Miss Elkins, of course, gets a great deal of unsolicited good advice in her own country. She is warned that ducal husbands have not as yet turned out .successes, ajiuj a charming young American who was known to have been encouraged by tho young lady herself is the object of sympathy. , Miss Elkins was dancing with this young' man at a reception given by the Italian Ambassador.' Iho Duke of Abruzzi, who watt present, immediately asked to be introduced to her, and at onco made tip his mind to marry her. From all accounts, he is a very retiring man, little known in Roman society, and it is astonishing how little he cares for. luxury and his-Koyal position. Being in tho navy, too, he is often a great deal away from Italy, and thin is possibly the reason the gossips have not found an opportunity of inventing all kinds of impossible stories about him. It is amusing to watch the almost child-like delight taken in the marriage by Americans in Parte and elsewhere on the Continent. They are astonished that Miss Elkins should' be_considered an heiress, for her fortune is in no way to be compared with Miss V underbills dowry.i If the Duke of Abnuzi escape* criticism, the Elkins family have had more than thei,' share. The humility of their origin, ami the illiteracy of their speech has been cited without consideration for the dictates oi decency and human charity. _

The .Grand Duke of He«e, King Edward's nephew, devotes a great deal of his time to embroidery, which he does most beautifully. The venerable Emperor of Austria once had tho same hobby, hut. it is long since lie handled a needle. Som« years ago, -while boar-hunting, the Emperor mot an old woman who was eellinp embroidered chair-cove and he recognised the design of on© as being that of a pic« of work he had done some years before. He inquired how the woman came by that particular design. "I copied that cover,-" paid the woman, who did not recognise HisMajesty, "from a piece of work which the Emperor did with his own hands, a,nd which he gave to my poor husband, who died years ago. I would not sell that for anything, hut you can have this, which is a very good copy of it, for £5." The Emperor, who then remembered giving a specimen of his handiwork to an old retainer, was much touched. He asked the woman where she lived, and promised to send for the cover and pay the sum mentioned knit-. The following day a messenger wearing the Imperial livery rode up to the woman's humble homo and handed her a package. ft contained £50, and ab.o an autograph letter from the Emperor ordering 12 more chair-covers exactly like the one In? had purchased. Kin-; "Frederick of Denmark used to delight in doing crochet when hewas a boy. He did so under difficulties, for the work was considered too' effeminate for a young prince. However, he at length managed to arrange that he should be allowed to indulge in his hobby for three hours a week, and during that time he made, among other things, a beautiful shawl for hiti sister, Queen Alexandra.

The general opinion about the death of th« Due de Chaulncs is that ho purposely • took an overdose of morphia in order to put an end to the unpleasant time he waif having with his creditors. When hie marriage , with Miss Shonts, of New York, took place in February last the American papers discussed at some length the importance of the family to which the duke belonged, though French papers thought it necessary 7 to celebrate the event by dragging up a terrible scandal which was attached to his name, and which made it practically impossible for him to marry one of his own countrywomen. The kite duke was a great • • favourite in French society. Everyone wag readv to make excuses, "for hi* unhappy childhood, and added "au fond il est boil ; ; garcon" each time some fresh scandal was ■ brought to light. To his friends he spoke of marriage to an American as a necessity. Miss Shonts accepted him at once, but he could not come to terms with her father. The duke wanted entire control of his wife's : fortune, and the father would not allow this. However, when the engagement bad been announced 12 times and contradicted, the duke determined to moke tire best of a bad bargain. The Duchesse de Cbanluc's married life was short, but very stormy. i From the moment she set foot in France she was worried by her husband's creditors, many of whom she paid. It was, when she put her foot down (or, rather, when, her father put his down), and determined to keep her" own fortune, that the tragedy ■> occurred. The Duchess© de Chaulnes has . ; only beet), a week in Pari.?, so, consequently. is not yet known. She is only 20 years of age, and quite pleasant. Whether she will stay here and reap the benefit of Imposition or return to America she has not yet decided. It is astonishing, however, ! how few have any sympathy for her. She . ■ knew her husband's character* and she for- • .•,' gave him— the title of ducu&ase, . j * .4 . ■'.• Mr • : sm