ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14931, 2 March 1912, Page 6 (Supplement)

ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

m [from TUB society tapers.] Tue late Mr. Alfred Beit's house in Park Lane, which he did not live to. occupy, has been acquired by Captain and Mrei Frederick Giust, son and daughter-in-law of Lord and Lady Wimborne. Mrs. Guest, who was Miss Phipps, ? charming American, will be* a welcome addition to the ranks of Liberal hostesses in London, and her newresidence is admirably adapted for entertaining. Not large, as houses in that i eighbourhood go, but equipped with several fine reception-rooms, some of them panelled in oak, it possesses the almost unique addition of a winter garden fully equipped and looking out on a small grass gc«den. Hitherto the house has been mainly used for bazaars and kindred gatherings. Mr. Frederick Townsend Martin, one of the most prominent of New York's 400 millionaires, announces that he ,will henceforth devote his life to the salvation of tho poor, down-trodden, and unfortunate. "Mv future mission," he says, according to the Daily News, " is to try to abolish crime, solve the problem of poverty, and banish misery. I am tired >>!' puzzling my brains to devise means of entertaining the idle rich, and I shall count myself supremely happy to be known as the poor man's friend." He says there are three fertile lields for his activities, the Whitechapel district of London! the Bowery, New York, and the slums of Chicago. Mr. Martin goes to Europe every summer, and is widely known in Londonj Paris, and Rome. So far as London is concerned, he will study the East End next season. >■ ; - ■ j

Mrs. Oliver Cromwell, a prominent Washington hostess, whose marriage to Mr. Edward S. Stotesbury, a banker, was the chief social function of tho reason, enjoys tho unique distinction of l»ving beaten all American records in the value of wedding presents. Her husband has literally showered gems upon her. His latest raft, a regal pearl necklace, is valued M £109,000, Altogether, it- is stated, Mr. Stotesbury has given his bride diamonds .and ieweUerv valued at £200,000. Mr. J. .'P. [organ's gift to Mrs. Stotesbury was ft superb pear-shaped diamond pendant, which the newspapers report is valued at £5000. Other gifts include the sets of solid gold dishes, and a number of gold watches and docks, which the bride laughingly ! declares friends have given her as a reminder of her ciJfonic unpunctuality.

Prince Charles Leopold, of SchonburgWaldenbwrg. the nine-year-old son of Princess Alice of Bourbon,'* is reported mysteriously to have. disappeared from Viaxeggio. .The princess communicated vriCi the police, who later in the. day. discovered the young prince, at Pietrasanta. The L circumstances 'tinder; which he disappeared and was restored to his mother are not known. I Pietrasanta is only about 10 mile* from rYiareggio,- but it iis not considered likely that _ the prince made the journey unaccompanied;, and Princess Alice has made allegations oil a sensational character. Princess Alice of Bourbon was

married in 1897 to the late Prince Victor

of Schonburg-Waldenburg, Prince Charles s*i* Leopold, who wan horn in June. 1902, i S being.the only child .of the marriage. The Prince and Princess were divorced in 1903, and the latter thereupon renounced the tiUe of Princess of Schonburg.

Pathetic interest attaches to the. recent alterations and partial refurnishing of Marlborough House, where everything is now in readiness for the reception of Queen Alexandra and Princess Victoria. One room, as now rearranged, takes the form of an exact replica of King Edward's " business-room" at Buckingham Palace, where he transacted his affairs of State, the whole of the furniture and fittings having been transferred to Marlborough House at the request of the -Mother. In the centre of the room stands the handsome old bureau at which the late King sat when interviewing Ministers, while in a corner is a white marble bust of the lt.te Duke of Clarence and Avondale that accompanied the King wherever he went. The one alteration is that Queen Alexandra has replaced the painting of herself when young that, hung over the mantelpiece in King Edward's room with the latest picture of the late King.

The sudden and tragic, death of Sir John Murray Scott serves to recall the circumstances under which the famous Wallace collection in Manchester Square was left to the nation. The bequest was made at the solicitation of deceased, who was private secret&ry and personal friend of Sir Richard Wallace, and afterwards private secretary to hia widow. When the latter died, she left Sir John a huge fortune, amounting, it is stated, to £1,000,000, and some of the finest-objects of art in the world. On the death of Lady Wallace, Sir John represented to _ Lord Salisbury, who was then Prime Minister, that he had aj : very important announcement to make to "him- An interview was only, arranged after considerable trouble. " You will be glad' to hear,' »aid Sir John to Lord Salisbury, 4! that Lady Wallace has left the Wallace collection to the nation." The Prime Minister replied, " Oh! I will communicate the infornation to my colleagues. It will prove a ve.'y expensive bequest. Good morning."

The Servian nation is reading with intense- interest the exciting debates which are taking place in the National Assembly on the subject of the dowry of Princess Helene, who wax married a few months ♦ago to Prince Johann of Russia. The Princess wis to have received £60,000, and the resolution granting the money has just been passed by a majority of three votes. Humours of, the obstacles thrown in the way of the grant reached the cars of the Tsar. Ho immediately requested the Russian- Amaba«sador to ask an audience of King Peter, and said that it would he desirable if tlu King refused his consent to the motion of the Parliament. He also said he had understood it was the wish of the entire Servian folk to present their princess with the money, but that he •mite understood that a poor people like Ihe Servians could not afford to give so large a sum. He did not wish a relative of his to accept money that was not and could not be freely given on account of the poverty of the*nation.

Mrs. W. B. Leeds has arranged almost an ideal trio for the party of friends she is taking with her on the Semiramis, the Marquee of Anglesey's beautiful vacht, which she has chartered for some months The ultimate destination is Yokohama, but on the way there the Semiramis will make n stop, probably at Bombay, for big-gamo shooting. Among those who will be Mrs Leeds' quests are the Duke and Duchess of Manchester, Lady Sarah Wilson, Lord Lascelles, and Lord Falconer. Mrs. Leeds is. of course, one of the most pomilar of American hostesses in London. Differing from Lord TankervUle. she prefers an English education t for her son, who i« at Eton. She is very well known in society in London, a nd rented Mrs. George KepV; pels house in ; Grosyenor-street last year .and entertained there a good deal. * She ?*? A ctarnwig personality, and is a delightful conversationalist, with the \[ a M wit and hanpy. knack of saying the right thing at the.rnd.t moment that i 8 the characteristic of American ladies. She has *iJ, lear / rcam .V. skin and a sweet expres- . *-% and auantrUes of prottv brown hair.