ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17336, 6 December 1919, Page 4 (Supplement)

ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

Ex-King Ferdinand of Bulgaria is at present at Mergentheim, in Wurtemberg, where he is taking the cure under the title of Count Murany. He has with him, a majordomo, a private secretary, a chaplain, two chauffeurs, a valet, and a messenger. All of these, who would formerly have been described as " suite," are now, as a concession to the democratic spirit of the times, entered with their full names as visitors to the watering-place. ExKing Ferdinand is reported to be really ill and suffering from an affection of the liver. He lives a very retired life. The Baroness Beaumont,, to whom a little girl has just been born, is one of the few British peeresses in their own right. She belongs to a very .old family. So does her nusbatid, who is a Howard of Glossop. The baroness is tall, with dark eyes and hair. She dances well and owns lovely emeralds Mariegold, that charming name with an old-world ring and its suggestion of an old-world garden, is one which has been given to the Baroness Beaumont's little daughter, the full name being Mariegold Magdalene. The baroness's two baby sons are Miles Francis and Michael. Now that the war is over, parents in England are reviving the excellent custom of sending their sorts and daughters to the Continent to finish their education. Any number of girls are being sent to Paris, for the autumn term, and no seminary in the French capital has been so besieged by would-be pupils as the one where Mies Megan Lloyd George is a student. It was at this school that the young Duchess of Sutherland finished her education, and it could have had many hundreds more pupils in the coming term if it could have accommodated them. Lord Lathom, who is a young bachelor earl, having been born in 1895, is having a number of improvements carried out at Blythe Hall, Ormskirk, and it is understood that he will take up residence there at the end of the year. Blythe Hall, which is the dower house of the family, was occupied for a number ot years by Lord L« thorn's great-aunt, Miss Rose Bootle - vvilbraham. .. Lord La thorn's mother, who was formerly Lady Wilma Pleydell-Bouverie, a sister of .Lord Kadnor, married as her second husband General Sir Henry Lawson, and is known as Lady Wilma Lawson. , Queen Alexandra has recently been sending a large number of cheques to the man}- charities she annually patronizes. Almost invariably these cheques are for £100 each, and the outside world would be surprised to know the extent" of her Majesty's benefaotions each year. Queen Alexandra receives annually from the State a sum of £70,000, and a very lrage proportion of this sum is expended by her upon charitable benefactions. The number of appeals that reach her day by day is a very large one. All are carefully examined and investigated in the first place by the Hon. Miss Knollys, and those she deems worthy of consideration are subsequently laid before Her Majesty. Devonshire House, which is once again having attention focussed on it, gives little idea of its beauty to the Piccadilly passer-by. For the exterior fronting there is plain. The severity of the portico and the row of short windows in the topmost storey are it« most prominent features. The exterior giving on the garden is lesss severe, and the garden itself is delightfulchiefly lawn and tall elms. The interior of the house is famed among other things for its art treasures and its staircase. The pictures include some by Rubens, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Titan and Velasquez. The lovely Wyatt staircase, is of marble and alabaster, with a crystal rail, very shallow steps, and a magnificent sweeping curve.

i Lady Roberts' Field-Glass Fund, which I has been closed, was responsible for the ■ collection and distribution to the Forces jof over 30,000 pairs of field-glasses. Half ■ of these had been sent in during the first ! three months of the war. Accordingly | Lord Roberts, who originated the scheme", j had the pleasure of knowing the goodly I response to his appeal before he died. j Some of the glasses were heirlooms, and I some will be heirlooms. For those ! which survived the war are being returned Ito their owners. Some have been in I various war zones, and have had exciting | adventures and histories. Recountals of j these and letters of appreciation and j praise from their " leaseholders" have often accompanied their return. These letters have been handed on to the original owners of the glasses. Balmoral is no longer the somewhat tasteless and comfortless'dwelling it was in Queen Victoria's day. King Edward more or less refurnished it. and added several bedrooms and bathrooms. In Queen Victoria's time the most distinguished of her subjects had neither aressmgrooms nor private sittingrooms when at Balmoral. It used to be said that Ministers in attendance had to do their writing while seated en their beds. The dog which King George was so anxious to take with him to Balmoral is a lively little fox-terrier named Gyp. He is a general favourite at Buckingham Palace, and in many of his ways is very like King Edward's faithful Caesar, who followed his master on his last sad journey through London. There is a great affection between His Majesty and his little fourfooted friend. "The two are in fact, almost inseparable companions, and Gyp has his basket in one of the snuggest corners of the King's private apartments. The engagement of Lord Herschell to Miss Vera Nicolson is one of interest. He was being looked upon as a hopeless bachelor, as he was just over 40, clever, good-looking, ana well oil, when the announcement was made. He is an >nly son, with two sisters who are married. He was a Lord-in-Waiting to King Edward, and held a similar office to King George until lately. He is a man of great capacity, and very able, has travelled -n the Fast, and i s a good musician. Miss Vera Nicolson is the only sister of Sir Arthur Nicolson ; her father also, Sir Arthur,' was the first Baronet of Brough Lodge, Fettar, Shetland. The title was revived in favour of the late baronet, who was a Scottish advocate. There had been previously ten baronets of the line. Lord Herschell is of the same line, but not a direct descendant of the great astronomer. He is Commander of the R.N.V.R., in which service his brother-in-law to be, Sir Arthur Nicholson, is n lieutenant. The marriage will take place in the autumn.

Sir Edward Allen by in future will be known a* Lord Allenby of Megiddo, Megiddo being the scene of one of his greatest military exploits. Megiddo, which is in Northern Palestine, has on several occasions witnessed great battles in the past, and is said to be identical with the Armageddon of the Scriptures where the last decisive battle will be fought at the Day of Judgement. The story goes that before the engagement he called ni s commanding officers together and thus addressed them : " Gentlemen, you have no local objectives. Your objective is the capture of the Turkish army. Good morning." That objective was" certainly won : he counted 100.000 prisoners, over 500 guns, and the whole of the transport. These victories." as he curtly nays, "forced Turkey out of the war."' Lord Allen by is a soldier and administrator all the time, and entirely concentrated on his work, taking little interest in anything else. The men trust and respect him be. cause lie knows his job, and never leaves them in the lurch. He is a big, dignified looking man. with .|uiet, unassuming manner*, .courteous ways, and a strong sense of humour. like many other "real men of action, he is not very fluent "and often hesitates for a word. ' He speaks in a plain, matter of fact wav. and has no conversational frills. He* lias been a .'lose student of military hi.tm-v and strategy, and takes a serious view of lite.