ENGLISH GOSSIP.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 867, 12 October 1888, Page 14

ENGLISH GOSSIP.

(FROM OUR GOSSIPING CORRESPONDENT.) London, August 24. A wretched season, the worst for many long yeara,” is the universal opinion of everybody. Right through the “ season,” that is from May to July, it was nothing but rain, sleet, snow, coid cruel winds, and general discomfiture. Old colonists and young colonials spoke their minds freely, and cursed the English climate, and uttered the pious wish daily, 44 1 wish I was back in sunny Australasia.” What will be the result of this long wet and unseasonable weather, I hardly know. Our wheat crop is a long way below par, prices are hardening, and bread has “ riz.” The hop crop is considered to be much damaged, and as for potatoes;—well, the wet has done great damage. I hear of one potato farm in Kent, where a thousand acres were planted, that the owner has been glad to sell the whole crop at LlO per acre. The purveyors for outdoor amusement have had a sick time of it, while the fancy drapers and milliners grumble like bears with sore heads. The only people who have rejoiced are the umbrella-makers and mackintosh dealers. It has been a profitable harvest for thorn. The London Omnibus Company in their annual report tho other day state, that their receipts foi the last four months have been less than for many years past, owing to the wet. In fact, Loudon has suffered a great loss, and the fashionable season was as dull as ditchwater. However, the season is over, and London is “empty.” All .who can get away are off to summer climes—Egypt, Algiers,. Southern Italy, anywhere, anywhere out of the horrid cold and wet. Of course in the “ off season ’ London is dull. These are no sensations save a mysterious murder or two down Whitechapel way, but that “far east” is such a terra incog, that west of theS,trand we know or care very little about it. The newspapers are at their wits’ end for

“newsy news,” so they have gone in for “ big gooseberries.” A sensational article in the = August number of the Westminster Review on “Is marriage a failure ?” has given the Daily Telegraph a grand opportunity for increasing- its circulation by allowing public discussion on the subject in its columns, and in choice Telegraphese threecolumns a day appear of the strangest opinions pro aud con from all sorts and conditions of people, giving their own ideas or experiences on the matter. Amcng others Alexander Dumas fils and Emile Zola have contributed characteristic letters. The general opinion expressed is that the present marriage service of the church wants re-organising, and divorces should be made cheaper and easier for very good reasons stated. This article, “Is Marriage a Failure ?” was written by Mrs Mona Caird, a daughter-in-law of Sir James Caird. I hear that in the September , number of the Westminster Review Miss Chapman, of Woodford, will contribute a reply to Mrs Caird on the lines gof “ One'man, one wife ; no libertinage, no divorce.” This Miss Chapman is a great personal friend of Mrs Caird, and her article will be worth reading. I should strongly recommend my readers to peruse carefully both articles.

The Daily Chronicle, which is now a very popular paper, has also gone in for something sensational. Its columns are busily discussing “Young Ruffianism in London.” This is the outcome of the report of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the Board School system of Great Britain. The report gives overwhelming evidence to show that the mixed school system is a serious mistake, and that the herding of both sexes together has produced many evils. Some writers emphatically state ‘ ‘ that the ruffianism which now so extensively prevails in London youth, is one of the results of that abominable sentimentalism which has deprived the teachers of the control of their scholars while in their charge.” ; Sensationalism is like an epidemic, it is catching even the sober, stately thunderer. The Times has “caught on” this disease, and its mild burning question is “ Smoking and Throat Diseases.” A solid column a day is devoted to the opinions af correspondents. Medicos started the ball rolling by declaring that certain cigarettes, such as Egyptian, contained traces of opium and some irritant alkaline substance which rendered the smoking of them fraught with great danger. Upon this came a war of words for and against. The pith of the argument is that English people have such stupid prejudices that they prefer a foreign made cigar or cigarette with all its liability to adulteration to a genuine well-made English article. English manufacturers no\y employ Russian and Greek cigarette makers, who make these dainties out of the finest . tobaccos grown, with the greatest possible amount of cleanliness and care, while a strict Government supervision and guarantee is given of the goods being made wholly of genuine tobacco ; and yet in spite of this your average Briton says :—“ Oh, give me a foreign cigar, none of your London smokes for me.” W hat a curious animal your average Briton certainly is ! He talks of had trade and how foreigners are taking our commerce away from England, bub touch him on his own individual : wants, and he wont assist local industries one jot if he can help it, and yet stupidly he grumbles. The Times has also another question in discussion, viz., “The Daily Opening of Churches.” Some travelled Englishmen wrote to The Times complaining that English churches were always kept religiously locked on week days, and that if a man felt ever so determined he could nob get inside to pray except during service hours. This was sufficient to fetch columns of correspondence’for and against the idea. One of the best letters against the system was written by the Rev J. S. M. Brooke, the clergyman of St. Mary’s, Woolnoth, in the city. His letter is so good that I must quote it: — “ As the church of St Mary Woolnoth was the first in the city to open its doors throughout the year, perhaps you' will kindly allow me through your columns to make a few remarks on the above subject, which are based on not a little experience. First comes the expense which such an opening entails, but on this I have not much to say, for by the kindness of our churchwardens and the generosity of my people, it lias been by no means a formidable obstacle in my case, though, of course, it would operate in that of many others. Next, the abuse of the privilege ; 'this has been very great, though certainly, by reason of constant watchfulness, not so bad as it used to be. Your readers will scarcely believe it when I meution that dozens and dozens of times men and women have actually made a public convenience of the sacred building ; others have come in and stripped themselves nearly naked in the dark corners, for what reason n 6 one can say ; others come for the sole purpose of altercation with the attendant, and one lately even struck and seriously hurt her ; indeed, if it were not for the friendly policeman on the neighbouring point, such incidents would be of daily occurrence. It was only a few weeks since a child was born on the mat at the entrance of the church, though this is not so common as it used to be in days gone by; and when I first became rector of the .parish the church between 1 and 2 o’clock was regularly used as a luncheon-room by many city frequenters, and I have often seen the young man of business eating his sandwich on his knees in the attitude of prayer; but I need hardly add that this takes place no longer.

Lastly, one gets a little tired of the constant parallel which is drawn between the Continental churches and our own, •which, to my mind, hardly holds good. During the last few months I have visited some 30 or 40 churches abroad, and I certainly was not struck either by the reverence or the decency displayed in any of them. I visited the principal ones in Lisbon, Malaga, Grenada, Naples, Rome, Palermo, Athens, &c., and in all of them it was as common a thing to see people eating and smoking as 'it was to see them confessing and praying ; and spitting is such a general practice that boxes of sawdust are often provided for the use of those who indulge in this obnoxious habit. At the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in Jerusalem, and at that of the Nativity of Bethelem, the scene of desecration beggars description ; at both these places are infidel soldiers stationed to prevent the Christians from cutting each other’s throats, and, in order to become more fitted for their peaceable mission, they perform the manual and platoon exercise in the naves of the churches.”

The Standard, not to be out-done in a sensation, goes in for “ another line,” as the drapers say. It touches upon “The Feeding of our Soldiers,” and correspondents of all branches of the service have ventilated their opinions, snd have shown that the British soldier is “wonderfully and fearfully fed,” thanks to absurd red tapeism. No doubt some great good will result from these public opinions so freely discussed. In the meantime, the letters on the various subjects form a good handle for club gossip, and to the enterprising papers bring grist to the mill. We have had quite a glut of conferences this season—the Pan-Anglican, the Wesleyan, and last but not least, the Swedenborgian. This body of religionists are holding their eighty-first annual conference at Accrington, in Lancashire. The church numbers about 6000 in Great Britain, and about 10,000 in the United States. In politics the Swedenborgians are keen sympathisers with oppressed people, and are almost to a man supporters of Mr Gladstone in his efforts on the Irish question, and though strictly following Gib articles of their creed they are staunch upholders of “ law and order.” They con* demn the crimes committed under cover of those sacred names by the British Coercion Government.

The great excitement among the travelling public is the daily race from London to Scotland by the rival East and West Coast routes. The London and North Western are now answering the challenges of the Great Northern, and are taking another 15 minutes off the journey to Edinburgh. They claim to be able to do more than this if necessary. This Company has issued orders to the locomotive works at Crewe for 20 new engines, with 7Jft driving wheels, especially for high speed. While writing on railway matters I may mention that at the halfyearly meeting of the London and North Western Railway Company last week a long discussion took place over the desirableness of encouraging the third-class travellers. Sir Richard Moon stated that the revenue had fallen off greatly in the first, and second-class receipts, but the third-class were increasing. This was held to be evidence of the badness of trade at the present time. Alderman Bennet, of Manchester, suggested whether they should nob do away with the first and second class altogether, and have one class only. The result of the autumn naval manoeuvres is a condemnation of the pre* sent state of the navy. The Daily Telegraph in an article says :—“ Let the navy list at once be cleared of all antiquated, obsolete, and worn out ships, that the public may know how we really stand. To-day our navy is, as regards the greater part of it, only a pasteboard fleet incapable of steamiug thirteen knots, with guns of very indifferent range and power, and deficient in just that class of swift armoured cruisers on whose speed and vigilance would depend the safety of our commerce and ports in times of war. Another conference about to sit is that of the National Association of Journalists at Bristol. The London district board of the Society have decided unanimously to oppose a motion, of which notice has been given, to rescind the rule admitting lady journalists to membership of the Association. It was pointed out by a Mr Walker that since the rule was adopted several ladies had been elected members of the Association, and could not legally be displaced. This is generally considered a most unfair and cruel slight on the fair sex. Of late years many ladies have made a mark in journalism, and their talents are duly recognised by some of the leading papers. It is rumoured that if the Conference decide to rescind the above motion a new society will be started granting lady journalists equal rights with those of the sterner sex.

Last mail I sent you some particulars of the marriage of “Mr Manton,” the sporting duchess. She has lately been giving instances of what some of her friends call “her emancipation from conventionalities.” She gave an account at a recent dinner party of a certain article of wearing apparel which someone induced her to put on for the first time in her life. As she declared her . experiences with the garment, and the mishap which befel her, she sent the gentlemen of the party into fits of laughter. But the ladies were not quite so happy, and yet it takes a good deal to shock modern fashionable women. One hears of deaths arising from all sorts of causes, but the strangest I have heard of for some time reaches me from the pretty suburb of Acton. A six-year-

old girl, Florence Thompson, on Sunday last followed the noisy band of the Salvation Army in their neighbourhood for several hours. She went homo in a very excited state and on Tuesday she was taken ill and died suddenly. At the inquest on the body the medical man stated that death was caused by the excitement on Sunday, which produced inflammation of the brain. No wonder the poet wrote, “ I hate the drum’s discordant note.” . Old soldiers in the Colony who saw service in the Crimea will remember Florence Nightingale, “ the angel of light.” She is not expected to live long. For some years past she has been an inpatient of the St. Thomas’ Hospital, suffering from some injury to her spine, caused by the long hours she stobd on her feet attending our wounded soldiers in the Crimean war. . She is now in her 67th year, and although a great invalid she is as cheerful as ever, and is specially delighted when any cld veteran who passed through her hands during that now far-off' war visits her.

As showing the depreciation of property in England at the present time I may mention a sale which took place on Tuesday last. An historic castle and grounds, “The Devises Castle,” in Wiltshire, was put up for auction. The property is described as “unique.” The castle was first built in 1107 by the Bishop of Salisbuiy. For several centuries it was part of the dowry of the Que-ns of England, and until a late date it had all the immunities of i royal castle. In 1645 it was besieged and captured by Oliver Cromwell, who pulled the ancient castle down. It was a century later rebuilt upon the old foundation. The late owner’s have spent LBO,OOO in restoring it. It was sold on Tuesday to an American gentleman for LBOOO. A part of the property is let off at L 270 a year, so the Yankee has got a good bargain. I was at the Irish Exhibition at South Kensington on Monday last, when a scene took place. The Barrack-street Band of Cork had for several days been taking part in the musical arrangements. In the afternoon the band were stationed in the Fountain orchestra, and played all right through the programme for the day until the last item was reached, viz., the National Anthem, when the whole of the band picked up their instruments and walked out. An M.P. who was present tried to lead the public to applaud their act, but the crowd groaned and hissed to their hearts’ content. The members of the band, when asked why they refused to play the National An them, said they did not know it. They had never played it, and it would not be safe for them to return to Cork if it was known that they had played ‘ ‘ God save the Queen. ” A military band which was also on the ground was called into the building, and played the National Anthem amidst the most frantic cheers.

Truth says that a neighbour of yours, Lord Carrington, is so heartily sick of Australia that he intends to clear out of it early next year, and of course resign his position. His present term of office does not expire until December 12, 1890. His friends here state that they do not believe the report given by Truth, and that in his letter home Lord Carrington speaks in high terms of his present home.

The Guinness Brewery Company seem to be doing well. They have lately paid a total dividend for the year of 15 per cent. The net profits for the year ending June last were L 790,930. It is reported in trade circles that one or two of the Burton breweries find that the trade for ale is declining rapidly, and that the demand now runs on stout, hence the brewery on the Liffey is making more stout than ever, and the money rolls merrily in.

The new subway or underground railway, now nearly completed, from the south side of London Bridge along the borough on past the Elephant and Castle, and which will eventually go as far as Clapham, will be open by Christmas. The directors announce that they will run trains on the first section (to the Elephant) before the present year is out, and they have decided to use electricity as the motive power. It was originally proposed to work this on the cable line system, but it is now certain that electricity is better and cheaper. Thus the first electric railway in London will soon be an accomplished fact, and it is not altogether an idle dream to say that before 10 years have pas»ed electrically-driven trains will be running long journeys on some of our great through lines of route. The new international railway connecting Paris with Constantinople was opened last week. This has been the dream of travellers for years past. It was one of the reasons urged for the construction of the English Channel tunnel, and the scheme for bridging the Bosphorus and running the iron rails along the Euphrates Valley on through Persia, and joining the lines already eonstructed in Afghanistan, would bring Bombay within an eight days’ ride of London. This is now talked about.