LONDON GOSSIP.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1514, 7 March 1901, Page 57

LONDON GOSSIP.

(FROM “M.A.P.”) THE KAISER AS AN ORATOR . •'T have often, heard the Emperor William 11. speak in public,” writes one of his subjects—a professor in Bavaria. “He *does not hide the fact that on many occasions he has had cause t° regret his words of the previous evening. No matter, he is a. brilliant orator. He knows it, too. Ideas crowd in his mind, and phrases to express them abound in his mouth. His voice appears sharp—it is nof that really, but simply what one might call schneidig (decisive, determined). He speaks in abrupt sentences, which h© punctuate® regularly with a gesture of his right arm.- —a gesture without either grace or elegance, but jerky and energetic. His left hand invariably remains riveted on the hilt of his sword, and his arm —not fully developed—is cl'osely pressed to his side. When the Emperor is going to speak, his physiognomy reflects a. succession of impressions curious to watch. His features, immobile and even rigid at first, relax immediately he opens his mouth. Lightning, as it were, plays over his energetic face, his eyes sparkle, with ' a fascinating radiancy, and his upper lip, v'so beautifully formed, reveals every •other moment two rows of dazzling 1 white teeth. Everything he says has such a profound sense of conviction, and jbreathes such zeal, that his listeners are (.worked upon, completely, taken possas- : sion of, and no longer dream of being critical. If he had not been Emperor, William 11. might have become a pop‘ular tribune, callable of moving the ‘musses-’ by the effect of his. word alone.” A THE STRONG MAN OF FRANCE. I have seen M. Waldeck Rosseau sev,oral times, though always at. a distance. He is still the strong man who is gradually and slowly but surely dragging France-gpt of the morass of the Dreyfus quesGbh,yiirwbich; ! slTe -has been sweltering so long. -./As' everybody knows, he is a very . wealthy lawyer in one of the largest -practices in Pafis; and that he was induced to Wave his briefs and his magnificent--' income. only by appeals to patriotism,- to tgei his country out of a terrible mess. And now he has not only held office for years, hut practically he has put an' end to the Dreyfus question, and all thb , hideous passions of which it •was the parent. A JAW OF IRON. . Waldeck Rosseau is one of the men . whose exterior -corresponds entirely to / his -character. He looks rather more like - the typical, dogged, tenacious,, inflex- •/ able, unsentimental John Bull than a - Frenchman. The face is very rubicund; the hair is now grey; the ©yes, veryblue, are prominent, and even protrudr mg. It is the jaw, however, which is the most remarkable feature of the face. - ! It is as though- it were a long, thick rod of iron instead ,of bone ana flesh and . Mood and nerves. Indeed, it is so prominent that it almost stands out like a great muscle on the biceps of a prize- • fighter. The month, too, is a little like a death-trap. The lips are compressed, but the under-lip in particular is full and. resolute. Altogether, with these staring, protuberant eyes, that iron jaw, and that compressed nfouth, and r.he general severity of: look, M, Waldeck Ro&seau might pass for a very grim.' V. type of soldier rather than for a. man ty whose triumphs, had been attained in e \ the; civic - contests of: the Law Court and ‘ . the Parliament House. :; If I were a solv; dier in trouble .1 should be very sorry .. to have M. Waldeck; Rosseau -as the . .president pf the court-martial that tried’ _/ ®e. ; . ty -I >;< ty/.,.// ;;y; r:\ a carious resemblance. ;Fatally,, when looking at M. Waldeck /■: '-.Rosseau, I have often had the feeling •'.• that, Somehow or other, the face was TV lamrliar to me, and at last I discovered who it was he brought to my- mind. It ; wasno other than Mr Rhodes. Th© eyes, the jaw, the mouth, the severity “v: expression, the suggestion of tre- v ;V mendous and crushing force that passes J like d steam-roller over men and things ' standing- in the way of a great enter-jh-tye—these things are the same in the ' two meu. . The difference! is that the A -- Frenchman, though robust, is built on • much lighter lines than the English- - man. lam told that M. Waldeck RosT t seau is capable of feeling / great aeigh t - ; at the suooesa of anything in which! heU , is interested, ; and that one of the happte= 1 est days, of his life was the day when h© - V assisted M.- Loubet to open the French .. Exhibition. Yet the papers which were' frankly Ministerial had to confess that ~. thp Prim© Minister looked as if he were \j furious. So he appeared to me; indeed . that stem jaw, that compressedi mouth, ... . ‘khat heavy under-lip, and those staring, y, bold, pold eyes, were so immoveable and stood out so clearly from everything'and everybody, els© that, they haunted me - the day. . ' M. DELOASSE. ... M. Delcasse, the other French Min'ViSter, ptytyhoHi bne ! hears a great deal V' nbw-a^days' ! is th© ’ yery Opposite in type of M. Waldeck Rosseau. I saw M. Deleas&e at. a Presidential reception;

and in the diplomatic procession, which is one of the great sights of an evening at the Ely see. Certainly it was hard to realise that this was th© powe Foreign Minister of a great country. He is a tiny, black, little man; with, a small head, with a little, heavy, black moustache, a heavy “goatee,” a very yellow skin; and he seemed to just ti*ip like a child with Ms .short steps beside a stately lady Avho was on his arm-. But he is a man of great intelligence—as Count von Bulow acknowledged the other day when speaking in the German Parliament. MRS SHELDON AMOS AND THE PRETTY SLAVE. When Mrs Sheldon Amos came out to Cairo in ’B2 (writes Mr Edward Vizetelly) she ,soon got an idea into her head that the life of ladies in the Egyptian harems must be a very unhappy one, and forthwith did her best, to persuade the English functionaries to help her in an effort- to- reform the Egyptian home. Meeting -with little support, for obvious reasons, she consoled herself by opening a home for liberated female slaves. THE ESCAPE FROM THE PALACE. One evening, not long after this institution had been founded, a very beautiful Circassian girl slid down ■ a rope from a window of the palace of Princess Mancour, half-sister to the Khedive, and, running to the nearest police-sta-tion, claimed her freedom. She was ’ very much up-set, and her soft, delicate hand® dreadfully lacerated. Next day this incident was the talk of Cairo, and the matter coming to the knowledge of Mrs Sheldon- Amos, she at once took the charming fugitive under her motherly wing at the Home. It- then turned out that the runaway had been purchased by the Princess when quite a little child, and had been brought up with great kindness in that more than semi-Euro-pean style which prevails in the harems of up-to-date Egyptian princesses. Tiler mistress had become very fond of. her, and- made her a regular pet. Perhaps she spoilt her. Anyhow', there, had recently been some unpleasantness between the two. The pretty girl was ripe for marriage. She wanted a husband, and had told the Princess so. The latter had answered that she must have patience. But the favourite was only half satisfied. Then, for some naughtiness, she was locked up in a room by herself, there to remain until she asked forgiveness and promised to he good. But the Princess had not troubled to have the window secured, and the highspirited little rebel, having procured a rope, fastened it to- the leg of a divan, and gently opening the casement, slid down into the street in the dark. FLIGHT FROM THE “HOME.” This pretty Circassian (continues Mr Vizetelly) proved a very go-ahead young party for a slave. The simple home provided by Mrs Sheldon Amos was no more to -her taste than the sumptuous gilded prison of the Princess Mansour. She wanted to see life. One day it was discovered, to the dismay of everyone in the house, that the beautiful bird had flown. The next that was- heard of her was at Alexandria, where, throwing off all restraint, she had tossed! her cap - over the windmill, as the French have it. In the merry company of one and another of the gilded youth of. the, commercial centre, as indifferent to* • their religion as to. their nationality,- this vivacious little pet, -decked in grey. Parisian hat and frock, had been seen punt-. . ing at the roulette table, driving to Ramleh and the Mahmoudieh Canal, and. otherwise disporting herself to- her wayward heart’s content. At length .the r scandal became so lively that someone called tho attention of the Khedive.'to what was going on. , '• THE KHEDIVE; TO THE RESCUE. Tewfik, a quiet family man, was very much shocked when he heard of this .unconventional behaviour on the part’ bfnhis sister’s liberated slaye, and determined • to Forthivith,, he* despatched • one?of This to - Alexandria: , to-;..discover,/;thetynaughty., little woman’s whereabouts, * and pack her off to- Turkey.. / The : aide-de-camp carried! out the first part of his instruc- . tions to 1 the letter, but there partie a full stop. He ■no sooner - .saw the ? pretty ; girl. than he. fell head over ears in loye with her., / And the course of true love , ran •smooth enough—for a while. . But when the Khedive heard -how his ambassador had performed :his;fmission he tdrev his beard,. and forthwith, dismissed 1 his faithless messenger from; his .pOst.' Then the aide-de-camp, finding love a poor game to play on empty pockets, flew to the bosom of his family. He soon met with forgiveness at home. Mohammedan' wives are more easy going than their Christian sisters in matters of the heart. It was more difficult to win Tewfik’s pardon. Ultimately the gallant aide-de-camp took Mrs Sheldon Amos’s sometime protegee into his own, harem. Then the Khedive, thinking this the best way to settle the business, forgave them both. I never heard anything more (concludes Mr Vizetelly) of the Home for Liberated Female Slaves, founded by Mrs Sheldon Ainos, after that little escapade of Princess Mansour’s Circassian pet.

THE CABINET 1 AND WALES. “'Out of the twenty Cabinet Ministers, the Prime Minister is.of Welsh descent-; the Chancellor of the Exchequer is Sir John Llewellyn’s brother-in-law; : the Secretary ; for Scotland was the chairman of the Welsh Sunday Closing. Commission ; the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland •hears a Welsh name; and the Post-master-General has. an estate and a seat near Aberystwyth. This,” writes, a keen Welsh correspondent, - “is the best I can make out of the new Cabinet; they will -have to do the rest.’’ “TOM ROE” OF DERBY. A correspondent writes : '“Your anecdote of t-hedate ‘Tom Roe,’ father of Sir Thomas- Roe, M.P., brings into the Press absolutely for the first time the name of an able if unsophisticated provincial, who was for many years a prominent man in the- Mildand town for which his son is now member. He was a man of striking personal appearance, and had a remarkable likeness .to that Earl of Derby who was known as the ‘Rupert of debate.’ ‘Tom Roe’ was gifted with a, strong individuality, and despite humble beginnings and a want of education, his natural ability enabled him to rise to the highest position in his native town. He had a natural kindness of heart underlying his rough exterior and manners, and . did good by stealth in probably more ways than even ° his family ever knew. The following i s an example of his methods. He was a prominent member of a committee who had the selection of candidates for the office ■ of borough engineer. A young Londoner was selected, much! against ’Mr Roe’s wish. Some weeks after the election; when the young man had proved) his Worth, he was awakened at seven in the morning by the voice of Tom Roe at his bedside: Get up; there’s sum-mat Air want to ..say to you,' and he proceeded td warn the young official of some important matter which he had overlooked,; and; about- which trouble was brewing. ‘Ah voted against you,’ he added, ‘but Ah can see yer’ right, so Ah just come in to- warn you,’ and with that he disappeared.” STORIES BY PENLEY. Mr W. S. Penley is, as you; would expect, a bom storyteller; indeed, to hear him tell a yam is an education in the gentle art of anecdotage. But, then, Penley is favoured by Nature with 'a face that is all his own, while his play of expression is inimitable. His revival of “Charley’s Aunt” will render seasonable a couple of stories told in words that are as near! 3' his owe as possible. : THE LADY’S VIEW OF THE AUNT. Once, he says, he was travelling on the railway to London when two very respectable and severe-looking ladies were sharing his compartment. One lady was evidently - a stranger to town, for her friend was advising her bow best she could pass her time in the metropolis. “And there’s that piece which is advertised as ‘still running,’ ” said oiie lady, “should I go and see that? Is it humorous?” Her friend was dubious, but’ evidently resolved to be strictly fair. “Well,” she admitted 1 , “it certainly-is rather funny, but I think it would be more proper if the aunt were played by a woman. 1 ” THE COLONEL AND “CHARLEY’S //..:' -tote: ■ AUNT.” V Tho other incident occurred in th© theatre during the run of the piece- A military man, a friend of Mr Penley’s,took his daughter to the stalls, and, having had a busy and tiring day, went calmly to? sleep in his cosy seat during the interval , between the curtain-raiser and “Charley’s Aunt,” The, daughter sympathetically allowed him to dream in peace until, the curtain went up, for the commencement of the play of the even-” ing. Then she gently nudged him in the ribs, and whispered “Charley’s Aunt!” to remind him of his whereabouts. The gentleman still slept on, and his daughter tried'again. She gave her father an extra, push, and murmured, with emphasis, “Papa, do wake up! “Charley’s Aunt!’” This time it was effectual, for the Colonel leaped to his feet, cried, “Bless me, so it is!” and Began to shake hands furiously with a demure old lady who happened to be passing along the stalls in front of him on the way to her allotted seat. “Bless me, so it is! How do you do, madam ?—and how is Charley?” - • , FOR A GOOD CAUSE. A large ball in aid of the London Hospital Convalescent Home at Tankerton, Whitstable-on-Sea, is to be held at the Grafton Gallery on Monday, February 18th, 1901. The list of patronesses includes the Duahess of Somerset j the Duchess of Abercorn, the Duchess of Sutherland, Consuelo, Duchess of Manchester, Viscountess Knutsford, the Countess of Aberdeen, the Countess of Crewe, Lady Dibblesdale, Lady Tweedmouth, Lady Burghclere, Lady Francis Balfour, *Mrs Choate, Mrs Asquith, Mrs Gully, Mrs Bischoffsheim, Mrs Alfred Harmswortb, and Mrs George Alexander. The ball promises to be a great success, and it is for a deserving charity; Everyone knows the Grafton Gallery tp j bo the best place in London for dancing, j

and the supper arrangements are in the hands of Messrs Benoist. LADY. CHARLES BERESFORD. Lady Charles B'eresford 'has been for many years one of the institutions of London. She stands in the shadow of a grpat name, as her distinguished husband is one of the foremost men of the day; but besides this, she has a definite personality of her own. She was Miss Mina Gardner, daughter of the late Mi* Richard Gardner, once Member for Leicester, and in the far-away seveiltiey she became the wife of Lord’ Charles Beresford. • For some -time Lord add ‘ Lady Charles used to live in Eatoij Square, hut they now reside in Lowes Berkeley street,, and have a charming suburban villa, Park Gate House, Ham Common. . .. BRIGHT ENTERTAINMENTS. .C Lady Charles is extremely musical, and may be called the god-mother of Co- • vent Garden Opera, having shared with Mr Harry Higgins the toils and triumphs of a series of successful opera seasons. She lias the same box year after year, and is rarely absent from it on imp or tent evenings, or on Wagner nights. She gives dinners in London, but neither concerts nor balls, and her favourite form of entertaining is the arrangement of a! fresco parties on Sunday afternoons at Park Gat© House. The society is cosmopolitan and very amusing. Opera' celebrities, such as Melba and Jean d© Revske, ai’e often among th© guests, with a due admixture of statesmen, diplomats, smart women, and Society men. Good music is of conrse,flio rule. Bridge is played without ceasing, and there are rumours of jeux, innocents, such as blind maffis biiff .ahd wheelbarrow races, being added. . INDIVIDUALITY IN. DRESS,. *■ .Lady Charles has a 'style of dress all her own. Sue does not follow Paris fashions, but garbs herself in floating garments, trimmed with fur, wreathed with roses, and adorned with rows and ropes of “barbaric” jewels. Pink and blue are her favourite shades of colour, and she appreciates the effective possibilities of toe picture hat. She Is. considered te good conversationalist, and sb,e i“s certainty a clever woman. Her portrait is said to have been painted in. a recent popular' novel. She has two daughters. The eldest, Miss Kathleen, Beresford, spends much of her tiin© abroad with her father and the younger girl is still in the schoolroom. • ty . LADY TENNANTS LITTLE DAUGH--TER. • - te-* An interesting arrival is the daughter born to Sir Charles and Lady Tennant, at The Glen, Peebleshire., Silt Charles, who has been twice married, is now in his seventy-eighth year. The (present Lady Tennant, who is quit© young, wa® Miss Marguerite Miles*;, and the wedding took place in 1898; < ; .l Sirf Charles met his future- bride on ) tho golf link® at Biairritz, and his acqnainir anceship soon ripened onto matrimony. When Lady Tennant was presented' at Court, the beauty and magnifioeitbd ef her jewels, gown, and train, were nfhcali! remarked. She is fond of music “and outdoor amusements, /especially -goK. Th© Glen is an ideal country house, sacrroiindeff by fine , scenery, mountain, -and river,, and the house itself is’splendidly fitted and furnished. Sir Charles is often laughingly styled by his friends “The*Monarch of the GlU©.” - SIR. CHARLES’S’CHILDREN/? Hi® children by his first marriage, are well known in Society. His eldest living daughter is Lady RibMesdaley ried to Lord Ribblesdale in is very ’ graceful and charming/ always picturesquely dressed'. Her I pretty daughter, Mis® Barbara Paster, is. a popular - Pty ' CharWs' ohce^'Msa Margot : ■ Tbnnbnt*rAow-'Mit/--' M quite a pertenage.: & aurnoress, nitptfeiau, skirt-dancer, player, and. hrilliaht converpatipnalist. Both these sisters were .once members of the how liebrly forgotten “Sbciefty Souls.” pe eldest sbh of the fahaiiy, Mr Edward Tennant, is married to” the pretty Miss Pamela; Wyndham, sister i® Lady Eficho and. to Mr George; Wy&dt ham, the new Chief Secretary for fireland. A younger brother, Mr HaroMl Tennant, took as his second wife Misa Margaret Abralxam,' a very clove® weman, and pioneer of the feminine factory inspector'system-. - :uii THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE .•'./- WEEK. / . •';•/ Mr S^pings-Wright,/ the waa- /aaiaßt and special correspon deiit of the “lUns-’ trated Netys,” is a bright/ and man of athletic mould, int the, .. prime of life—-with, clear, grey eyes* and a brown beard and moustache, begin*ning to. be frosted with grey, just_-out of compliment mayhap, to -the hbah froofe of Christmastime, when seasonable 1 winter weather xishers in Yiiletide. * He might be taken for a dapper adniiral./iTfis appearance certeiffly r smachs pf -tthe'-? eaHj/’ .sea, witty which tyeds familiar. H /Ffty feag .». the quite-atr-hom e air of th-e expefipneedl Ppphiaf in pyery btyss of soeip|y-