PERSONAL NOTES

New Zealand Mail, 22 January 1902, Page 41

PERSONAL NOTES

The Pope is in very good health, and .s been perfectly well all the summer, with the exception of one day, when he caught cold from going into the garden, for which he was persuaded to stay in bed for a day. The stories which were current a short time ago as to his having had fainting fits were entirely devoid of foundation.

Certain politicians were having an animated argument, and Lord Salisbury and his supporters were in the minority, a fact that never improves the Marquess’s temper. One of the most emphatic of the majority at last remarked, “We shall never get you to agree with us, you are such a complete set of Phil--Bistines.” Lord Salisbury quietly asked whether he recollected what happened to the Philistines. “I don’t-,’’ was the reply. “They were smitten by the jaw hone of an ass,” said the Prime Minister. Then there was a painful silence. * * * * *

At a banquet in honour of King Edward’s birthday, organised by the members erf the various British societies in New York, General Brooke, responding on behalf of the American troops, said: “You talk about Lord Kitchener and his troubles in South Africa. In time the English flag will proclaim freedom over all the territory of South Africa. General Chaffee and our other brave generals are fighting the same battle for God, for freedom and for civilisation in the Philippines, against- almost insurmountable difficulties.”

It is authoritatively stated by the “Herald” that the salary of Mr Charles M. Schwab as president of the United States Steel Corporation, known as the Billion Dollar Steel Trust, amounts to 225,000 dollars this year. One hundred thousand dollars is absolute, and the rest is one-quarter of 1 per cent, of the earnings of the corporation above the fixed charges and dividend. This is wholly apart from the income Mr Schwab derives from his stock in the concern, estimated at 500,000 dollars a year. Compared with Mr Schwab’s salary that of the President of the United States—so,ooo dol.—seems insignificant.

At a hospital at Wynberg—a beautiful little spot nestled in flowers and woods at the foot- of Table Mountain —a visitor’s attention was attracted by a poor wounded fellow, who had been carried into the garden, gazing at a wall covered with red roses. He left him for a certain time in this reverie- of roses, and before leaving asked him what lie was looking at so intently. The man said, “Our little cottage at home is all ted with roses like this; I never knew that flowers were beautiful before.” Then he added, “She should never feel lonely with roses such as these.” The incident showed that here was one who had the heart of a soldier and the soul of a poet.

The director of the Imperial Opera at- Vienna, Gustav Mahler, is a strictdisciplinarian, and difficult to satisfy in the matter of rehearsals. In the rehearsal for Nicolai’s “Merry "Wives of "Windsor.” Herr Grengg, who plays the roll of Falstaff, returned to the stage after having been ejected from the clothes basket into the water. The director cried, “Herr Grengg, Herr Grengg! What cloak are you wearing?’’ “My usual Falstaff mantle,’’ answered the artist. “But you are just out of the water, your cloak must be dripping.” The confreres of Hen* Grengg wish him joy of the nightly wetting, which he hopes the director will be persuaded to excuse.

Mr Justice Jelf’s father was a tutor at Oriel in the old days when Newman, Whately, Arnold and Keble ought to have made the common room worth hearing, but, according to Mozley, did not succeed in so doing. One morning, in 1826, Newman had a summons from Dr. Lloyd, Regius Professor: —“Dear Newman, step in, please, for a moment.” He did step in. “How old are you?” asked Lloyd. “Five and twenty.” “Get away, I don’t want you,” was all the explanation tendered. But a little later he knew that Lloyd had been commissioned to find a tutor, aged 27, for the Duke of Cumberland, and that lie had chosen Jelf, whose age fitted in with the stipulated qualification. * * * * »

Canon Gore, recently appointed Bishop of Worcester, used to be a familiar figure to all Oxford men. His features and slim willowy figure, with arms swinging at the side, and a gait and manner suggestive of restless energy and fervor, make up a singularly attractive personality. In the pulpit, like many of the younger High Church clergy, the new Canon lias certain tricks of manner-—a habit of swaying the body to and fro, playing with the stole, and at times an unconventional, almost conversational, style of address—which, while there is no loss of present. a striking contrast to the severe immobility and frigid decorum of the early Oxford leaders of the period of Newman and Pusey. He has a clear, ringing voice, and his sermons are always full of matter. It is in pathetic keeping with Irish

genius that Father Mathew’s statue in Cork has become surrounded with public houses, which have come gradually into being on both sides of Patrick-street. During his mission in England tne Apostle of Temperance used generally to stay at hotels by preference, from his desire to be accessible to all callers at all hours. So persistent was his refusal of private hospitality, on this account, that a Quaker friend of temperance in "Wakefield, who was eager to secure the good father’s company on the occasion of his speaking in that town, resorted to the device of hoisting a sign hoard and making his house a temporary hotel. The Society of Friends, by the bye, started Theobald Mathew on his career. “Oh, Theobald Mathew,” used to he the appeal of William Martin, “if thou would’st. take the cause in hand!” It was in consequence of this appeal that the young Capuchin at last led off the list of pledges with the famous exclamation, “Here goes, in the name of God!”