OUR LONDON LETTER.

New Zealand Mail, 5 February 1902, Page 23

OUR LONDON LETTER.

ffIIEN GBEEKS_JOINED GREEKS

„ , our Own correspondent.) (Frol LONDON, December 20.

• s treet finds it hftid to The f a H wh? the Greeks should make « nders Wherover the translation ot the 6ach rfto tbl vulgar tongue. He does Gospels * ' lf orer “fin de sieele n ot distress hi Bible in up-to-date vers' 01 ? 5 f ° be knows that the old verEoglish, tor “ simple and dignified sion Wlt will *3l old the field against all langua n-nels But although probably in chica-S° s P®3 •" in t]le y.-orid but Greene n ° purely "literary question lead to coiiid apu i difficult t 0 realise the a npj* 11 J „u parties to the quarrel, position oi - - reca n s the fact that eV' a J yJiSd version of the Bible in the v iT with its noble sunEnghsh, * was kerned by the Bisnop ' p l !C T ty ,fnn ' Classical Greek appears to 0 f London. from modern Greek as differ » from modern English, Chaucerian aoe Queen Olga pamhence -Vith the fact that the fnHv unp.es ? e - } bedside during wounded =oiaiers a constant and had confessed to her that ftSd not understand the Gospel m they co p - e i- three vears ago aptb° rhed the Holv Svnod with a proposal forlthe translation of the Gospel into the f mnn modern tongue. Though explaining the difficulties which prevented them from sanctioning such a step, the Synod ■o not appear to have put any acmal veto ■ non it. At any rate, tne Queen published a translation of the Gospels. This translation was in the purest modern Greek, hut at the same time the Akronolis” was publishing a translation of & Gospel according to St. Matthew m language which may be understood by even the least literary of Greeks. The result is that the Gospel appears to the learned in a vulgar and coarse guise, and this has given great oifc-nce to the theological students. The"Astv” also upheld the promoters of the translation. This led to a heated discussion in the press, in which it was sugi gested that the translation is a subtle Russian move to weaken Greek national feeling and to deprive Greece of the power which she possesses by reason of the fact that the Greek Church alone “by the hallowed tradition of twenty centuries and the free consent of her children still reads the Word of God in the very text composed by the Evangelists/’

The fact that the Queen is a Itussian by birth and the Metropolitan one by- education seemed to give some colour to the suspicion entertained by the excited populace, that the Hellenic idea was being deliberately weakened by the Pan-Slavic element in the State. Students of all countries are apt to get excited on the slightest provocation and Orientals far wore so than cooler-blooded AngloSaxons. When the Greek students imagined that their religious heritage and their national independence were being insidiously undermined the fat was in the fire. They demanded the excommunication of the translators, summoned a mass meeting at the Temple of Jupiter Olymus, smashed up the offices of the offending newspapers, fired several shots without effect at the Premier, and finally came into collision with the police, with the result that seven persons were killed and thirty injured. The riot has led to the resignation of the Metropolitan and ot the Government and to the suspension otthedeliberations of the Chambers for *) days. Meanwhile there is a lull m the s.orm. It is a pity that the anti-trans-Uors did not display in their late war jra turkey more of the determination raat tney are now showing over a purely erapr question. It would have been S-A® P ur P o;3 e to have killed their enemies than their own people. After rJrnmi ooward ice in the war one can i, ut.e sympathy for the descendants *f e Leonidas, who level the *ifa i V ®l Ear insults against their Queen ? ec ure reform by the assassinasnmafv belr Premier. If the Gospels are c ; a „j tbln j> more than mere literary them tw en e r® must be versions of 5 can be understood by the We t “ 00ner ,°r later the students will wve to stomach that fact. COUNT VON HATZFELDT’S DEATH. Wi! vh d ®ath of Count von Hatzfeldt Personalftw 1 German y lose a potent Det!re P n I fK for the Preservation of amity sacbr wW 6 ““tries. The late ambashis resiimat- deatb followed so close upon 2ri! n Wa , s a diplomat from the tions were °sG? rd !i aud whenever relations had +* r l med or ticklish negotiated S i® b ® car t® d through Hatzthe stable" n A l £ ere d the best horse in to the T»,r er serving as secretary Parishewfs pnu 3 i l n Washington and Office. Durhi£ a +i ed to Berlin Foreign of Bismarck’^ivo wa * of 70 he was one drew up ei. . aides-de-camp, Napoleon’s e »S. m i g ° f Prussia’s reply to and took a nrmw mei l tair6 ” after Sedan Nations of LeHfv par t ln the nego- - at i^ rsa , lßes ’ when he Solution cffi fV B<4 + when the Carlist L.vo. After a , strong representable, Hatzfoldf term at Constanti- . Germany as summoned back to Affairs. In iBBs 6 r' ry of State for Foreign “place be ?an to eeSk ?§»inst his om\ uri SU 4. n * • i and Bismarck the sc rainl:) j fnr V a • 3 ud joined pupation of the r Africa. The German Peffnena and akf Ccimer °ons and Angra fckwftSlml q nan pol , ic y with regard between an R ,a , lerl to serious j*rd Granville anrt*T>** n a -i ld London, “alged in ? n . nce Bismarck infduatioq became. and the 8“f , x t t&Hr 1 * S Affair hi, ». In 6 tht n cf ??® ro ne K°r h ®» and nior. „ tbe African especially his sub-

ordinates in bis absence, adopted a tone that compelled Lord Salisbury to enter a dignified protest. Personally Count Hatzfeldt always maintained cordial relations with the British Foreign Office In consequence of indifferent health His Excellency was rarely seen in London society, and beyond attending the official receptions the ambassador took no part in the public of the metrouolis.

In the relations between his father and mother and himself and his wife there were romantic circumstances. Countess Sophie was divorced from her husband m 1851 and had been mixed up in a celebrated cause celebre in 1816, when a certain casket was much talked of belonging to her husband’s mistress and containing documents which her counsel considered of great importance to her. The abstractiou of that casket brought Countess Sophie into close relations with Lassaile, the bright particular star of German Socialism. To Lassalle’s views and the Socialist cause the Countess Sophie devoted herself, _ after her divorce, until Lassalle’s death in 1864. The great mass of Lassalle’s unpublished writings, and liis voluminous correspondence, including the letters of Carl Marx, were -retained by' Countess Hatzfeldt, after Lassalle’s death, and upon her own death they passed into the keeping of her son. The Social Democrats have long been anxious for the inspection of these papers with a view to the publication at least of some of them which must contain a rich quantity of important memorials of the early history' of the Social Democratic. ’ movement. The late count was asked whether ho himself intended to publish any of them; and a strong appeal was made to him, as lie was in bis seventieth year, to provide for the confiding of the Lassalle’s correspondence to the keeping of so in p trustworthy expert who would know their extreme value. The Ambassador’s wife was Miss Helena Moulton of New York, who became a favourite of the Empress Eugenie and was invited to Court festivities in Paris. Here tlio count met her and married her. When he went to Berlin he was compelled by Court influences, under the pressure of the Empress Augusta and Bismarck, to divorce her in 1836. But though not bis wife in name the countess remained so in heart. She continued to reside in his villa, at Wiesbaden, and devoted herself to the care of their son and two daughters. In 188 S they were remarried, the Empress Frederick being present at the ceremony. The marriage of their daughter Helene to Prince Max Hohen-lolie-Ochringeii furnished a reasonable excuse. The countess remained by her husband’s bedside for the last 24 hours of his life.

“ UNTO THIS L AST.” The “row” at the Northamptonshire village of Raunds, over the introduction of a new lasting machine by the boot manufacturers, is one of those troubles that have been recurring ever since the introduction of labour saving machinery. Its special interest is its occurrence when public attention has been called by the “Times” to the evils of the restriction of the output. The dispute seems a purely local one. The operatives of the village have always stubbornly opposed the introduction of machinery, but until lately Lave with those of some other villages had a monopoly of the naval and military contracts for hand sewn boots. Early this year, however, the pressure of the war necessitated the placing of army contracts with Northampton manufacturers who employed machinery right through in the making of the_bofits, and were thus able to produce them about half-a-crown a pair cheaper than the manufacturers of Raunds, who relied on hand labour. Messrs hiichols, of Raunds, in order to retain their trade with the Army officials, determined to introduce into their factory a lasting machine of American origin and British manufacture, much in vogue in other parts of England and on the Continent. The employment of this machinery alters the whole course of factory working. Instead of one man lasting a boot throughout a “team” is employed with each machine and each person does a separate and distinct part of the lasting process. It follows that the amount of work turned out by the machine is measured by the rate of working of the slowest operative in the “team.” In practice the slowest operative is quickly weeded out, and amongst shoe operatives generally the belief is that the weeding-out process is continually going on and thus the capacity of the “team” is continually being increased. The new machine with a team of four men and a boy will turn out 55C pairs a week, equivalent to the output oi eleven “hand lasters” at fifty pairs pel man per week. It also secures unfailing regularity of lasting which makes ii peculiarly suitable for army rvork. The immediate result of its ~ introduction Would, if the manufacturers had only the same number of boots to manufacture, be a reduction of the number of hands for s while. Hence the opposition of the 20( riveters and finishers at Raunds, who went out on strike, pelted a leading manufacturer with mud, nearly capsized a commercial traveller driving through the village and persuaded the three men who had come from Kettering to operate the new machines to return home again. Meanwhile the machinery lies idle. If the Raunds operatives continue to oppose the introduction of machinery thev will find before long that the Workmen of more enterprising firms are standing in their shoes. In the long run the introduction of these machines would. it has done in America, increase not diminish the wages of the workmen.

OLD AGE PENSIONS. Last May Mr. Chamberlain suggested that the great friendly societies should formulate a practical scheme for old age pensions and promised that the Imperial Government -would "almost certainly” take up a "workable scheme” based on the "knowledge and experience” of the societies. The societies have token him at his word. The executive committee appointed by the conference on the subject last September have now drafted the following scheme:

The amount of the pension is fixed at ] 5s a week, and to qualify for this a per- t son must be a British subject sixty-five 1 rears old, who has made a proper effort i to make provision for himself, been of t ;ood character between the ages of thirty- 1 five and sixty-five, and who is not in re- i ceipt of an income from any source, other c than a superannuation or pension fund c of more than ss. a week. The pension f authority shall he a committee consisting 1 of members of the local government i authority and representatives of local i friendly societies in the proportion of two ( to one, the final selection of such repre- i sentatives resting with the committee of 1 the local governing authority. Pensions i may be withdrawn if considered desirable, ] and there is to be no appeal from de- 1 cisions given. A section of the scheme ' relates to general conditions governing 1 the pensions. If a person waits till he is seventy before applying, he is to receive . 7s. 6d. instead of ss. a week, hut no one is j to be in receipt of poor-law relief and a pension at the same time. A clause for- I bids any recipient from working for wages I without the consent of the pensions authority, who shall he specially careful of introducing the competition in a district of labour thus subsidised by the State. Pensions are subject to annual review, are not transferable or attachable, involve no civil disabilities and may he paid to either man or woman and to both husband and wife. It is suggested that the cost of the old age pensions shall be borne by the Imperial Exchequer and by the local taxation in the proportion of two to one. Copies of the scheme he sent to every lodge of every friendly society, and another conference is to he convened, to meet in London in February, to consider it. If it then meets with | general approval a deputation will he appointed to lay it before the Government. A BAILEE’S BIGHTS. A decision of general interest was given by the Court of Appeal, last Monday, in the appeal by the Postmaster-General from Sir Francis Jeune’s decision in the case of the Winkfield. That vessel collided with and sank on sth April, 1900, the Mexican, which was carrying passengers, mails, and cargo from Capetown to England. The owners of the Winkfield admitted liability for a moiety of the damage and paid into court ,£32,514. The Registrar assisted by merchants assessed the claims put forward against this fund and allowed the Postmaster-General’s claim for the amounts which he had to pay for claims actually put forward against him by the owners of registered letters and parcels lost in the wreck but rejected so much of his claim as represented" the amounts in respect of which no such claim had yet been put forward by the owners. Sir Francis Jeune following the decision in Claridge v. South Staffordshire Tramway Company (1892 Q. B. 422) held that the Eegistrar’s ruling must be sustained on the ground that the Postmaster-General, representing the Crown, was not entitled to recover the value of the letters and parcels' lost as he was not liable to the owners of them. This decision th? Court of Appeal has just reversed, holding that the Claridge case was wrongly decided, on broad principles that will commend themselves to lawyers and comrnonsense reasons + hat will appeal to laymen. After a careful examination of the authorities on the law of bailments the Court of Appeal came to the conclusion that the law is that in an action against a stranger for less of goods, caused by his negligence, the bailee in possession can recover the value of the goods although ho would have ; had a good answer to an action by the bailor for damages for the loss of the thing bailed. The root principle is that as against a wrongdoer possession is title. The chattel that has been converted or damaged is deemed to be the chattel of the possessor and of nrand therefore its loss or deterioration is his loss, and to him, if he demands it, it must he recouped. His obligation to account to the bailor comes in after he has carried his legal position to its logical consequence against a wrongdoer, and serves to soothe a mind disconcerted by the notion that a person who is not himself the complete owner should be entitled to receive back the full value of the chattel converted or destroyed. There is no inconsistency between the two positions; the one is the complement of the other. As between bailee and stranger possession gives title —that is, not a limited interest, hut absolute and complete ownership—-and he is entitled to receive back a complete equivalent for the whole loss or deterioration of the thing itself. As between bailor and bailee the real interests of each must be inquired into, and as the bailee has to account for the thing hailed, so ho must account for that which has become its equivalent and now represents it. What he has received above his own interest he has received to the use of his bailor. The wrongdoer, having once pa!-’ r-n damages to the bailee, has an answer to any action by the bailor.

IMPERFECTIONS OF A GEISHA GIRL

Among the breach of promise oases remitted to the Under-Sheriffs’ Court for assessment of damages the other day was one in which Miss Louisa Dora Leaver, an actress, erstwhile of “The Geisha Company” Was plaintiff. The defendant, a young fellow of good family, named George, had been in the same company and becoming enamoured of fair Louisa "popped the question.” She answered "yes,” and through her instrumentality a long standing quarrel betweenthe young man and his family was healed. He left the stage, and in view of their marriage so did Miss Leaver. The path of true love ran fairly smoothly for some fourteen months, then came a big quarrel over an engagement ring, a reconciliation and a final "burst up,” the young man refusing to wed on any conditions. Miss Leaver then communicated with him per her solicitors, and their intervention brought from Mr. George the following brutal letter to his whilom lady love:—"Louie,— You are evidently determined to force mo to defend myself, but have you considered everything, or do you imagine that

I should now spare your feelings. Hitherto, I have foolishly done so, and have told nobody of your gratuitous embraces at Scarborough which commenced our intimacy. You surely do not think in the light of present events that either I or anybody else would fail to put the true construction on that occurrence. Later on I admit I became infatuated, and persuaded that this, and also your habits of whisky drinking and smoking were harmless and womanly, and even that 'making up’ off the stage was almost commendable. Now, of course, I see things in their proper light. Neither am I blind to the personal imperfections which you are unfortunate enough to possess. I refer (with reluctance) to your deformed feet and teeth, and also to the chronic skin affection from -which you suffer. Any of these things (none of which you can deny) would he sufficient reason for my behaviour. It is now easy for me to understand why the numerous admirers of which you used to boast all dropped off. You nave refused the offer which I made, but now you will have to listen to the foregoing in public. I had nothing much to lose, hut I shall have the satisfaction of my revenge in seeing you humiliated.” Miss Leaver, in the box, did, however, deny the "imperfections” as also Mr. George’s insinuations, and the jury promptly mulcted the absent defendant in .£2OO damages and costs. ■

A SOCIETY DIVORCE. A society scandal that has been simmering for some time came to the boil last week, when Mr. Justice Barnes granted the Hon. Sybil Burnaby, daughter of Lord Delamere, a "decree nisi” on the ground of her husband’s desertion and adultery with Lady Sophie Scott, daughter of Earl Cadogan and the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Both ladies were married in 1896, and Lady Sophie’s wedding was the society event of the season. The King and Queen, Lord Salisbury, and the very "creme do la creme” of the aristocracyattended to see her married to the wealthy banker, Sir Samuel Scott. Mr. Algernon Edwin Burnaby had an estate, Baggrave Hall, iu Leicestershire, and within a mile or two of it was Sir Samuel Scott’s estate. Mrs. Burnaby lived happily with her husband for a couple of years at Baggrave Hall, hut at the end of 1898 her health necessitated her wintering at -Biarritz. Mr Burnaby remained behind to hunt . and in the hunting field he met the Scotts, became very intimate with them and especially so with Lady Sophie. Mr. aud Mrs. Burnaby kept up an affectionate correspondence while they were separated and he spent a week with her in Paris. On her return to England Mrs. Burnaby telegraphed to her husband that she had arrived and was looking forward to their re-union. But instead of her husband came a letter suggesting "we should live on our own.” A day or two afterwards her husband arrived and saw her at her mother’s, Lady Delainere’s. He then said "The truth of the matter is that I am in love with another woman and I no longer have the affection for you which I had before.” Mrs. Burnaby was neural Iy very much upset and she and her mother did all they could to persuade tho erring husband to relinquish the lady, whose name he declined to mention and to return to his wife. Lady Burnaby offered to go abioad with him so that his passing fancy might die away and his affection for his wife he reawakened. But in reply to her beseeching letters came one from Melton Mowbray on 3rd April: —"As I told you, I would not have come and told you what I did had not my case been desperate, and had not I thought it well over before doing so. You have treated me as no one has ever treated me —nobly and truly—and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I would not havo caused you all the pain, or myself the pain of seeing you suffer, if I could have altered the fact.” Later the last interview between husband and wife took place at Lady Delamere’s, when Mr. Burnaby declared that it was Lady Sophie for whom he had conceived the grand passion and that his attachment was so great that he could not live any longer with his two days later Lady Sophie arrived there wife. He returned to Baggrave Hall and and for a week occupied the position that was Mrs. Burnaby’s. There was a seven days’ scandal, and then Lady Sophie returned to her relations and after a year’s probation to her husband. Sir Samuel, when the war broke out, went off to fight for his country, and after waiting the necessary time to prove desertion Mrs. Burnaby resorted to the divorce court, where she obtained her “decree nisi” “.nd the custody of her only child.

A CLERICAL SCANDAL. Six months ago the big congregation of Catford Hill Baptist Church was thrown into a ferment by reason of an assault committed upon their pastor, the Rev. W. Vanston, by John Lewis, the husband of one of the members of the church and the father of an 18-year-old convert to Baptist principles. The reason for the assault was the alleged seduction of Nelly Lewis, the convert aforesaid by the pastor, and after a consultation with his deacons Mr. Vanston took out a summons for assault against Lewis. By arrangement, however, the case was adjourned, pending the decision of an action for slander against Lewis and his wife for their allegations against the minister’s morality. That case was tried before Mr Justice Ridley and a special jury last week and after an exhaustive hearing the jury disagreed and were discharged. The ease against the parson rested entirely on the unsupported testimony of the girl, who alleged that the minister had on divers occasions committed the ultimate impropriety' with her in his own house. Mr. Vanston denied the charge in toto, and his counsel sought to induce the jury to believe that the girl’s allegations were the outcome of a vile conspiracy between Mr. and Mrs. Lewis and their daughter to drive him ignominiously from the pastorate and to fix upon him the blame for the results of the girl’s intercourse with somo other fellow. There hail beeu quarrels between the pastor and his flock

over church management, and Mrs. Lewis had been one of the parson's opponents, but the idea of a conspiracy between the woman and her daughter seemed too thin and the jury were left really to decide -whether Miss Lewis was an accomplished, imaginative liar or the parson a person of flexible ethics. The girl’s story was certainly very circumstantial, and cross-examination failed to shake any material point in her testimony, and the fact that fit tho tender figo of 15 she, on her own confession, allowed her brother to be considered the thief of half-a-crown which she herself stole from the pocket of a visitor was tho only evidence adduced to show that the girl was, as the prosecution endeavoured to show, a “bad lot.” Miss Lewis appears to have been in the habit of going to the parson s bouse to borrow books, confess her little peccadilloes and to get “spiritual instruction,” and according to her story Mr. Vanston never forgot what was due to his , cloth until about Easter, 1899. Then lie began to kiss her, and soon endearing I terms “Nellie, Pet, and all those kind j of names” —together with ‘ middlings j and their sequel became her lot, between j biblical passages, "words of prayer, and homilies on various subjects. In the etudv, in teh photographio dark room, i and 'in other parts of the house these, things happened, according to Miss Lewis, who accepted Vanston’s assurance that such going on were “all right for us but very wrong for anyone else.” The parson had his biblical precedent ready and instanced the little menage which Abraham, Sarah and Hagar figured. He told me, said Miss Lewis, that God had to him in place of his wife, and. as God had given him this privilege it woiud bo wrong for him not to take it. Miss Lewis alleged that all the parson’s lovemakings were preceded by head strokings and intent gazings into her eyes and that on occasions these mesmeric proceedings made her feel quite helpless. The parson denied tho possession of mesmeric powers, and ridiculed the idea of quoting the Abi-aham-llagar incident to Miss Lewis as a justification of his conduct to her - —in fact ho labelled her entire story | as the gross fabrication of an evil-minded i girl. Ho called witnesses to show that it | was highly improbable that he could have , misconducted himself with the girl at the time and in the places she alleged. Mrs. ■ Vanston had “never seen anything | wrong” twixt her husband and Miss j Lewis, and a lady’s help employed in the j pastor’s domicile gave similar testimony. ! The jury wrestled with the problem of probabilities for a couple of hours and then “gave it up.” A DIRTY COMMERCIAL DEAL. The Dreyfus affair promises to give still more piquant copy to the Parisian journalist. Dreyfus himself is said to bo living quietly in the gay city and the coming trouble is not of his seeking. We are told, however, that among the men who were most prominent in their efforts to secure his freedom there exists a great feeling of disgust at the manner in which they have been treated by tho Dreyfus family since the accomplishment of their work. Maitre Labori, the eloquent advocate who was shot during the Rennes trial, and Colonel Picquart have, it is said, broken off all relations with the Dreyfus family, and the former is credited with having developed strong anti-Semite views. But they have not yet squealed publicly anont the ingratitude of Dreyfus; that has been left for the earicarurist, M. Ibels, to do. Ibels during the height of the Dreyfus agitation drew many biting caricatures against the antiDreyfusards, which may possibly have been of some small assistance in (massing public opinion in favour of tho alleged traitor, since ridicule sometimes is far more effective than logical argument. He apparently looked to the Dreyfus family to reward, him handsomely. They have not done so, and indeed appear to have ignored him altogether. Therefore M. Ibels is “not the only one to perceive that the great and splendid affair of humanity was nothing but a dirty commercial and political deal, facilitating for the Jews the conquest of power and the cornering of markets.”

Dear me! ’lbis is quite a new view of tho case. Does M. Ibels, I wonder, intend to hint that the affair from beginning to end was “a put up job” designed “ab initio” by tho Jews for commercial purposes? Interviewed M. Ibels intimated that among the honest persons among the Dreyfusards were Zola, Labori, Clemenceau, Picquart andjiimself —“poor honest people and simpletons that we were, enthusiastic, disinterested, useful to deal blows, but more useful to receive them. How we have been done, and how wo have been dropped once the peril over. How wo have had to pay for our independence of character and disinterestedness! Wo worked bravely convinced that wo were defending a noble cause, whereas wo were simply working to give power to certain persons. Hefore the affair I gained my living honourably. Since the newspapers have closed their doors to me I have had to renounce my caricatures and re-take up painting. I am F6CO in debt, and in distress. I have a wife and four children, and from those I so loyally helped. I nave met with not only indifference but hostility/*

M Ibels complained that Captain Dreyfus had never thought of addressing him a word of thanks on the corner of a visiting card, and added; "And Labori—l have seen him cry. I went and saw him, "Wq talked. He shed team in telling mo how ho suffered and how heartbroken he was They aro speculating on our silence, he declared. Well, I shall speak. Colonel Picquart also is heartbroken. He.will have a lot to say. He remains on one side, sacrificed like us. Zola has lost hfs cross, Picquart his rank, Labori his practice, and I the right to earn my living.” Wo should all be truly sorry to learn for a fact that the Dreyfus family have been guilty of base ingratitude towards tho saviours of the captain’s life, but M Ibels apparently went into the Dreyfus camp under tho impression that there was money in it. Because he can’t handle any of tho Jewish family’s shekels he promptly denounces the affair as a ''dirty commercial deal.” Hysteria is not conlined to women.

SOMETHING NEW.

The crying need of the world to-day is a society for the suppression of scientists. These men are taking from us one by one the sweet illusions of life and are gradually compelling us to view the mere act of living as one continual battle with myriads of evil bacilli. Presently we shall have to carbolise the lips of our best girl before taking therefrom a chaste salute, sterilize the atmosphere of our bedrooms before retiring to. rest, and take our walks abroad clad in antiseptic lint. Meanwhile Sir Lauder Brunton is stalking through the land destroying our pet illusions. There ar eno such things as “spooks” says he, and “visions” pleasant or the reverse are simply due to sick headache, epilepsy or optical defects. Sampson’s wondrous feats of strength, Sir Lauder says, were merely tho outcome of strongly developed epilepsy. Mahommed also was clearly an epileptic (declared Sir Lauder to the Medico-Psychological Society tho other day), if only someone had been oil hand to dose the Prophet with bromide of potassium the history of the world would have been very different. The Koran would not have been written and the Eastern question would never have existed. Sir Lauder hinted further that Dante’s cerebrum was not quite right and that not a few of his ideas of the appearance of spirits were due to megrim. Doro was tarred with the same brush, and apparently if he had been “bromided” tho world would have been the poorer by many of his most striking pictures. Finally, Sir Lauder Brunton smashed with one fell blow the whole nation of “fairies” whether green or brown, useful or mischievous. It is a long story, but the end of it is that fairies aro merely the zig-zag creations of vision distorted by headache! Sir Lauder’s lecture is suggestive. If you want good, sound commonsense government and a history without purple patches all you’ve got to do is to bromide your legislators regularly, test their eyesight, and allow no mau to vote whose I liver isn’t working flawlessly. Kruger’s dream of a Dutch South Africa might have been dispelled and tho war averted with six-pennyworth of bromide of potassium, but, alas! no one thought for a moment to connect the ultimatum with Oom Paul’s liver. We called him all sorts of bad names, “truculent,” “obstinate,” i “wickedly foolish,” “mad with ambition,” j etc., instead of which the poor old chap ■ was apparently merely “megrimish” and in need of a few grains of bromide.

GENERAL ITEMS. The climate of South Africa has enabled many men to keep alive whom our English winter would have killed out of' hand, but it was painfully apparent when George Lohmann was in England with the South African cricketers a few months ago that his residence south of the line had not. done much to arrest the progress of the fell disease which put an end to his career as a first class cricketer. Poor Lohmann was but a shadow of the ebullient, good-looking youngster who won the hearts of the cricket loving Ovalites in tho mid-eighties, and those who bade him good-bye at Southampton were keenly alive to the fact that it was their final adieu. Lohmann in Lis prime was the keencst cricketer that ever put on flannels. He was like a cat in the slips, batted as if his life depended on every stroke, and bowled as though he could' win a "pony” with every ball. Tint had science as well as enthusiasm. At first ho relied on pace, but soon perceived that variety told, and mixed and weird were his deliveries.

The G.O.M. of cricket, writing of Lohmann in his prime, described Surrey’s pet as the most marvellous all-round cricketer of his generation but added “if his health lasts,” etc., etc. Dr. Grace was very fond of young George, and it maybe that even then Lis medical eye saw in that which more laymen accepted as evidence of splendid health an indication of the disease which has carried Lohmann to the grave at the early age of 36. Sir \\ illiam MacCorinac, who died suddenly last Tuesday at Hath, whither lie had gone to take the waters, to shake off the lumbago and insomnia, which had pulled him down considerably during the last few weeks, owed his distinguished position and the honours showered upon him almost as much to Lis eheerv disposition and soft heart as to his undoubted professional ability. The sight of tho horrors of warfare in the FraneoPrussian conflict which he did t.i s best to alleviate at Sedan and elsewhere as chief of the Anglo-American Ambulance, and in Natal, whither he. went as Consulting Surgeon to the Forces, so far from making him callous, only made his heart, more tender. These two stories show what manner of man lie was:—He had been working for many hours among the wounded at Sedan, and almost exhausted asked an attendant to bring him a glass of water. Fresh water was a raritv j uVt then but the attendant, after 'some trouble, procured a little in an old cup Just as ho handed it to Dr. MacCorinac the latter was attracted by the groans of a "franctireur” who lay near bv, horribly wounded by a piece of shell.' Suddenly ho walked over and put the cup to the wounded soldier’s lips. “Ho cannot live an hour,” protested an assistant surgeon, “it was foolish to do that.” “It is never foolish to help a dying man” responded Sir William brusquely. A few months ago a poor woman, whose son had been seriously wounded in South Africa and invalided home., wrote a pitiful letter to Sir William asking him to cure her boy. The great surgeon drove several times to the little cottage in Chelsea, treated tho unhealed wound and brushed aside the woman when tearfully tried to thank him. Later, when the woman sent him FI with a letter explaining that it was all she could afford, the surgeon sent it back with a F 5 note. mw <!- r n unr ng 6 accid ent to his knee in 18J3 Sir william, as surgeon in ordinary, Tud assoemted with Sir Francis Laking Mr . - A. D. Fnpp, a young Guy’s doctor, in the case. The credit of the unconventional treatment which proved «o completely successful must, however, be given fo the last named, who treated tho knee directly after the acci-

dent. Sir William’s desire to stand by his colleagues was no doubt the cause of his sweeping assertions as to the perfection of the hospital department throughout South Africa, although he could speak from, personal knowledge only of the Natal campaign. The result of the subsequent investigations and the disclosure of many imperfections (to put it mildly) of the R.A.M.C. arrangements considerably weakened public faith in the celebrated surgeon. The English flat-racing season ended last Saturday at Manchester, where the principal event of the day (the Manchester November Handicap of F 1500) was won by the three-year-old colt Carabine (Carabine-Sainineld). This is the most important event yet won by any of Carabine’s stock in England. Carabine was purchased out of a selling race by his present owner for 170 guineas, and has won five races out of seven starts this season. Saintfield, is a St. Simon mare, and Carabine affords another proof of the good results obtained from the MusketSt. Simon cross. Carabine’s victory places tho Australian stallion tenth on the list of winning sires. Manlicher, another Carabine colt, was fourth in the same race. On the preceding day of the meeting Sir Edgar Vincent’s New Zealand bred horse, Seringapatam, missed the Lancashire Handicap (1000 sovs.) by a short head, being beaten on the post by Victor Don. In a letter to the “Times” Mr. John Fitz-Simons, erstwhile secretary of the New South "Wales Rowing Association, contrived to suggest that the visit of an Australian crew to next Henley Regatta, was a likely contingency. Mr. R. C. Lehmann, who makes no secret of his dislike to “foreign” competition at Henley, pointed out next day that an existing rule of Henley would prevent a representative Australian crew from taking pare in the Henley programme. Shortly, the rule referred to says that any crew competing in open events must represent some university or amateur rowing club which has been twelve months in existence. This rule would not debar a crew from the Victorian Rowing Association or the New South "Wales Rowing Association, for both bodies are amateur clubs in every sense of the word. Such a crew as usually represents Victoria in the inter-State race would he sure to render a good account of itself at Henley, but I am afraid that when Mr. Fitz-Simons speaks of an Australian visit to Henley next year it is a case of the wish, being father to the thought. As I anticipated, the stewards of the Royal Henley Regatta, when they met on Saturday, decided by a healthy majority not to accept the proposal of Dr. "Wane and Mr. Grenfell, M.P., to exclude from the regatta all competitors not of British birth and not domiciled in the United Kingdom. This suggested amendment was the outcome of a strong agitation conducted ever since the last regatta, when tho Pennsylvanians so nearly succeeded in winning the Grand Challenge Cup. The argument of Dr. "Warre and those in agreement w r as that it is impossible for ordinary school and college crews to compete successfully with crews which, though nominally amateur in character, devote months to training. They urged that to allow this sort of international competition at Henley would be to alter the character of the regatta and to exclude those English crews who have hitherto regularly entered for the races and given to it its greatest distinction. On the other hand it was argued that the presence of foreign oarsmen and scullers gives an additional interest to [ the regatta and results in a higher standaril of achievement. The stewards after a long and animated debate rejected tho proposition to put up the bar by 19 votes to 5. Good!

To those among you who h.-jye earned war medals, and are fuming because they haven’t received them vet, this paragraph may bring comfort. A Bridporfc veteran received last week his medal for the Crimean campaign, and it is onlv two years ago that certain hoary-headed Canadians received a reminder that they had once carried the gun in defence of the Empire by being awarded, per registered post, the medals they had won. about 40 years before. But the "War Office can be expeditious sometimes, for it is officially recorded that the militia who undertook tile important and hazardous service of temporary garrison work in Malta are to receive their “war” medals during the coming month.

■ tFe wild and woolly west which is Le.olville, Colorado way, comes this true story of the man with the golden hail. James McCormack visited a baranr! S Z hO i P , and the M°S ht of the scissors and comb discovered in James’s abundant mane quite a lot of bright particles. They proved to bo gold dust. ExplanationJames had been m the habit of washing rf w 1 ‘i! a mo “] am stream and the oil ama!rram a T Cted as a natural amalgam Result: Janies returned at ? ace , t? the,stream and within a few days located a placer” worth 200,000 dollars * I “«M b » ‘“tea