ABOUT PEOPLE

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1717, 25 January 1905, Page 71 (Supplement)

ABOUT PEOPLE

MISS LENA ASOWELL. A number of Naval miniatures hang about the actress’s drawing-room, one being that of a g-randfather who was made Admiral the very day he died. The sight of uiiese pictures leads Miss Ashwell naturally enough to tell you that she herself was botrn on one of Nelson’s old flagships, which, as the training-ship Boscawen, her father commanded when she lay moored in the Tyne. Another object Miss Ashwell shows you, which is really very interesting. This is a beautiful silver cruet-stand, which has been in the possession of her ancestors ever since the days of James the It retains its original glass bottles, and is as complete and whole as on the day when it was first placed on the table. Very early in life Miss Ashwell went out with her parents to Toronto, where in a small farmhouse with the mighty St. Lawrence flowing just beneath it she used to bake the bread for the household, scrub the floors, and wash the clothes in the style of the true Colonial damsel. She i=» led to speak of these early days as she laughingly displays the big Russian boots which, as Eatusha, she wore in the first part of "The Resurrection,” and which now lie in the hall. SIR GEORGE* WILLIAM KEKEWICII. In his late capacity of Secretary to the Education Department, Sir George was called npon to distribute prizes and open new school buildings in all parte of the country. Sir George, has a fine collection of keys presented to him on these occasions. the workmanship of many of them being really exquisite. In the drawing-room of Sir George’s pretty villa on Shmbury Common, among old Drift plate and sundry specimens of

Derby manufacture, you notice a quaint bit of Worcester, representing two women engaged in a fierce quarrel. The gem of the collection, however, is a dinner service of old Crown Derby ware, of which there are only two sets in existence. One belongs to the King and the other to Sir George. The Kekewich abode was originally a farmhouse, but it retains few traces, if any, of its former condition. The ghost of Jack SSheppard, however, the notorious burglar, jls said to haunt the adjacent lane, although he had left tfie village long before he commenced, his criminal career. Adjoining the house is also an orchard where was once the veritable mole-hill which caused the horse of William the Third to stumble, to the dete. of the oacabites of the day, who used to commemorate the fatal accident in the toast "to the little genleman in black velvet.” MR AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN, M.P. Mr Austen Chamberlain has hitherto resisted all temptations to enter the state of matrimony. Therefore his distinguished father’s roof, whether at Highbury, Birmingiiom, or in town, has always been "home” to him. At the London house in Prince’s Gardens he works in a room on the ground floor, which is fitted up as a study. The key of colour, green, is harmonious, and restful to the eyes. A human note is struck by the briar root pipe 3 of varying ages and hues lying upon the writing table, placed near the window. The study is lighted by electricity, fitted to two handsome old lamps of sang-de-boeuf china mounted in ormolu, and a curious old bronze lamp, “loot,” doubtless. from a temple "East of Suez.” After the General Election of 18S6, Mr Chamberlain went to Germany for a year to acquire a knowledge of German, and this is amusingly evidenced by the fact that, among the books lying about the statesman’s rooms, are sundry wellthumbed German "conversational grammars.” Mr Austen Chamberlain it was, of course, who, in his capacity of Post-master-General, brought about the muchappreciated reform whereby postal orders are now to be had for sums consisting of even shillings and even shillings and sixpence up to the value of a pound. His library ox blue-books, reports, pamphlets, and the like dealing with postal matters is extensive and almost unique. MR ARTHUR DIOSY. With a TTungarian father, but born and brought up in England, languages came easy to Mr Diosy at the earliest age. Thus it is that, barring of course his many quaint souvenirs of Experience in Japan, his most interesting possessions bear on matters linguistic. Mr Diosy can show you a complete vocabulary, written long ago in an exercise book, of the Man dingo words occurring in such French books of travel in West Africa as he had read. This was compiled for the simple reason that the child of tc-n could not find that a dict:onary of that language had been published. In the same year he also compiled for his own use a Chinese-English-French vocabulary, picking out the Chinese words from hooks of travel.

There is such an interesting; story in connection with a copy of Baba’s J-apar-nceo Grammar whicn l : es on Mr Diosy’s study table that it will bear repetition. Shortly after its acquisition the young strident, as he then was, found himself at the Lyceum Theatre seated next to a Japanese gentleman. With beating heart and blushing cheeks, young Diosy addressed a remark in Japanese to his neighbour, who, not catching the tremulous accents, very clearly replied, in English: “l beg your pardon.” Mr ]>iosy—ye peate d his remark, whereupon the other in amazement exclaimed, "Why! that/s Japanese!” Tn, the ensuing conversation the Oriental asked Mr Itiosy how long he had been in Japan, and could hardly believe that he had never been there. Mr I>iosv explained that he had chiefly learnt from Baba’s Elementary Grammar; and with the deep drawn breath wherewith the Japanese expressed surprise and pleasure, his neighbour answered, *T am Baba!”