LONDON GOSSIP.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4259, 19 January 1901, Page 7 (Supplement)

LONDON GOSSIP.

(From "M.A.’P.”; \ LORD LIEUTENANT OF LEICESTERSHIRE. Lord Granby, the new Lord Lieutenant of iieices-iersiure, is purtiap.s me greatest living authority on trout hsuiiig. It ns sain tnat wnen ne was hilling once up Norm, an old lisiitimaa stood watening nnn tor some mue with undisguised approbation. Inea the old man murmured; "if tne women omy come to lie like the trout no to his rod, it hi take ail the wisdom or rfolomon to gie he a quiet life.” LADY GRANBY. Lady Granby is a very line artist, whose sketches seems to have something of tne witchery of Burne-Jones, with a touch of too Titiau-like J brea>h of Leigh, con. Nearly every celebrity in England lias sat- to ucr for those beautiful crayon studies, the best or ail, perhaps, Doing that of Mr Arthur Laiiour. Tossuny her paintings have never- given such general; (satisfaction. Anyhow, it has become a tradition that 6ir John Millais once said : "It- would be as great a mistake for Lady Granby to apply colour to her drawings as to her chceKs.” A SNAPSHOT OF LORD NORTON. This venerable peer, who was President- of the Board of Health as long hgo as 1808, is one of tho wonderful old men of a century which has added longevity to its many characteristics. One of my Warwickshire correspondents writes; "i saw Lord Norton, who has eighty-six years on him, going from Petty Sessions, near Birmingham, the ocher day, astride a pony, and without, an attendant of any sort. It was a damp, muggy day, and as ho went down Coiesluil Street, attired in a- white top hat, with capo round his shoulders, and whipstock resting against his rignt leg, Lord Norton looked au interesting figure, well worth a permanent picture. The day before, his lordship had put in a day at Warwick Quarter Sessions, twenty miles from homo, and was about, the next day, at police-court work nearer to Hams Hall. Sometimes he walks into Coleshill, or back again, from this magisterial duty. His second son, Arden (who is chairman of the Bench and a County Councillor), is married to a daughter of Mr StopfordSackville, M.P., who has just re-entered Parliament for North Northamptonshire.”

A NOVEL DRINK. Priilcc Victor Dnleep Singh is, as is well known, quite an Englishman by education and adoption ; and is made doubly so by uis. marriage with Lady Anno Coventry. daughter of the popular Master of the Buckhounds. The Prince is a keen sportsman, and, unlike the average Englishman, shoots even better after luncheon than before. One day, shooting with his brother-in-law. Lord Dcerhutst, ho seemed unable to keep up his reputation, and missed turd after bird. At length they sat down to luncheon — th e Prince perhaps a trifle -put out. ‘“What, will you drink, Victor*’ he was asked, and to the astonishment of several of the guests replied: “Oh, a brandy and port mixed, please!” He took off a glass of the mixture, seemed to enjoy it immensely, and after* luncheon proved the best shot of the party! Evidently, the West has yet much to learn from the wise, mysterious East. THE QUEEN’S READING. Of the making of hooks, copies, of which—one learns from duplicated paragraphs—“ Her Majesty the Queen has most graciously been pleased to accept,” there is no end. As to whether the Queen reads them or no, no man knowoth, least of all the authors. But, “John Oliver Hobbes” is in happier case. She has learnt from Miss Janotha, who has it in. writing from Princess Beatrice, that one of the latest books the Queen has been reading is, “Robert Orange.” Moreover, Miss Janotha has been told by. the Princess that the Queen was much pleased with the novel. It could hardly be otherwise, with tho sedulously sympathetic glimpses of Disraeli, the Queen’s most favoured Minister, in which the book abounds. By the way,' Miss Janotha, the favoured intermediary for this scrap of literary news, is a musician whose career has been most interesting. She is Court pianist to the German Emperor; and is a kinswoman of the last King of Poland. Pier autobiography will shortly appear in “M.A.P.” THE KING OF ITALY’S DEVICE. Many aro the stories that com® from Naples of the new King and Queen of Italy. 'I may supplement the one given lately in “M.A.P.” by a Torre del Greco correspondent by the following; Many members of the- Royal household' had grown old in the service, and the King, too soft-hearted to superannuate them, and so- hurt their feelings, had recourse to a device. Pie and the Queen rose very early in the morning, and rang every bell in their respective, apartments, so that the whole! palace -was roused. Ladies and gentlemen in waiting, officials .servants, all were obliged to rise. This went on for some time, it being hoped each day that their Majesties would seo the error of their ways ; but when it continued for weeks •without interruption, it got “on the nerves,” especially of the elders, and requests for .superannuation began to pour in. These were, of course, graciously acceded to, and the household is now in process of transformation. According to the eminently anecdotal Roman correspondent of tho “Pall Mall Gazette,” this early rising had one unlooked for result. The feminine portion of the Court, not excepting tho Queen, began partly from fatigue and partly (it must ho confessed) from boredom, to yawn even before dinner, so that when the last course was reached they were more than half asleep. One evening they were effectually awakened by the King. He looked about him and caught five separate people—one cf whom was Queen Helena-trying to stifle a yawn, on which he said, “This is evidently the palace cf the Sleeping Beauty; but —is. it the moment of going to sleep or that of the awakening?” A McKINLEY STORY. Mr Waller, an uncle-in-Jaw of Mr McKinley, tells the follo wing story of the President’s boyhood: On one occasion, during a visit of Mrs Waller to the home ; of her brother, William McKinley, senior, the President was a lad of sixteen or seventeen years of age. He was a student at the time, and was poring over his Latin when his brother David, who was superintendent of a coal mine, came rushing into the room and ordered young William to hitch up his horse and have it ready for hint by a certain time, as he was in a hurry, and wanted to dr vie out to a dance several miles in the country. After his brother had left the room, young William turned to his aunt, Mrs Waller, and said: “Aunt Martha.

don’t you think it humiliating for a Methodist and a Latin scholar to he compelled to hitch up a horse for a brother to go to a dance r” THE PRESIDENTS DOUBLE. Both the grandfather of the President and his great-grandfather were carpenters by trade. The village of Chattield, which is located on the site of the McKinley farm, was largely built by the McKinleys, and many buildings throughcut the country and m Bucyrus are their handiwork. Upon the cite of the old McKinley home has been erected a com. modious two-story brick schoolhbuso. 'The only relative bearing the family name who is a resident near the homestead is William McKinley, an employee of the Ohio Central Railroad. He is au exact counterpart of the President in build and facial mould. Among the pioneer citizens who remember Me Kanley’s ancestors, ail speak of them in terms off highest praise. Those who knew David McKinley, his father say tha fc lie was a highly educated and polish, ed gentleman of the old school. He was a teacher for many years, and was familiar with several languages. He also fought in the Revolutionary War, and during the closing years of his life drew a pension for wounds received in the service. MR BRYAN—A PEN PICTURE. A pen picture of Mr Bryan at home, among hri children or with his neighbours,. or his well-kept farm reveals, a kindly, upright,- debt-paying unassuming citizen, fail of gentle, rollicking humour. It portrays a profoundly religious Presbyterian, without cant or presumptions piety; a man who neither drinks nor smokes tobacco, and yet does not deny other men the light to do so—frequently offering cigars to Ids friends— a graceful horseman, an expert hunter, a generous host. Mr Bryan is intensely American in all that distinguishes an American from a European. He has the same square-jawed courage, broad humanity and quaint dignity that made Abraham Lincoln the typical American of his day. He has f Lincoln’s deepyfeligious feeling and Lincoln’s unwavering faith in the Declaration of Independence as a sure political guide. He is, in a word, North America personified with all its continental prejudices and confidence. '

A POLITICIAN’S WIPE. Mrs Bryan was the daughter of a merchant in the village of Perry, 111.—her family, like that of Mr Bryan, belonging distinctively to what are called the middle classefj, no member thereof having attained great nvealth, and none having been reduced, to abject poverty. Even since their marriage Mr and Mrs Bryan have ' continued their student life together—Mrs Bryan, during the years immediately following it, studying law with her husband as instructor, pursuing the course prescribed in the Union College of Law, Chicago, and being admitted to ■ practice before the Supreme Court of Nebraska in ISBB. She did not, however, study with any idea of practising law, but merely to keep in touch with her husband’s work.

AN IRISH MANDARIN. ; Pew know that Sir Robert Hart, of Chinese fame, is a Mandarin of the highest grade—of greater rank even, it is said, than Li Hung Chang himself, Small, and unassuming ■ in manner' and appearance, dressed in the'most careless fashion, a “billycockf’ hat and a. green tie usually completing his outdoor attire. Sir Robert has received eyeiy distinction which the Chinese can bestow,‘ including tlie red button, the yellow jacket and the three-eyed peacock’s feather. His honour list touched its zenith some years ago when, wishing to raise, him to still higher rank, and having uo further-decor-ations to bestow, . the Celestial /Government ennobled' his family for three generations back, an Honour "which is surely as unique as—to Western ears at any rate —it is humorous. “To those'in the know,” says a friend just hack from Uniria, “the biggest mystery of the whole ugiy business was the widely-circulated report that Sir Hart had been massacred with the diplomatic corps. Many of us even found it comical, for the Chinese would not hurt a hair of his head; they love the man 1 himself as much as they value his business capacity.” Sir Robert’s chief recreation is music; he plays the violin, and has an excellent band of his own,, led by a Portuguese bandmaster.. Extremely fond of children; he enjoys nothing bettbr, than to invite all the European little people in Pekin to ids house and romp with : them to their heart’s content, wildcat Christmas he has a magnificent Christmas-tree laden with costly and useful presents, which are distributed broadcast. For social life in its usual sense he cares nothing, and, except to return- the call of a Minister, the round of visits/he pays; at, the New -Year- completes his social duties. In fact, so stay-at-home is he that with the exception, of one"; visit a year to the new seaside town of Beita Ho,: Sif Robert Hart has not been out of Pekin for years. BADEN-POWELL AND HIS POR- i TRAIT. . , Hero is a characteristic story of “8.P.” sent to me by a newly-enroiled member of the South African Constabulary at Pretoria. Describing some incidents of his first “inspection,” my correspondent says: “Wo had had a great rush to get things ship-shape, but were on parade half an hour before the general arrived. The captain and three lieutents fidgeted about, and finally one of them went to the corner to see if he wer e coming. Presently he appeared in the midst of a group of mounted men—a smaller man than the full-length portraits led me to think, with a freckled, finely-wrinkled face, adorned by a sandy moustache. After carefully inspecting every man, he entered the corn warehouse, where wo are quartered. Someone had pinned a half-sheet ofthe “Daily Mail” on the door, with a big, capital portrait of B.P. on it. But, without appearing to see it, ho flicked it off with his switch!” THE PROFESSOR AND THE KAISER. So much has been written about the German Emperor’s high esteem for the late Professor Max Muller, that it is not without interest to record that, much as the great philologist appreciatj ed the friendship of monarch®, he was | not himself a very warm, admirer of | Kaiser Wilhelm’s personality. A story !is told of a , certain luncheon-party at 1 his house, at which the Archbishop of York was present, when his Grace chanc;ed to remark that he presumed his host snared to the full his (the Archbishop’s) extremely high opinion of the/ Hohenzollern- Sovereign. “His gr-r-randfather ' was a t-r-r-ruly gr-r-reat man,’ replied the Professor, with that Teutonic roll of the ‘r,’ which he never lost after long years’ residence in England; T had an extreme respect for his late father, the Emperor. Frederick, and His wife, the

: present Empress, is one of tlie most i excellent women in Europe,. ' CHURCHILLS ON THE PLATFORM. “The Town Hall was quite besieged the other evening, on; the' of the lecture given by Mr Winston Churchill on “The War as I saw it.” The‘Duke of Marlborough presided, and not drily introduced his distinguished relative to th e audience, but commented afterwards on his address in a fepoech which, so far ‘ front evidencing the eloquence naturally to he expected from an ex-chancellor of the Primrose League, came perilously near to a breakdown. - The Dean of Christ Church, who is never at a loss, seconded the vote of thanks lit very wellchosen words. Dean' Paget shaves with his brother-head, the Master 'of ■ Trinity, Cambridge, the reputation of being one of the readiest after-dinner speakers in England. Some people,, however, have found the style and diction of both dig. nitaries a little too oppressively “churchy.”

DR STUBBS AGAIN. An amusing instance of ,the Bishop of Oxford’s humour is given in the following story. Amongst his country clergy is one, who may be called M r Blank, of Blankton—a :tman full of fancied ailments, who considers constant change such an absolute necessity that, at the date of the story, he was quite a stranger in his own parish. One day he came to the Bishop with Jus usual request. “Not very well, hiy lord—feeling decidedly run down—immediate change of air most urgent.” The Bishop’s- eyes twinkled, but he spoke quite quietly : .“Try Blankton, my dear sir—try Blanktori!” Bishop ■ Stubbs has a high opinion of the value of Butler’s Analogy,' and hardly ever forgets to impress its importance on young students. This was once testified in a comical manner after a luncheon given to Ordination candidates at• ■tho close of their examination. Amongst the number there happened to be a very simple and exceedingly nervous young country curate. “Good-bye, Air ’" —rr.” said "the Bishop, with a genial smile, “don’t, forget Butler, you know; don’t forget Butler!” “Oh ■no. my lord,” reglied the young man, nervously fumbling in, his pocket, “I’ve given him haif-a-crowu already!” ' - A STORY OF THE BISHOP OP NORWICH. ' The Bishop of Norwich has perhaps more' stories told of nim than most Bishops. “I asked him not . long ago,” says a clerical contributor, “if he Were' really. the hero who performed upon the dut-of-reach knocker for a-smairgirl’and was then told to follow her 'example and run away. The Bishop said lie could npt lay claim to that expedience. But ,en revanche, .lie .told me the following which once occurred to him- He was to hold a confirmation,.at a small town and, arriving some time before the -hour for service, took a stroll: His steps led Mori to the outskirts of- the' town, and, passing a picturesque little cottage, he stopped to admire it, , A pretty little gar. den, separated the cottage from- the road, finished off with a-neat Sedge and green gate. ;, “Oh,. please,- sir,” said a voice from the other side of the hedge, “would you open the gale for ’me ?” "This the Bishop at -one© did, Then,- to his surprise. instead Of tfie tiny child he' had expected, there' stepped forth a. girl quite big enough 'f<j 'fiave, . opened the gate for herself., “And why, my dear,,, said Air .Sheepshanks, “couldi-you- not open the gate for -yourself?” “Please, sir, because the paint’s wet.” said -the child. A glance 'at-his hand testified to the Bishop buf too plainly the 7 truitT| of her ■ statement. ' , ' ' ' "