MR SEDOON IN LONDON.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4740, 23 August 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)

MR SEDOON IN LONDON.

A WEEK’S DOINGS. (From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, July 4. This week has been one of modified festivity for Air Soddon and his party, with just a touch of Imperial business and tin; usual amount of private correspondence to tackle, with the aid of a couple of secretaries and a.couple of typewriters. Last Friday and Saturday wero quiet days’, spent mainly at the hotel in private work and business. On Saturday evening the Seddons and Mr and Airs Frank Dyer dined en famille with Air and Airs D. Ziman. Sunday was spent by the party with Dr Lennox Browne at his country house at North>vood, and in the evening Air Seddon and tho New Zealand Contingent attended .service at St. Peter’s, Limehouse. at which his cousin, Rev. D. Lindsay, is vicar. On Alonday tho first mooting of the Coronation Conference occupied Air Seddon’s attention, and in ihe afternoon the Soddon family- and Air and Airs Frank Dyer put in an appearance at the musical At Homo by Airs AVilles and Mrs Heaton Rhodes, at 12 Elvostou place. On Tuesday Air Seddon and his party witnessed tho review of colonial troops from stand C, on the right hand side of 1 1 1 ix Horso Guards parade, and Air Sedion. as all the papers noticed—one crediting him with tho eloquence of a Demosthenes and the fist of a Tom Sayers—led tho cheering for tho Queen and tho troops in robustly loyal fashion. This is bow it looked to tbo “Westminster Gazette” :—“Tbo Queen was welcomed warmly on the Horso Guards Parade yesterday; but, doubtless out of sympathy with her, tho crowd refrained to an unusual degree from indiscriminate cheering. What cheers were given wore hearty enough, bub they wero of tho ‘organised’ nature. From the neighbourhood of the saluting point they appeared to bo led by an elderly gentleman in tho front row of the stand nearest to tho Horse Guards. Ho stood with his hack to the parade ground, waving his hat and his arms when a cheer seemed to ho appropriate, and led oil with a stentorian “Hip, hip, hip—.” When ho relaxed his exertions and turn, ed round, tho gentleman was soon to bo —Air Seddon!”

“King Dick”—an “elderly gentleman.” Groat Scott! That journalist never interviewed him, I guess. Mr Seddou’s “lead” is thus explained by another journal;—“People in,tho neighbourhood of tho colonial Premiers soon became aware of their dissatisfaction at tho frigid demeanour of the crowd. At 'migtli Sir Wilfrid Lam lor lost all patience. ‘Look here. Sodden,’ ho said, turning to New Zealand’s Premier, “you havo a good voice. For Heaven’s sake get them to raise a cheer.’ Hence the stentorian ‘Hip, hip. hips’ on which tho chronicler admirably congratulates Air Sodden.”

Tho afternoon afforded another opportunity for quiet work, of, which Air Soddon was not slow to avail himself, and the day closed with the Dominion Day banquet, at which Air Seddon made a brief speech, and Lady Lansdowne’s At Home,' which latter entertainment was also attended hv the Misses Seddon, Mrs Seddon remaining quietly at home. ’ T - 7 ednesday was devoted to the excursion to Taplow Court. , Air Seddon dined with Sir Henry Camphelll-Bannerman and met many of the chief Liberals. In tho evening tho family saw “The Merry Wives of AYindsor” once. more at Her Ma jesty's, and participated in Mr Tree’s Bohemian supper on the stage at the oloso of the performance. Yesterday the Premier, with his wife and daughters, left tho Cecil, in company with Air and Mrs Frank Dyer, on a visit to Windsor. Starting early, they reached tho Royal borough soon after ten o’clock, and were convoyed in one of the King’s carriages to the Royal Mausoleum at Frogmorc, where the Premier deposited near the late Queen ■Victoria’s tomb a beautiful wreath of Christmas lilies of the valley and white rosebuds superimposed upon ’a base of feathery green. Thereon was inscribed, “In loving memory of our late beloved Queen, on behalf of'tho people of New Zealand, by Air and Mrs R. J. Seddon.” Tlho party afterwards drove to tho Castle, and were shown over the Alhhrt Chapel and the State apartments. In the evening, after attending Lady Roberts’s At Homo, the party were the guests of Sir Henry Irving at tho Lyceum ’ Theatre, and after seeing the performance of “Faust,” stayed for the reception given by Sir Henry to the leading social ’ and political Coronation visitors. Sir Henry not only dispensed princely hospitality to a gathering which included many men and women of mark, hut ho gave a fresh proof of his triumph as a theatrical manager by the extraordinary quick change which converted his theatre into a salon. Tho curtain fell soon after eleven, and in less than half an hour stalls and pit seats had vanish, oil, a refreshment buffet had been built along tho space where a brief hour before the “pittites” had clamoured and the front of the stage was hidden in a mass of decorative evergreens. Not the least marvel was tho celerity with which Sir Henry Irving himself discarded the garments of Alephistopheles and assumed the black of tho orthodox English gentleman. Tho theatre was admirably adorned and illuminated. It was a real triumph of a Union Jack which glittered and sparkled in festive illuminations of red, white and blue athwart the balcony, and above it there beamed a crown in which the tinf of golden lights was mingled with tho regular colours of the Empire. Tho reception was a great success, and many of those who took part in it dallied till the “wee sma’ ’oors” lured them frepn the blandishments of ‘ho occasion.

Air Sodden was not among tho earliest to depart. Besides Maharajas and. Indian officials galore.. tho colonial Premiers and their family entourage, King Lowanika,, the Sultan of Perak, Earls, Lords, Knights, and distinguished commoners, there were present many gallant soldiers, including Colonel Porter, Lieu-tenant-Colonel Cameron, of tho Federal Contingent, and Captain Seddon, Captain Macdonald, Lieut. Hardham, V.C., and Lieut. Blair.

To-day Mr Seddon is attending the first real business meeting of the_ Colonial Premiers’ Conference. This will keep him fully occupied for tho best part of the day, and in his absence his family will doubtless indulge in those -hopping excursions so dear to the heart of most ladies, and dearer still, sometimes, to the domestic banker. Meanwhile his secretaries will have their ’■ands full of work, for the Premier, from the time he rose this morning till the hour of eleven and the arrival of the carriage to convey him to the Colonial Office, was busy dictating to them — so busy, indeed, that of the very numerous callers from 9.30 to 11 o’clock prayed in vain for “just a minute with Mr i"ddon.” Some of the more obtrusive, not content to wait their turn (they only waited for a brief and emphatic “Impossible!”) in the waiting-room set apart for callers on the colonial magnates lodged at the Cecil, went upstairs

and formed a little queue in the passage between the Premier’s apartments. The waiters remonstrated in vain; but Mr Gough, who is the head of the pages and men-servants set apart for the Premiers’ convenience, ignominiously bunded them all downstairs again, with the cutting remark to one whose selfimportance made him obstreperous: ‘This is not the public entrance of an hotel, but the private passage to a gentleman’s apartments.” To-day the Premier has an engagement to attend the Royal Botanic Society’s Garden Fete, at which the visitors are to bo entertained with, among other sights, a Maori “haka,” and in the evening ho and his party attend tho reception of tho Indian princes at the India office by the Prince and Princess of Wales, which promises to be the most gorgeous of all tho State functions. Mr Seddon and tho New Zealand Contingent attended Evensong last Sunday night at St. Peter’s, Limehouse, the vicar (Dr Lindsay) being a cousin of the Now Zealand Premier. Tho church was hung with flags, and was crowded. As tho Now Zealand Contingent entered, “God Save the King” was sung. The Processional and Recessional hymns were, “O Word of God and “Onward Christian Solidors.” Tho vicar gave a patriotic sermon from Ezra vi., 10: “Offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto tho God of Heaven, anu pray for tho life of tho King.” After church, the contingent had supper in tho handsome hall of the Scandinavian Home adjacent to the church. Mr Seddon thanked tho superintendent and his wife for kindly lending tho hall, and said that during that afternoon ho had seen more of London than ho ever had before. He said that tho Scandinavians who were meditating a visit to Now Zealand would receive a hearty welcome, and he translated some Maori phrases with which they should* bo greeted. Ho spoke of ho good work Ids “boys” had done in South Africa, of tho great progress of tho colony, and of its devotion to the' Mother-country. As Mr and Mrs Seddon drove away in one of the Royal carnages, and. the New Zealand Contingent marched off, they passed through thousands of delighted East Enders, who lustily cheered them. Intelligent anticipation is tho journalist’s first duty, and I trust that tho King's recovery will bo so speedy that a description of tho lovely gowns which tho Misses Sodden had made by Madame Vernon, of Sloane street, for the ceremony in tho Abbey, will scarcely ho a day before the fair when it reaches you. Hiss Seddon’s corsage is a perfect confection of guipuro and finely tucked chiffon and crepe meteor, with chimps of shaded pink roses and foliage. The 'owing skirt of crepo meteor has the shaped piece at tho foot filled in with small volants connecting the top with fine motifs of guipure and inserted tuckvd chiffon. Miss May Seddon has a similar gown—the corsage being in orepo meteor and guipuro entredent, ' ho top arranged with softly folded chif. fon and Iceland poppies. The skirt has a yoke and panel in guipure, also border "attaching masses of frills in crepe meteor. From the same costumier Miss Seddon has obtained a stylish walking gown in Pastel blue panne cloth, with bolero coat lined with white satin, embroidered collar and facings in lawn and rose applique, with Egyptian gold buttons. Tho skirt has the new shaped flaps at foot. Miss May’s walking gown is in Rose dir Barri panne cloth, the coat cut as a Russian blouse'lined With satin,, with collar and garniture in embroidered lawn with fine lace edge. It has dull gold Arabic buttons, and the skirt has tho new graduated tier.