LONDON CHAT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2080, 4 January 1894, Page 3

LONDON CHAT.

(Fbom Oub Own Correspondent.) 30 and ,31 Fleet street, London, November 10. A week of fine and bright but cold weather, with keen northerly winds, has made fires universal and intensified the anxiety felt by housekeepers as to the continuance of the coal strike. There are very*few leaves now on most of the trees. They lingered long and lovingly after the lengthened and splendid summer, but bare twigs are the order of tho day 'at present. A few particles of sleet fell oneway, and there has been much snow in the north, but as a tale tho metropolis has enjoyed weather as remarkably fine for earty winter as was that of the previous spring, summer, and autumn. Certainly there has been nothing as yet to complain of in the meteorological way. All the same, everybody wishes that coal was a little cheaper. Upon the poorer clare, especially upon those who nave been thrown oub of work through the miners' strike, the dearness of fuel falls with sad severity. Earnest efforts) are being made to aid them, and much wiU doubtless fee dons ; but at the best this sort of help is little more thßn a drop in '&& huge bucket of London suffering. Still, in particular districts it is marvellous what has been and is being accomplished by able and devoted men and women. But in the majority of cases economic laws exercise their ruthless sway, ■ i'he Queen iB still at Balmoral, but is said to feel the cold much more keenly than in former days. Her Majesty finds increasing difficulty, too, m getting up and down stfeirsi In short, it must be admitted that age is steadily asserting its 6 way over our beloved Sovereign. Her general health, however, is said to fee good. Her eldest son completed the fifty-second year of his age yesterday.' The occasion was celebrated at Sandringham with the usual festivities, the Prince returning home front his "gallivantings" in oWer<,toVßq present' at "W birthday celebration. The Princess- continue* none too robust or too brighs. VHe» sadness remams persistent, and it is no secret that her" medical advisers are watching her case with a good deal of onxieby. It is alike sad and strange to note how this adored lady seems to have disappeared from society, and from public "functions," at which she was so loDg the central and loveliest figure. "> f f ■ "The dre?s'of the Lady Mayoress at the reception this week at the Guildhall" (writes a femiuiue correspondent) •• was worthy, of the, oJd days of Civic magnificence", when sumptuary' laws .prohibited costly stuffs *and particular* modes from becoming Jhe prey of common people. The skirt was. of the richest duchess satin, and the Court train— quite four yards long,— of white-and-gold brccade, was! fastened to each shoulder under plumes of ostrich feathers. The skirt was trimmedlwifch French lace, embroidered in gold. The sleeves, which were full and drooping, had an edgiDg of pearl lace, falling over lace also* '•■fbis beautiful costume stood gorgeously out from its background of eight maids of honour, who wero r »imply altired in dresses 1 of white ondine silk, with vertical straps of mauve velvet to the ground, shaped to the figure. On two-thirds of the length of the straps or stripes were roeettesof the velvet, anfl'Bdws of the same on the shoulders. There were paniefs of velvet, epaulettes of Honiton lace round the f quare-cut tucks, and fall and drooping sleeves —a triumph for the costumier of the occasion, Feter Robinson^ " Shopping in London is, like all luxuries— and shopping is a lu&ury to the unemployed,— made up to date in convenience. All the large > drapers have refreshment rooms, where in most a substantial lunch can be obtained. A new ladies' club, however, is soon to be ooened, which will attract numerous customers. 'I London is still in its infancy in tbe matter of ladies' clubs, which somehow do not seem to command popular confidence. I'he fact Is, women in this worn-out land are timid when they try to stand alone, but they are improving. But often one or two of the more advanced members perve as a scare to the conventional woman, who shrinks from ' being mixed iip with such people.' '' Tfeere are so many unemployed persons of education and small means in this country that schemes are always being propounded for their benefit, most of them futile. The latest of these is arcadian and feeble. It is to buy a large freehold estate near London, and to allot it out in varied sized homesteads to families, who each will cultivate its own portion, and live on the proceed There are financial details, of course, but these are airily disposed of. Village agricnltural life for the cultured can never be a success : tbe nature of things is against it. A more |feasible, if less extensive, scheme is propounded by a lady. This is to provide ladies of slender resources with pretty little cottages in the country, where they can add to their' meaDS by rural industries. For 8s or 7s 6d a week a cottage will he provided, comfortably and artistically furnished, with threequarters of an acre garden ground. Close by there is already a club-house in full trim, whore rooms and food can be had at a low rate, and the tenants can take up bee-keeping or profitable flower rearing. A donkoy carriage is provided, the use of which can be had fpr a small euro. At a recent exhibition of women's work-in an artifetic direction, held at the Imperial Institute, one felt inclioed to smile at the rendering in many of the articles of the much-diluted term art. There were frames with flowers in white leather, whoso chief metit seemed the fact that in this manner old kid gloves could be utilised. And there was a largo clock cage made of '1000 pieces of cork. Ingenious, if you will, but where does the art come in P Tulip leaves, dried and cut into patterns, are pasted on wood and highly varuished, and boxec, panel?, &c. ate co ornamented. Also highly ingenious, with or without art. But tbe Women's Garden Association is an undoubted success, Nature beiDg the presiding deity. Town fronts and parks are kept in order by the lady workers, and & large trade is done both in plants and cut flowers. A specialty of the association is table decoration. Tables for parties of all kinds are undertaken, and rooms are arranged with flowers for balls and parties. Aji autumn table, lately "arranged by the aescc'atioD, was really beautiful. The scheme was chrysanthemums find various shades, and in the tinted finger bowls a single bloomfloated. Where the bowl was in plain glasp, the water was tinted to match the scheme of colouring. The lamp shades were in pale hues to match the blooms. Pale caladium leaves clustered in the centre, and berry sprays were scattered on the table. The papers teem with Sir Andrew Clark, and men no less interesting. Within the last 20 years medical fees have riscu confiiderably — in tbe higher grtide more than doubled themselves. No physician proscribes m his consulting room for any patieub \it»cler £.2 2s. Sir William Gu)l alwoys ktpt a watcb on his table, and the moment it told that he bad given a patient 15 minutes he rose to end the

interview. For visits he always charged £5 5s within a given area, and £1 a mile outside it. Sir Andrew's fees were similar, but he often declined more than hio guinea for a visit if he found hiß patient was not well off..

Once Sir Andrew Clark was telegraphed for to a country house 120 miles out of town. He went. The patient was a girl, and her ailment hysterics. Sir Andrew did all that wag neCes* sary, and on leaving he was generously presented with two guineas, the mother (a farmer's wife) saying she had made it double in. gratitude for his skill arfd goodness. He had walked to the house two or three miles ! He made no remark, took his two guineas, and returned to town; ' Under ordinary circumstances his fee would' have been 100 guineas. The Queen takes the liveliest ifttertot in the histrionlb displays of her atagtj-struck-fainily. She " potters f ' in and out at the rehearsals, and gives , gratuitous hints. Going, up to the lady playing the chambermaid in "A Scrap of Paper" she Baid: "You should flick your apron so," and she suited thft afetion to the word} adding "Maids always do." The P.rinoess Beatrice never can learn her words; Her slowness in this respect is a great trouble to her. When Mrs Kendal was commanded to play before her Majeatyj she wrote a •'charming'' 1 letter to the press afterwards, congratulating the profession on the Queen's acceptance of artistes in her person, and taking the flattering unction to her soul that her character as the virtuous- actress had won the royal recognition. The dramatic press "went for ".Mrs Kehdal.

Since that event Ellen Terry. has been oommandedin like manner, and personally thanked by her Majesty, who also presented her" with a diamond brooch. The fair Ellen was received ~ on her merits as an artiste, and made no palaver afterwards. Lastly, Mrs Bancroft and Lady Monckton, of the Hare Company, were included in the Queen's supper party after- the performance of "Diplomacy "-at. Balmoral the other day, on -which occasion a bosom friend of Mrs Kendal cabled the news of the supper party to her in America. The virtuous matron was entertaining Mr Cleveland and his Cabinet at breakfast when the, awful news reached her. Thfe . bankruptcy of young "Bobby" Peel surprises no one in the know. He has had Mrs Langhry as friend and counsellor for some time-^a costly privilege. It was a letter to Bobby from the Jersey Lily, so the story goes, that made Abiogten Baird alter his will only a few hours, before starting on his pugilistic mission west.

He was calling pn the lady, and was shown into her, boudoir as usual.' Waitiug for hor , arrival he overhauled her open portfolio iv which he found a letter to Bobby saying, "The fool"— to wit, himself— "has promised me £5000. When he has sailed well have a good time together at Monte Carlo."' Abington said nothing, but did a deal ! He remade his will that day, and kept hi» fortune, as is known-, to his family. When the news of his death arrived Mrs Langtry gaVe & supper to a set of choice spirits to glorify her good luck as the lpgatee of Abington's gigantic fortune— or all that was left of it. What an awakenipg was there. The Crown windfalls, owing to persons dying ihtesfate and without' known next-of-kin, -realised recently in one year £iY0,476. There is an increasing epidemic of suicide among us. In Denmark, where the disease also is popular, they have put a powerful counter-check on it by making a law which hands over the body of every 6uicide to a dissecting room. The latest novelty in studs is a tiny timepiece, the dial of which is but three-sixteenths of ati indh in diameter. It is worn in conjunction with two others, and by turning the upper the watch is wound, while the lower adjusts the hands. The patriotic endeavour of the Earl' of Dun-, raven to win back the America's Cup with his yacht in American waters cost him just £4000. But the earl is rich and plucky. He will try again.