PERSONAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2295, 24 February 1898, Page 46

PERSONAL NOTES.

| * • . • The Duke of Norfolk is aaid to hava spent more money amongst the building trade than any Englishman now living. • . • Miss Marie Corelli, who wa<? recently vory seriously ill at her residence, Brunswick terraci-, Brighton, has undergone an ope'atiou, undi? now considered to bd entire!/ out of danger*. •. • The death was snnounced in December at Ernsworth of Mrs W. Hipkin, aged 101. She ea joyed excellent health until a few weeks before her death, and sha regained all her faculties to the end. • . • President Faure is a tremendous worker. Following the custom o£ his earlier life, he S rises before d^wn, and has accomplished much before fashionable Pd,ii3 is awake. Hs gives his personal attention to countless matters which are ordinarily looked after by secretaries, and ha conducts the manifold affairs of the Government on strict business 'principles. All letters are answered the same day they are received. • . • The Right Hon. James Brycs, M.P., is (a writer says) one of the very small band of university professors who have made a mack

in politics.' He is the best linguist in the House of Commons, and a few years ago startled London by addressing the German colony in Clerkenwell for more than an hour in their own language. Mr Bryce, who is in his sixtieth year, is of medium height, with rapidly whitening hair and beard and a pair of keen, shrewd eyes. • . Tha death has taken place at Ferrymen, near Montrose, of Mrs David Watr, who. during her whole life of LOO years and four months, was resident in that small fishing village. Her hu-band, a fisherman, perished from the effects of exposure to a severe storm 50 years ago. Mrs Watr.t leaves no fewer than 269 descendants — 12 children (six sons and six daughters), 80 gr&ndchildten 175 great-grandchildien, and two great-great-grandchildren. • . ■ Lieutenant Paary, among his many other accomplishment* 1 , is a skilled photographer. H- possesses some 4000 negatives of photogsaphe taken in the cold and fr< zen north. Photography up there, where iron literally bitee, does not strike one as a recreation ; but Ndbssn evß» caught a walrus with its best, photographic smile, and managed to taka photographs when the greatest of all negatives was his daily companion. • . • Lord Spsncer is as good a type as can be found of « he traditional Liberalism of the old Whig party, enlarging itself to meet the exigencies of a democratic period — as good a type as the Duke of Devonshire himself; and but for the pertisrbiag and deflecting influences exerciser upon him by-the massive personaliiy of Mr Gladstone, drawing him out of his natural orbit, he would probably ba speaking now as the colleague of the Dake oE Devoar-hire and Mr Chamberlain, and nob as the poli-ical associaie of Sr William H*rcourt and Mr John Moriey. — World. •. • Miss Clara Brett MarSio, who haajust been admitted to the Ontario Bar, has been m&de a junior partner in the legal firm of Shilloo, W t -lbridge, and Martin, Toronto She intends ro sp-cialise on the laws relating to woman — her citizenship, htr estates, her children, and her individual responsibilities. Her first case was concerned, not with her sex, but with commercial law. She argued it very capitally before Juoge Marson and won it. She ?s described »s aa earnest and attractive young woman, her rno&t striking characteristic . being her inaomicable perseveianct. ■ . • Tha death is announced of Goloael John Liing, at Baltimore, U.S A., who had attained the age ot 80. A native of Edinburgh, he entered the Royal Engineers and retired with the ratk of lieutenantcolonel. He sarved in the war in the C'imea. Leaving the ar ny ho went to Brazi!, and superintended ttie construction of several railways in that counrry. Thirty years ago he we/,t to Baltimore and surveyed I the roaf.e of the W stern Maryland railroad i across the Blue M^unc-sins. Afterwards he ' superintended the bui d : ng of the Peansyl- | vania railroad under the ci*,y of Baltimore. j He retired from active work three years • . • It has been trnly sad that no m^n with r,hp toothache is a philosopher, aad ! Prince Bismarck has liv«d to give point to ! the saying. Recently, says a Berlin journal, ! h8 consolred bis doctor, and received the cold comfort. : "At the age of 75 you ought to be I delighted to have toothache still."' But the ageiug >x Chsneeilor cannot attain to this philosophy, and gets very depressed by the pain, though after a couple of hours' sleep he recovers his habitual serenity. He goe3 to bad at 11, but rareiy has a good night's rest, a note-hook and pencil being put within reach so that he may record the passing thoughts of hi* wakeful moments. He bew-uls his lonslin?ss now th.iL his wife is dead. ! • . • The Earl of Danraven, as Lord Adair. I was a journalist. H> went through several ! campaigns as a gptcial correspondent, and, j as he himself has remarked, "I was p^eciou^ : glad of the money I got too " He has al-vaya interested himself in theatrical matters, aad wa« at one fcima proprietor of ! the '/pera Oomique, over which he at first dropped a lot of money. A new piece had been writ ien for the theatre, and H J. Byron, of " Oar Boys" fame, was asked his opinion as to what it was to be called. " Oh," said he, " call it ' Robin Adair.' " The applicab ility of the title, seeing that his lordship had 1 already lost, so much moaey over the theatre, waa undeniable. — Suo. ' . • Miss Amelia, Barr, the popular lady novelist, was born in Lancashire 66 years ago. She has lived in Scotland a good deal, and, indeed, married a Gksgow merchant. And all who have read such vigorous fiction as she bas given to the world in " Jan Vsdder's Wife " and " A Border Shepherdess " will (the London Echo says) recognise her truthfulness in describing the scenery of North Britain and her faithful delineation of Scottish life aod character. Amelia B*rr is now a widow, and for the last 30 years has resided mainly in th^ United S ares. Ab the present time her home is on Cornwall Heights, overlooking the Hudson River. As a novelist Mrs Barr caaaol yet rival Miss Braddon, with half a hundred stories. But she does her best, and has already written sotxie 30 novels. • . • It is not generally known that Mr A. H. M<rton, M.P., was formerly in Holy Orders. Hb was ordained by Bishop Wilberforcs deacon in IS6I, and priest two. years later. He was ar, one time curate of All Saints', Knightsbridge, aud was appointed chaplain to the late Earl of Fife as recently as 1881. Among other members of Parliai rnent who have been in Holy Orders may be j mentioned Mr Aclaad, late Vic-president of the Council, formerly the Bishop of London's curate in North nwberland, and Mr Macdona. Dr Wallace has not only been a minister in the Church of Scotland, but has held the Chair of Theology in the University of Edinbtugb. • . ■ Mr Gladstone is never especially anxious about his own health, but no soor er is there any question as to Mrs Gladstone's ailments than he is immediately in a stata of worry. Often sha has been obliged to try to hide small ills from him, les'"- he should bQ alarmed on her account. The ex-Pranrier; has always any number o£ suggestions to make as to precautions, diet, &c, matters about which he can scarcely be prevailed npon to take any care in his own case. It is recorded that his wife once said of him, many years ago, " Mr Gladstone is the most trying invalid I ever beard about — but then he is the dearest."