LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2883, 23 June 1909, Page 81

LADIES' GOSSIP.

is almost as essential in these days for the wife of a politician to be a good public -speaker as it is for the politician himself. Mrs Winston Churchill, it is said, joined some debating societies after her marriage, and Lady, Granard, however the acegm plishnient jras ac-

I quired 1 , proved herself wa excsllent orator at the Liberal bazaar which she opened in Muswell Hill the other day. A becoming devotion to her husband's party was revealed, and ska speaks in a clear voice that had just enough, the veriest ehadow, of American accent to lend it piquancy. — There are some good stories told about Mme. Modjeska, the famous Polish actress, who died recently. Perhaps the most (amusing, however, is that which relates how she spoofed a private audience which had been beseeching her to recite something in her native language. Demurring at first, the famous actress at last gave way, and the audience sat spellbound as she dramatically uttered unintelligible words. Great applause was the reward for tha effort ; but what the feelings of the people must have been when they learned that she had merely recited the numbers from one to a -hundred in Polish it is scarcely possible to describe. —In regard to Madame Modjeska, Mr Forbes-Robertson, who was her leading man more than a quarter of a century ago said: "She was my first Juliet, ar.d the greatest I have e\er known. Modjeska was a great artist and a beautiful and charming woman. Shs ranked with Duss and Desclee in her art. and was certainly one of the greatest actresses of her generation. I played with her "for two seasons, pi'ineipaHy as her husband in ' Frou Frou7 as RoTnco to her Juliet, and as Leicester to her Marie Stuart, one of her mo«t beautiful characterisations, while she was one of the most unselfish actresses I have ever known."

I —The late Mrs de la Poer Trench has , left an unique legacy in bequeathing the j money realised by her diamond tiara and [ some rare old lace flounce* to that mo«t deserving charily, the Hospital of St I John and St Elizabeth, St John's Wood. ! (London) — a refreshing vaiiation to the j tradition which rules that lace and jewels I shall be reckoned as family heirlooms. | But lace finds yome strange uses: it is 1 not so long since that an aristocratic bride actually wore on h?r wedding gown lace which had been the property of the i late Pope Leo XIII. and worn by him on some ecclesiastical vestment. ! — Princess Marie Louise of SchlewigHolstein is the most democratic member of her house, and spends much time in the East End of London on behalf of the Church Army, travelling from place to place in omnibuses and trams. She can also boast of having ridden on the elevated railway in New York. During her last visit to Ireland she missed the train — or there was none — at a remote little railway station, and spent several hours in the friendly companionship of the station-master, with whom she drank tea. — Lady Bell, wife of Sir Hugh Bell, who has consented to .retain the presidency of the Iron and Steel Institute for a further term of twelve months, is a daughter of the late Sir Joseph Oliffe. M.D., and is a singularly clever and gifted writer. Her plays for children have found favour with young folk, while her ,play for older folk. "' L'lndecis," had the honour of being produced by Coquelin at the Royalty Theatre a few years ago. Lady Bell is possessed of a delicious sense of humour, frequently bordering on the satirical. An out-and-out stickler for English as it should be spoken, Lady Bell has no sympathies whatsoever with what she terms the '• shapeless and jerrybuilt language "' so prevalent to-day. " Children," she once remarked, " should be taught that words matter supremely, and that their motto should be deeds and words, and that they are not only to do their best, but to say their best." —Dr Hans Richter, the world-famous conductor, is a man of many likes and dislikes. But his pet aversion is said to be fh.g inttrviSTTSY.t. He shuns, him Jika

1 the plague, and the writer well remembers \ a oonfc-ere telling him how, -when he tried ta waylay the conductor at the Queen's Hall soaii'3 time ago, the doctor escaped , by putting on his overcoat, turning the collar up to its highest point, pressing his broad-brimmed "hat well over his head. and rushing off in a four-wheeled cab. ' Many are the stories told concerning Dr Richier's abrupt manners when engaged |in his work. Perhaps one of the bsj=t- is ; that competed with a rehearsal fouie time j ago. The conductor wrs much annoyed ! at the calm way the players were taking the impassioned music. '• Gantlemeii. j gentlemen,'' said he. suddenly . stopping | short, "you're all playing lite married men. not like lovers." —'" The Husking Bee " is a dance (or festival) given by the farmers of Northern , American to their farm hards and friends ! during harvest time, and usually takes place in a barn. Durini the "Husking" — viz., separating the husks from the ears :of corn, if or.s find 1 ? a red car he has I the privilege of kissing the prettiest girl |in the place. Needless to say, there is a hunt for the red ears. The music is of s " rag-time " and "cake-walk" order, only more so. Sleighbells jingle, while laughing, singing, dancing, shouting.. etc.. etc., continue, till the host '" reckons as how he feels kinder tired and guesses it is about time to quit." Thereupon the company, with high spirits unabated, bid good-bye to the farmer, and amid the jingling of sleighbells, song arid laughter, disperse. Such is one of j the happiest events in the life of the

way-back American farmer, w iiose chief j concern is that his guests shall have a i " real red-hot, high old time at ' Ihe j Husking Bee." '"'