PERSONAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3111, 29 October 1913, Page 79

PERSONAL NOTES.

The Rev. James Reddock Leslie, D.D., Principal of the Episcopal Training College, Edinburgh, died suddenly last month. Dr Leslie took hie degree of M.A. at Aberdeen in 1865, and was made D.D. in 1909. Me was a keen educationist all his life, and was much esteemed. He leaves a widow and grown-up family. Among the 150 survivors of the gallant men who have been awarded the Victoria Cross there is but one alive who gamed the decoration during the famous 11 months siege of the fortress of Sebastopol, which concluded on September 8, 1855. This is Assistant-surgeon Henry Thomas Sylvester, who was given the little Maltose Gross made from Russian cannon at Sebastopol for his bravery in dressing the wounds of an officer under heavy fire. Dr Sylvester also went through the Mutiny, and was present at the relief of Lucknow, retiring from the service over half a century ago. Students of the vagaries, of. the lavs of heredity will note that the King, though the son of “a great ladies’ man, ’ is himself said to be "completely indifferent to the fair sex,” while the royal taciturnity was also certainly not inherited from a monarch who was a great talker. Except perhaps in the tenacity of his opinions and that he probably inherits from his royal grandmother —King George indeed can be .said in no single way to “take after” his father. When he reads a book it is never a novel, for which form of literature the late King hex! a distinct leaning, and a eleop sense of duty coupled with a keen appreciation of the importance of h;s role in life takes the place of that quick and vivid apprehension which formed no small part of the charm of King Edward. One of the most distinguished personalities in the Gaelic circfos of the present day has passed away in the person of Mr Neil Maclood, known as the “Skye Bard, who died at Edinburgh early last month. Born in Glendale, Skye, in 1843, Mr Macleoel was the son of Mr Donald Maclood, who was known in Skye as Domhnull nan Grain, or Donald of the Songs, and who enjoyed much renown as a (radio singer. The son may therefore be said to have inherited the bardic talent. Ho left home as a young man, and obtained employment in Edinburgh, eventually becoming a commercial traveller. In 1883 ho published a collection of lyrics, under the title of Clay&aoh an Doiro” (the woodland harp). book mot with groat success in Gaelic circles, and it ran into four or five editions. Mr Macleod touched upon every theme under lyric form —the humorous, the eatiiic, " the pathetic, the love of Nature, and the love of country—with the happiest effects. Knowing the Gaelic language and literature as ho did, he could write and spoak w:t.i a force and felicity which feyv of his contemporaries could equal. A true story of devotion to the memory of the late King Edward has just come to my knowledge (writes the Maricnbau correspondent of the Daily Express). For ' the past four years the congregation of the English Church here, at which King Edward worshipped during Its many visits, have noticed each Sunday a bo-'-ouet oi beautiful white roses on the seat that- was always occupied by the late King. King Edward, when Prince of \1 ales, went each day and bought a flower for his button-holo at a small shop kept by a clear old lady, Madame Kreig, and on becoming King he commanded her always to bring the flowers herself to the Wiener Hotel. Tlwec ■ he himself took from the old lady’s hands. Each year since hie death she has, on every Sunday morning during the season that the church is open, sent this bouquet to bo placed on the seat as a token of her deep respect and gratitude. It was done during all this time unknown to a single soul save Madame Kreig and her servant. Though there are, of course, many very well-known eases of prominent people who have lived to road their own obituary notices, it may well be doubted whether there is any parallel to the case of Lord De Freyne, in which not only has he been declared, bv a mistake, to bo dead, but his eon and heir eight years ago was believed to have been murdered, and was almost given up for dead, when he reappeared, as a private in the American army. Lord De Freyne, who djed last month was a large landed proprietor in Ireland, and his property figured prominently during the land agitation, a largo part of it being purchased and resold to tenants. It mav bo added that the family claims among Ls collaterals a much more distinguished soldier in the person of Fieldmarshal Sir John French. Mr George Tin worth, who gained a reputation as a sculptor., died early last month. Ho was Ixirn in a poor part of London, and hardly received any education. yet ho became a master in Ire profession. On one occasion he told how lie first took to modelling; “When I was a little toddler mv mother took me to Camberwell Fair, where two men dressed in white happened to come forward and pose as statues. I eaw them on the cheap, you know. The men grouped themselves as statues outside in order to encourage people to see the show ins : de. W ell. to get on. these statuai-y groups impressed themselves so much on my mind that when I reached home I got a little wooden sword and began mvself to do the statues before the looking-glass. This was how I got my idea of modelling, hut I was also helped'by mv mother, who bought me some transparent slates.” T'nworth used to employ his time first of all in carving butterstamps. But he was induced to go in seriously for art by the advice of a friendly foreman plasterer. Air Tinworth confined his efforts almost entirety to Biblical subjects. and had almost a perfect knowledge of the Scriptures. “At one Firm I read practically nothing but the Bible.” lie said. “In fact, I steeped myself in the Scriptures; so much so that when anyone asked whether such-and-such 1 a passage was in the Bible I could answer him without the least difficulty. The nature of my work renders it absolutely necessary for me to be constantly reading the Bible.” Asked if ho could recommend boys to become artiste, Mr Tinworth said that he could not. There are too many difficulties to contend against. If a bov has leanings towards art. he said, he ought to show some extraordinary talent before embarking on

such a hazardous proteseion. Many anecdotes are told of the deceased sculptor. A clergyman who visited him in his workshop was much struck with a jnilpit in Doulton ware which he had designed and decorated. On one of the doors he had modelled a bird’s nest, and under it had written, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head. The clergyman asked him why he had put that on a pulpit. “It is for ( the bishops and canons to see,” he said, “when they go into the pulpit in their fine robes. Years afterwards the clergyman came again and reminded him of it. Since they had met, the clergyman had risen to be Archbishop of Canterbury. It .was Dr Benson.