RECOLLECTIONS OF FIVE REIGNS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14326, 17 October 1910, Page 5

RECOLLECTIONS OF FIVE REIGNS.

MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD. "Under Fire Reigns" is to be tie title of Lady Dorothy Nevill's uew volume of reminiscences, which will shortly be published. This wonderful lady was born in tho reign of George IV, and is still one of the most pupu--1 :ir members of society in that op George V. She dines out as nnteli as ever when she is in London, which is for the greater part of tho year, and is welcome wherever she goes for her sprightly wit and inexhaustible store of anecdocs. ! It is four years ago since she pub- : lished her first volume of remiuis- 1 oences, which was one of the must popular books of the year and still ill- . joys a constant sale. It is full of 1 stories of interesting people of the past, for Ladv Dorothy NeviLL had known practically everybody of note in London, and many elsewhere, through a long course of years —people of note in ; tho world of fashion, politics, litera- j tux'e. art. and science, and sho seems \ to have had the faculty of making r friends with all of thctn. ! Since that volume was published slia , has found a great many letters from various well-known people, which will be printed in tho forthcoming book. : Besides Lord Beaconslicld, whose friendship she enjoyed, friends of such , varied character and pursuits as Darwin, Ouida, Lord Lytton, General Gallifet, and Sir William and Sir Joseph Hooker will appear among her correspond on ts. There will be numerous interesting pictures, and among them original drawings by "Dicky" Doyle, the famous Punch artist, who wrote to her frequently. Lady Dorothy was a special favourite of King Ivdward. As Prince of Wales lie used to 20 to her famous Sunday luncheon parties, where she gathered together week after week a. regular constellation of stars and rot them all talking by her own cleverness and vivacity as a "hostess. Tho King used to banter her about hor fondness for different styles of notepaper, and on ce sent her a letter on bright scarlet paper enclosed in. a bright scarlet envelope. She has known nil the political giants of her day. for although she was brought ur> in the strongest of Tory traditions and was one of the founders of the Primrose Leaguo, she has always refused to confine her friendships to one political party. She knew and likod Cobden, when he lived near her in the country, and some of her neighbours refused even to meet him 011 iccount of his political views, and to-day she is as witle-mindod as ever, for one of the statesmen whom sh« mosst admires is Mr. John Burns.