TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7029, 6 December 1890, Page 3

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

«. [Frosi our London Correspondent.] London, Oct. 17. Whilst ilrs Booth's obsequies were in progress on Monday and Tueaday, the first heavy fog of the season lowered over London, and wrapped the city in chill gloom. It lasted till the Mother of the Army was laid in her narrow bed at Abney Park cemetery on Tuesday afternoon, when the mist suddenly lifted, and the Salvationists turued homewards in the clear light of a harvest moon. None of the tens of thousands, who reverently watched Mrs Booth's funeral procession pass along on Tuesday, will ever forget the impressive .sii>ht. The 5000 officers, from all parts of England (*rho were alone permitted to follow the coffin), are the backbone of General Booth's organisation, and it was impossible to deny that they looked a very, remarkable body of men and women. The Commissioners Carleton, Kailton, Herbert Smith, Adams and Howard rode on horseback, and carried themselves with the dignity and ease of experienced cavalry officers. Tho Booth family fill one with amazement. Of almost each member the outsider involuntarily says, " What a striking face !" The men are, indeed (with one exception), eminently virile and manly looking. The exception is Commissioner Booth-Tucker, a weak and apparently somewhat hysterical individual, who has been conducting the not-over-successful operations of the Aimy in India, and who chose to masquerade in an Eastern turban and gaberdine. He naturally looked very much out of place, though not so profoundly ridiculous as a Salvation Highlander in one of the rear ranks, whose outrageous appearance quite upset the gravity of the crowd. Fortunately, however, the coffin was some distance away when this occurred. General Booth seems terribly broken down physically, though hia will is evidently indomitable as ever. As his f carriage passed the Mansion House the grand old man stood up barehea,ded, and, pulling himself together with a prodigious effort, acknowledged courteously the respectful salutations of the dense crowd, which, stretching away in every direction as far as the eye could reach, stood solemnly silent. In eoine respects he must have felt this was a great day for the Army, and marked the commencement of a new epoch. Never again could a London crowd feel altogether contemptuous of tho Salvation " high jinks." AN ANECDOTE. Mrs Booth's personal iufluence was as great, when needed, with smart as with low society. Three seasons ago, a then Cabinet Minister and his wife were, as the song says, " Nearly Severed." Lady Blankhad acted fooliehly and indiscreetly, her husband believed things to be much worse. The lady was too proud to explain and tho family appeared on the verge of a public scandal when Mrs Booth intervened. How she heard of the matter no one knows, but the General's wife obtained an interview with Lady Blank, and spent some hours with her. Two days later (when Lord Blank's solicitor had absolutely filed the divorce petition) husband and wife were reconciled and left for the Continent together to the utter amazement of society. PATCHED DP. As I conjectured, nothing more will be heard of the Freake-cutn-Gibson scandal. In consideration of the substantial soZah'inii of £1200, Mr Gibson drops legal proceedings againEt Sir Thomas Freake, and withdraws his reflections on that gentleman's blameless character. The damages seem excessive, not to say outrageous, if Mr George Lewis' version of his client's case was correct. I hear as a fact Sir Thomas did not want to give his quondam friend sixpence, and would have let matters take their course but for the " lady in the case." This mysterious person feared her name might transpire, and implored Sir Thomas to stay the case at any coot. THE LAST HOVE. The latest escapade of Messrs Dillon and O'Brien is very generally condemned by Gladstonians, who look upon breaking bail and breaking parole as perilously near the s^me thing, and consider the expedient one gentlemen should not have adopted. O'Brien has accustomed us to monkeytrioks of all sorts, and little would have been thought of his making a sensational bolt. On every side, however, surprise and regret are expressed that Mr Dillon should have reported to Buch tacticE. There have latterly been some lively allocations at the National Liberal Club between (xladstonians and Irish members. The former (I speak of the rankaiid file of the party) were never devotedly attached to their allies and now they are quite out of conceit with them. Mr Harmon, M.P., the "stripling " out of whose head (broken head during the Tipperary riote) Mr Morley and friends have been making so much capital, turns out to bo a massive youth, standing | six feet two inches in his socks, and declared by fellows at his College to bo " one of the strongest chaps at the 'Varsity." Furthermore, come fussy friend has unkindly exhumed a speech of the youthful legislator made on May 26 last, in which he said he had come over to Tipperavy "spoiling" for a tussle or scrimmage of some sort. He hoped an opportunity might presently arise for one. Well, the opportunity did arise, and from the evidence there can be little doubt young Harrison joined in the mvlee, con amere. Hence the broken head.