TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7318, 12 November 1891, Page 3

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

[fBOM OTJB LONDON COERKSPONDKNT.] London, Oct. 2. VALERIE WIKDBMANN AGAIN. One of the inoßt melancholy figures to be seep in all London just now ins faded, rather biliouß-looking young woman, with watery eyes and a monomaniacal expression, who haunts popular public resorts trying to sell tickets for eomo "French and German Readings," to be given next week at the PiccadillyEUU. This in none other than Valerie Wiedemann, the heroine of the notorious Walpole caee. A sane poraon would have been content with the £300 which the last Jury who tried the breach of promise issue ho very unjustly 1 gave the plaintiff. But Miaa Wiedemann |ie mad, a raving lunatic on this , one subject, and she ia trying to raise money for more litigation. I saw hor outeide the Stock Exchange in Throgmorton street on Monday. She weylaid all i the men she could and persuaded them to buy tickets. A few, a very few did 80 out of ourioaity or pity or both, but tbo majority fled like frightened rabbits at her approach. The whole affair is frightfully ! hard on Mr Walpole, who, by this riovcr- ! ending scandal, has literally been driven oat of England, as well as made bankrupt. Hot blooded youths, tempted to youthful indiscretions, should bear in mind his , story. One evening's folly has coat him a , lifetime of misery. What tho end will be j who can Bay, for Mies tViedemanu is mad, and lives only for revenge. THE LADY JOURNAMBTB* CLUB. The lady journalists of the metropolis met on Friday last under the presidency jof the buxom Mtb Stannard (" John Strange Winter "), to discuss the forma- . tion of a Club of their own, which is to be ! on much the same lines as a suooeßßf ul institution of the sort in Now York. All the preliminaries were easily arranged till the question of a name cropped up. The "Woman Savage" Club sounded awkward] "The Press Club " suggestive, all the members being ladies. " The Inkslingers " found favour with funny feminine scribes, but was rejected by a substantial majority. Finally, Mra Stannard characteristically urged the Club to be Rtrictly commonplace j they did not want to begin . by posing as eccentrics. She suggested " The Writer's Club " would do very well, and rather disappointedly the lady journalists agreed. BARRY PAIN CRT7BHKD. Mr Barry Pain, who has been most illadvisedly puffed by friends on the Press, receives a severe Betting-down from Andrew Lang in the October Longman's. I am sorry for Mr Pain as a man, but I am really heartily glad to see someone in authority going for fifth-rate Cockney humourists (!) of the Pain-Langwill school. I If you think this sounds harsh, read the 1 edifying history of the Buck- Sardine on pp. 4 and 5 of "In a Canadian Canal." jMr Pain, moreover, can do good work | when he forgets to be funny, vide the tale •of " Bill " on p. 150 of the same volume.