TABLE TALK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7341, 22 July 1892, Page 2

TABLE TALK.

[FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT. | London, June 3. Everybody is praying that the glorious summer weather of the past fortnight may last over Bank holiday. Experience tells ua this is not very likely, but Bank holidayers are sanguine folk, and, forgetful of past disappointments, ever prepare for the best. Therefore, in the big shops and warehouses and public offices an atmosphere of mild excitement prevails to-day. Thousands, nay tens of thousands, are planning a delightful Saturday to Monday in the country. '* If," they say to each other, looking longingly up at this afternoon's bright blue sky and brilliant sunshine; "if it would only keep like this." A ROTAL DISAGREEMENT. The Queen has, when in good health, usually a small " tiff" on with some member or other of her large family. Princess Beatrice, it is to be feared, rather encourages than discourages these quarrels. Her Majesty, she finds, is never co healthy mentally and physically as when moralising on the weaknesses of peccant relatives or writing them letters of affectionate remonstrance. The " extravagance of the dear Tecka " for some years gave their august cousin just cause for frequent fault-finding, and if report does not belie her the noble lady garnished her pecuniary assistance with plentiful doses of what vulgar folks call " tongue pie." Later, the coarse habits of "dear Bee's husband," who declined to put hia pipe out to oblige his Royal mother-in-law, led to frequent exciting discussions, and now the Duchess of Albany iB seriously in disgrace. The Duchess has mourned her husband for eight dull years, during which she has religiously worn weeds and visited only a few of her neighbours around Claremont. If H.R.H. could have had her own way she would long ago have given up this barrack-like Royal residence for a cheaper and more comfortable house, and especially would she have dispensed with the nuisance of ladieß and gentlemen-in-waiting. To be hedged round with all the formalities attendant on being a Royalty and yet to enjoy none of the compensating excitements must be intolerable, and so, seemingly, the poor Duchess at length found it. On the Queen's return from J the Riviera H.R.H. sought her mother- ! in-law, and without further ado boldly informed her that she now proposed ceasing to wear weeds, and going out into the world again. The maid 3 of honor present were thereupon requested by the Queen to retire, and the two great ladies fought their difference out like less exalted personages. The Queen's view is that a Royalty once a widow should be always a mourner. The Ducheßs politely said " stuff and nonsense," and the pair ultimately parted on very strained terms. H.R.H., it is now stated, threatens to leave England and take her children with her. She gays she won't fly in the faca of her Majesty's wishes in Great Britain, but feels she has a right to live her own life abroad. This will probably bring the Queen to reason, as she dearly loveß her grandchildren, and won't like losing them. THE BARNARD PEERAGE. Mr Henry Vane has success-iilly made out hia claim to the Barony of Barnard, which was the sole title held by the late Duko of Cleveland that did aot lapse at his death. The lato Duke waa an extremely crochety person. Enormously wealthy, and able to leave every acre and every sixpence how he chose, his Grace to the laßt kept his testamentary intentions a profound secret. The popular impression was tbat he would leare Lord Rosehery— his wife's son by a former m_,rr_ag_-*-a large fortune, but he did nothing of the sort. In the same way the Duke led peoplo to expect that his natural heir, Mr Henry de Yere Vane, would get but a pittance. He likewise profe/sed to doubt Mr Vane'a title to succeed, though the sole peculiarity in the latter's pedigree proved (on the examination before the House of Lords this week) to be in the fact that his father, the late Sir Henry Vane, was a six months' child. When Mr Vane sometiino ago became engaged to the Marquis of Exeter's daughter, that nobleman went fo the Duke of Cleveland and asked him *vhat he intended to do for the young man. All His Grace would say waa that he believed Mr Vane would some day be Lord Barnard. On the Duke's death it was found he had devised the Eabye3t-teß, worth over £60,000 a year "to any person proving himself Lord Barnard." Should, however, no one within a certain time establish a title, His Grace devised his entire fortune to Captain Forester, another relative. Of course, Forester made a struggle for the £60,000 a year, but the attempt to impeach Vane'a legitimacy haa failed utterly. The accident that Sir Henry Vane happened to be born within six months of his parents' marriage was, said the Lord Chancellor, an irrelevant scandal, which no one had any excuse for dragging forth. Captain Forester is now going to call in question tho late Duke's right to devise the Raby estates at all. Mauy yeara back, it seems, his Grace cut off the entail, and bought out the remainder men. Forester argues he accidentally missed one, and tbat in consequence he (Forester) is heir-at-law. Altogether, the late Duke's will looks like affording the lawyers very pretty pickings. June 11. The weather this Whitsuntide proved all the most exacting holiday-maker could desire, and the exodus from town was in consequence something phenomenal. Returning from the north on Sunday evening, I betook myself to the Criterion for Biipper. Ordinarily on a Sabbath between nine and ten you would find about one hundred and fifty persons feeding in the Grill room. On this occasion a solitary shop boy aud his inamorata had the huge hall to themselves. The following mominp it seems no fewer than 140,000 persons travelled by the Great Eastern Railway fco Epping Forest. This is a record for the G.E.R., the nearest approximate total being 135,000 on tha fine Whit Monday 1 of 1890. The Great Western Railway sent away 35,000, the London and North Western 27,000, the South Eastern 67,220, the Brighton Company J I 30,290, and the other lines in proportion. Curiously enough the Crystal Palace and j I the Horticultural Exhibition (varioualy

called the " Naughtycaltnral " and the " Horties ") experienced a, comparatively speaking, slack day. Instead of the usual 60,000 odd visitors going to Sydenham, only 46,349 passed the turnstiles, whereat the Earl's Court total was 43,646. On the other hand the river steamboats did grand business, no fewer than 172,000 persons paying fares at London Bridge pier alone. Theße few figures will probably suffice so show what a really fine Bank holiday , signifies to the hard worked London : masses. j ANOTHER BLANDER CABE. | The libel case of Leader v. Strong, ' which will be tried in the course of next week, promises to be as exciting in its way as Mrs Florence Osborne's little affair. Both parties concerned are ladies, and move in respectable middle-class society. Mrs Leader is nominally plaintiff, but really (like Mrs Osborne) it will be she who will be tried. The facts are as follow : — Some eighteen months or two years ago Mrs Strong lost a diamond star at an evening reception. The house where the party took place and the roads thereto were very carefully searched and a_v_r! i ements inserted in the daily papers, but all to no effect. A year or so later, however, Mrs Strong recognised her star in a local pawnbroker's window. She instantly sought tho assistance of a private detective, atd ascertained that Mrs Leader (a friend of her own, and a guest at the party at which the Btar wa_ loBt) had sold the ornament to the pawn- • broker within a week cf tho re.eption. Mrs Strong thereupon accused Mrs Leader ' of the theft and demanded restitution. Mrs Leader seemed surprised, but in no way discomposed. She readily admitted > the s.le, but Bwore the star was her own, i a portion, in fact, of some jewellery, left her by her mother. As one diamond star '. of the commoner sort is very much like ' another, there was no proving tbig par--1 ticnlar one to be the lost ornament, Mrs ■ Strong stoutly declares she would know it amongst a thousand, and branded Mrs Leader to everyone as an audacious thief. Ultimately, this action for slander was brought. You may remember I told you the Btory without names when it was being talked of at the Clubs, and bofore any vindicating step had been taken. A FAIR MORAL SCIENTIST. i Itis distinctly worth noting that a lady, Miss E. E. Reed.of Girton, has taken the chief i place in the Cambridge Moral Science Tr i pos. : She defeated all the male candidates by 1 gaining Cla.s 1., Division 111., Part I. In ■ the same division MiBB M. A. F. Joachim, i of Girton, ia placed in Class 11. On dit, Sir • James Crichton-Browne feels extremely , sick at this practical exemplification of the i fatuity of his theories. THE BUBMEROED TENTH. i Notwithstanding the splendid backing General Booth's recent appeal obtained, ■ the public are not coming forward with further funds forreforming the"submerged tenth," and the organisers of the scheme , are said to be at their wit's end. Its • opponents gibe worse than ever. A cori respondent of the St James' Gazette for example declares many people have been , puzzled by the term submerged tenth. > His explanation ia that some months ago Mr Booth asked the public for a million of i money. He got £100,000 — that is the tenth. That £100,000 has disappeared. That is the submerged tenth. DUCAL HONOURS. Although in Jubilee Year Lord Salisbury refused the Queen's pressing offer of a Dukedom, it is understood he has now reconsidered tho matter and that at tho dissolution his new title will be announced. Lord Cadogan may also, Club loungers aver, be offered the honour of strawberry leaves, and Lord Knutsford receive an Earldom.

From Readings of Inst_u__nts at thi Office of this Journal _ €* a I III" * July IS ... 30-42 28 07 N.E. Fine „ 18 ... 30-24 36 SO N.E, Dull „ 19 ... 29-91 47 57 N.E. Fine „ 20 ... 30'i!0 41 66 N.E. Fine „ 21 ... 30-03 43 48 ;H fc. Rain 2i ... 2991' 43 54 >\W. Drizzle