CHRISTMAS NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4571, 16 February 1893, Page 2

CHRISTMAS NOTES.

[FROM OUB LONDON COBBBBPONIHBNT,] London, Deo. 30. A FBOBTY CHRIBTMAS. London has since Monday last been wrapped in the chill Cimmerian darkness i which, last year, characterised the week before Christmas. Up to Saturday the ] weather was extraordinarily mild and 1 warm. Then the confirmed practical joker, who arranges the climatic conditions ot Great Britain and Ireland, took matters in hand, and on the morning of Dec. 25 Father Christmas duly turned up, accompanied by sixteen degrees of frost and a genuine arctic north wind. When the cold did arrive it certainly by severity made up for its tardy appearance. During the week the thermometer has, in the eastern Counties, fallen as low as nine degreeß, and in London on Tuesday the records of many years were broken. .' TERRIBLE WEATHEB. On the Atlantic a cyclone of fearful fury, accompanied by the bitterest cold, haß been raging. The French steamer La Normandie arrived in harbour sheathed in ice from stem to stern. Huge icicleß hung from her yards, and in Borne places on deck the ib? was two feet thick. The captain of another vessel, the Lauresina, reports that his three compasses were frozen in their alcohol baths, and that he was driven to steer by the stars. The City of Berlin aleo presented the appear* ance of a vessel from the Arctic regions, and had had several boats and ventilators Bweptaway. The Canard liner Umbria, much overdue at Queenstown, and having 500 souls aboard must, it is feared, have met with an accident. A EOTAL BOHANCS. Next to the annual tableaux vivants which, as usual, Colonel Collins baa in hand, the chief topic of conversation at Oiborne juab now is the obstinacy of the Queen of Eoumania, who flatly refuses to attend her son's marriage with Princess Marie of Edinburgh. " Carmen Syiva " still clinga to, or rather sticks to, Helena Yaoaresco, whom she tried so hard to secure aB a daughter-in-law, and openly states she considers Ferninand acted scandalously to her protegie. Really the young man was not to blame. After being brought up with the greatest austerity on an ancestral domain in Germany, where sport and literature were Mb sole relaxations, the Prince was suddenly thrown into the constant society of Helene Yacaresco. The lady (several years his senior and a trifle embonpoint) had lovely eyes with which she did rare execution. The Queen encouraged a mutual attachment, and before poor Ferdinand had ever been out into the worldj or seen " fair women and brave men," he was engaged to his mother's protegie, The Sing of Eoumania waxed extremelj wroth over ' his wife's folly, and after as interview with Ferdinand, in the. course oj which the latter vowed eternal fidelity to the- beauteous Helene, sent the boj abroad to travel and forget. Naturally the affair took the usual course of call loves. The Prince soon discovered he hac never cared a row of pins for Mdlle Yacareßco ; but, likemoßt young men Bimi larly placed, he nominally stuck to her till he really , fell in love. This occurred during a visit to the Dukt of Edinburgh at Coburg. The Princeaß Marie, all who know her coneidei a simple, unaffected English girl, thoroughly well brought up. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh may not be popular Royalties, but their bitterest enemies admit they, are devoted to theii children. Princess Marie was. educated with the greatest care, and is highly accomplished. She. voluntarily learnt shorthand, type- writes her own verses, oan compose s little, and paint a little. Her forte, however, is art needlework, for which she has, under anom deplume, gained many prizes at South Kensington. When Prince Ferdinand proposed tc Princess Marie, he told- her with the Dukt of Edinburgh's consent all about Heleae Yacaresco. As Her Royal Highness loved the lad, it was not hard to forgive him the indiscretion. Possibly, however, hei " Yes " might have been longer coming if Mdlle Yacaresco, boiling with spleen and jealousy, had not begun sending the Prince's letters to his old love to the new one to read. The pettiness of this act disgusted the Princess, and convinced her Ferdinand had, in his innocence and ignorance of the world, been entrapped by a designing woman. She hesitated no longer, and the engagement was announced. "Carmen Sylva" and her "adopted daughter," as she calls Mdlle Vacaresco, are still inseparable. The Queen will act very foolishly if she persists. in affronting her son and new daughter-in-law. Our Qaeen calls "Carmen Sylva" crazed.. FAMOUS AUSTRALIANS. Here is a little story which is absolutely true. The other evening, Haddon Chambers was chatting with a friend over a cup of coffee in the huge grand saloon of the Cafe Monico, when a party of sporting men and pugilists entered and sat down at a table at the other end of the room. They were evidently discussing some subject warmly, but the general hubbub prevented Chambers hearing what it was. By-and-bye, however, one of the men the dramatist knew slightly came over, attended by an individual whoae face also seemed familiar. " How ate you, Mr Chambers," said the former ; " let me introduce you to another famouß Australian. You already know him by name — Jem Hall." "Very pleased, indeed, to meet you," said Hall, " and particularly glad to see you juat now. I was just saying to my English mates over there, 'We Cornstalks have licked you at cricket, we've licked you at sculling, we've licked you at boxing, and we've licked you at fighting.'" " * But what about brains ?' " interrupts one of 'em. " Well I was fairly cornered till looking round the room I spots you, and/ I eez, " ' I guess we needn't go outside this blessed cafd to find a goodiah specimen of Australian brains/ " " ' Who's that ?' " eez they. " • 'Adding Chambers " sez I, dry like, " and Joe here and me walk's over to you to shake 'ands."