HERE AND THERE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17865, 5 June 1926, Page 8

HERE AND THERE.

AN EYE FOR EVERYTHING. j Chocolate Egg, a Scorpion. i As a young actress from the Argetfci tine, Mile Juliana Hastre, was leaving her Paris hotel to go to dinner at a restaurant in the Montparnasse quarter, a parcel was brought to her. It contained a large chocolate Easter egg, which she later opened at the dinner table. Out jumped a scorpion and several repulsive insects. The scorpion bit the actress on the hand. The egg, when delivered, was said to have been sent by a. friend, who was named. It is not believed to have come from her. There was nothing to suggest whether the sender had in mind the text from Luke xi, 12, “If he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?” Live Wire from Dead Mother. A telegram. “Mother dead.—Anna* was received by a woman named Rouheu, in the Rue de Oastellane, Paris. Anna is the name of her sister, living near Moulins with the mother. Mme Rouheu informed another sister who lives in Paris, and the two, dressed in deep mourning and carrying a wreath, took train to their village home, 150 miles away. What was their astonishment to find their mother at the door, smiling and in the best of health. It* was decided to inform the police of the heartless hoax;; but then the mother confessed that she herself had sent the telegram, as she wished her daughters to come to see her. She wanted finano ial help from them, too. The Shah as a Poet. Considerable interest has been arous* ed in club circles by the appearance of a cheaper re-issue of the book of memories by Mr Edward Glodd, himself a prominent clubman. The volume contains many diverting stories, amongst them being a delicious yam associated with the Omar Club, which was a famous dining club The story goes that the late Sir Mortimer Durand, British Minister at Teheran, acted upon the suggestion of the club to endeavour to induce the . Shah of that period to put into decent repair the tomb of Omar at Naishapur, which was in a very dilapidated state. Tho Shah, according to a description of the intervnew given by the Minister, said;’ “Do you mean to tell me that there is a society in London connected with Omar Khayyam?” When answered in the affirmative, the potentate leaned back in his big chair and laughed loudly. " Why,” he said, "he ha< been dead a thousand years.” Sir Mortimer replied: "Yes, but that is all the more reason for doing honour to his memory.” The Shah retorted: "No, I cannot order the tomb to be repaired. We have got many better poets'than Omar Khayyam. In* deed, Imy self ” Then he stopped* The inference is easy and certainly amusing. The Grapes of Fontainebleau. Every year the famous grapes of Fontainebleau—the raisin de la Treville du Roi—are sold by auction, as are the grapes from the old vinery at Hampton Court. The grapes at Fontainebleau come from a vine which has existed for centuries. They grow on a long wall that runs along* side the park of the chateau on the side nearest Avon. According to tradition, Henri Quatre brought the original slips of the vine with him from his native Bearn. Louis XIV extended the orginal vine, and Napoleon was careful to see that it was not neglect* ed. Louis Philippe, who loved both grapes and pears, cared for his chas* selas vine tenderly. In one year the vine yielded over four hundredweight of grapes, which were sold in thirtysix lots of ten kilogrammes each, at an. average price of less than sixpence a pound. The highest price paid for «| 221 b lot was 140 francs, and the est 18 francs. vt

Patti’s One Failure. The failures of many artists who r<M main unknown come from the factl that they do not know in what direo* tion their power lies. The failures at great artists nearly always come from their lack of knowledge of their own limitations. Few can, indeed, go off for long years with a record like thal of Madame Adelina Patti, of whom is said that she had but one real fail ure in her artistic life. She was ovej fifty years old, and had been a leadi ing opera singer for over thirty yearaj when, attracted by the opportunity which the role of Carmen gives, sh< undertook to sing it at Covent Garden, With her voice still beautiful, her stag* technique at its strongest, and her im? mense popularity, even she could not adapt herself to a role that was comj ceived for a different type of voic* and a different type of person. She* the greatest singer of the century, faild ed to do what scores of lesser artists were doing well, and what had proved the inspiration of some of those wh4 were nearest to her in greatness.