The Wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." MONDAY. DECEMBER 19,1892.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11707, 19 December 1892, Page 2

The Wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." MONDAY. DECEMBER 19,1892.

Miss Kate Marsden, who recently recently received from tbe Queen a decoration in the form of a gold brooch of the figure of the Angel of Victory, engraved with the words "Victoria R.1.," is one of the cleverest humbugs of the day. She haß been taken up by Royalty, is on terms of friendship and .intimacy with the great ones ef the earth, and has had honours showered upon her for what has been described as " her devoted work among, the lepers of Siberia." But what Miss Marsden has really done for the lepers of Siberia or the lepers of anywhere else we have never been able to discover. She has doubtless travelled sufficiently to be able to tell " yarns " about them ; but those who remember her little stories of her adventures in New Zealand will be inclined to discount pretty largely anything that comes from her lips or pen. Misß Marsden enjoys travelling, in first-clasa style and at other people's expense, and as long as she can manage to throw a glamour over wealthy ladies with sympathetic hearts just so long will she continue her truly royal marches in various parts of the world. It ib strange that Miss Marsden has not been iound out and the selfishness of her so-called philanthropic schemes .exrosed before this From the time when she commenced her " mission " of gaining her livelihood by working upon the sympathies of wealthy people, she has gone onward and upward in her own importance and in the estimation of distinguished people. If the ej es of on) or two of her friends have been ope led and she has been dropped by them, she has been able to capture other and bieieer game, in the shape of even wealthier and more distinguished supportors. Miss Marsdon dots net aim at winning kindly-hearted but soft-headed people. She goes straight foi ladies in tbe front lank — clever, distinguished, philanthropic, wealthy; and she succeeds. If, for instance, Miss Marsden were not so well known in New Zealand, how could we, any of us, doubt her bona fides after reading the following paragraph about her in the Home papers : " At Lady Jeune's house in Harley-street | (London), Miss Kate Marsden gave a detailed and interesting account of her work among the lepers of Siberia. Among those present were the Duchess of Teck and Princess May, the former, who takes a great interest in Miss Marsden's charitable regard for a neglected class of sufferers, asking many questions calculated to throw ligHt upon the condition of these unfortunate creatures. The main object of Miss Marsden's address was, if possible, to collect £300 for the publication in Araorica of her forthcoming book, tho profits of which she generously intends to use in her scheme of mercy. Tho Nursing Record has undertaken to provide the funds for tbe English edition, und surely across the seas there are those wbo will find the comparatively small sum necessary. Lord Meath, Mr Knowles, and Mr and Sirs Frank Harris listened to iho admirable address cf Miss Marsden .md to the s-upporting eloquence of ■surgeon-Major Pringlp and Sir Douglas Galton. Mis 3 Marsden f aiis on Saturday for the United States, where her welcome must be assured." The Nursing Record states that on October 28th Miss Marsden received tho special silver badge of the Nurses' Institute, which was pinned upon her breast by Princess Christian; while, according to other papers, she was the gneet of tbe Queen at Balmoral a few days lator, and her fai3well mgeting w*s attended by meabors of the Royal Family. Our New Zealand newspapers do not seem to be impressed with the distinction Miss Mnrsdon has gained, neither are thoy inclined to go into extucios over anything she has done or is

ever likely to do on behalf of the lepers or anybody else besides herself. There Is a •wealth of quiet satire in the' following reference to her-projected book, which we cull from thb ChrTstchurch Press ;— " Miss Marsden has written a book on her experiences, which we may safely predict will be full of the most graphic and surprising details. Her zeal for lepers continues quite una'ated, and at latott advices she was meditating a journey to America to see whether there were any to be discovored in that country and incidentally to collect funds for their benefit." Miss Marsden ha some friends in_New Zealand who, if they were only to join together to write a book, giving the simple facts of how she " : Lad " them, would bo ablo to produce a volume quite as marvellous and much more interesting than Miss Marsden's collection of tall "yarns."