Home Notes.

Fair Play, Volume I, Issue 19, 10 March 1894, Page 21

Home Notes.

The “ Grand Old Man” has taken his departure for Biarritz, South France, and will we hope return with his stock of of everlasting youthfulness larger than ever.

Details of the massacre of Captain Wilson and his ga’lant little band havo iTow arrived. They died hard, as Englishmen should. This unfortunate affair is a black spot in the annals of the British South Africa Company. But the Coin-

pany is saved for a timo from bankruptcy, although, when one considers, at what price ? Hundreds of brave Matabele, and now Wilson and his force. One is tempted to wonder whether the end is worthy of the means. The long drawn out. Parliamentary session has at last come to an end, and those patriotic and conscientious legislators who have not taken advantage of tho convenient practice of “ pairing," but •have remained steadfastly at their posts, are now scattered to the four winds of heaven in search of rest or enjoyment, or both as the spirit moves them. Opposition organs predict an early appeal to tho country, but in ministerial circles tho opinion prevails that a general election will not take place for some timo to come. A feeling of great uneasiness prevails upon the Stock Exchange in consequence of the expected reductions in the dividends]! paid by tho leading railway companies. The Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire It ail way Companies announcement, which has first como to hand, has caused a rude shock. A certain diminution was fully expected, in consequence of the loss necessarily caused by the great coal strike, which affectod this company to a greater extent, probably than any other, but no one was prepared for tho exceptionally meagre results of the half year’s work-. The groat question now is—How will the other great Companies come out ? Now that there is some prospect of tho Government bringing in their Local Veto (Drink) Bill, those philanthropic ami large-minded gentlemen, the brewers and their slaves and satellites, the publicans, are again beginning todo their by no means contemptible '>est to stir up tho somewhat thickheaded B ’itish public to a sonso of the injustice (from Bung’s point of view) of this measure. But the B.P. has had ample time to turn this matter over in its massive brains, and the opinion is slowly but surely gaining ground that the number of public-houses is greatly in excess of the requirements for them, and that a reduction in their number, or oven their total abolition in some places, will probably result !n more comfort and better liquor in those remaining. The brewers, who are the owners of a lnrge majority of the licensed houses in tho country have been making piles of money lately, and a bit of a check will do them no harm. I like drink, in strict moderation, but it must bo good. Mr. Sydney Grundy’s new comedy, yclept “ An Old .Tew,” produced last week at the Garrick Theatre, looks liko proving a success. The elderly Hebrew who forms tho central figure in the piece is vastly different to the usual typo of stage Jew. As usually represented, he is anything but an admirable character. Mr. Grundy’s Old Jew is an amiable philanthropist, who apparently spends the whole of lii« time in doing his best to make everyone happy. The other choroc*

tors simply waltz around tho central figure, but tho play as a whole is bright, amusing, and well, Grundeian. April has made a mistake, mid como to early. Mild, showory weather, choraotorbtic of that aquoous month, has boon prevalent for the past ten days. But the British cliipate is a fearful and a wonderful thing. - We may havo 10 dog. of frost, or a snowstorm to-morrow. “Times is ’hard" with tho farmer. Prices aro low for ovorything except hay, and of that, owing to lost year's drought, ho has none. Liko tho House of Lords, English agriculture must be mended, or it will soon be a thing of the past. An occcntric body known as tho “ Thirteon Club," has lately created a lot of matorial for talk. The truly adinirablo object aimed nt by its members" is tho destruction of tho prevalent boliof in popular superstit’ons. If there bo any truth in those old wivos' tales, ovory mail present at thoir annual banquet, hold a fow days sinco, will havo a bad timo of it in future. Tho function took place at the Holborn restaurant, in room No. 18, and thirteen diners sat at ouch table. Tho room was decorated with . peacock feathers, skulls, crossbonos, Ac. On tho tables tho knives wore carefully crossed, and the salt-cellars woro miniature coffins. Dinner was announced by tho smashing of a large mirror hi id tho guests passed into tho room under a ladder. When sea'ed, tho chairman invited all present to spill salt with him. An attornpt was mule to procure crosseyed waiters, but only two thus alll eted could bo discovered.

The domestic “ help, ’ otherwise servant, is beginning to assert herself, ovon in steady-going, conservative old England. Lord Glancarty who, a short timo since, made himsolf notorious by his unsuccessful attempt to divorce his wife, formerly Bello Hilton, of music-hall fame, has just boon mulcted in damages to tho tuno of for summarily dismissing a young woman from his employment in consequence of her refusing to carry coals upstairs when there was an able-bodied footman available for cho purpose. And quito right, tool Jeamos and his brethren would bo all tho better for a lit l j manual labour. In an Association football match in Yorkshire last week fourteen out of the twenty-two playors were moro or less seriously injured. This record will tako a lot of beuting, evon in tho almighty United States.

Mr. Buchanan’s new play, “ Tho Charlatan,” producod a few days sinco at tho Haymarket Theatro, bids fair to make a namo for itself. At any rate, its unconvontionality, its inconsistencies, its undo* niable cleverness, and its interest, cannot fail to attract largo audiences for a long time to come. Bobert is a queer fish, - but ho can turn out good worn when ho likes. X.Y.Z. London, Jan. 28rd, 1894.