People Talked About

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVIII, Issue XXII, 31 May 1902, Page 1058

People Talked About

The Ancients as They Lived. Professor Talbot Tubbs, who bolds the chair of classics at Auckland University College, is about to try the experiment of giving a series of “popular” afternoon lectures at the University, somewhat on the lines of the university extension lectures in the Old Country. His subject is “Life in Ancient Greece and Rome,” and he proposes to sketch in detail the everyday life of these ancients from the cradle to the grave. He will describe how they were ushered into the

world, how the babies were reared, how t lie children spent their time, how they were educated, how they worked, how they played, how the.y married, and were given in marriage, ami how they set up house and entertained. Likewise we shall be told how they dressed and how they managed their households; in fact, the whole of every-day life will be brightly ami entertainingly described. The hour at which the lectures are to be delivered is a convenient 0ne —4.30 on Wednesday afternoons —so there are no obstacles in Hie way of those who desire knowledge and culture in this direction. Professor 'Tubbs, who. by the way, came here from Melbourne University, is a man of boundless energy. At first he created a wrong impression of dictatorialness amongst, the students, but this was very speedily overcome. The professor is acknowledgedly the best classical man as a scholar ami a teacher —Auckland University College has ever had. He is idolised by his students, and gets the last ounce of work out of them. He is a capital talker on general subjects, never reads newspapers, and his hobby is gardening. o V o o o The American Mlssioners. Melbourne papers are full of the wonderful success of the simultaneous mission of the three American evangelists, Rev. R. A. Torrey, and Messrs. Geii and Alexander, now holding meetings there. The services for business men, held every day at one o'clock and at three* o’clock, have been attended by enormous crowds, who are* apparently deeply impressed with the* novel but not less earnest talks of the missieniers. In connection with the* Young Men’s Christian Associat ion in Melbourne, they are* doing splendid work. At one* time* that organisation possessed one* of the* finest buildings in that city, but when the* evil times came after the* boom ihe* place*, which was ridiculously elaborate* for the* Association, was sold by the* mortgagee* and passed into other hands. It is now the* head* epiarters of the* Salvation Army in \ ictoria, the* Y.M.C.A. occupying mod*

est premises in a back street. In either respects the organisation was not prospering as it should, and it occurred to Mr. J. G. Virgo, the organising secretary for Australasia, to enlist the services of Mr. Geil, one of the American missioners, to resuscitate the Association. Unexpected success has crowned Mr. Geil’s efforts. At a recent meeting for men in the Exhibition Building, in aid of the Association's building fund, there were nearly 10.000 men present, and the greatest enthusiasm prevailed. When the lecturer had concluded a brief address, a collection was taken up. The task took over an hour to complete, and when it was announced from the platform that, with the money actually collected and the sums promised, the funds of the Y.M.C.A. would be increased by £2BOO, the wildest excitement prevailed. One wealthy member of the audience has promised to add one pound to every pound collected up to £ 1000. As this amount is already collected, the prize has been taken as won. 'The Governor-General forwarded £25 to the meeting, on hearing for what purpose it was being held. Sir .John Madden also sent £2O. o o o o o

Above is a photograph of Miss Ida Emily Evans, who the other day received the degree of LL.B, from the University of Sydney. Miss Evans is not the first lady in this part of the world to attain this distinction. To Miss Benjamin, of Dunedin, who took her LL.B, degree* in 1897. that honour is probably dm*. But it is claimed for Miss Evans that she is the first in the Commonwealth, which is certainly a very great deal. The young lady expresses the hope that an Act wiil be passed to permit of women prac-

tising in the profession, but she does not contemplate actual work at the Bar. It would suffice, she thinks, in the meantime if women were free to do conveyancing and general legal business, which she believes they should be as capable of transacting as men. Miss Evans was born in Woodford, Essex. England, and, on arriving in New South Wales, attended the High School, passing the Junior University Examination five months after. Her matriculation followed in a little more than 12 months. Having accomplished so much, and being still too young to go to the University, Miss Evans returned to the school, passed the Senior Examination, and a year later entered the University. Further successes followed, and in 1895 she graduated B.A. It was not until 1898, however, that Miss Evans entered the law school, devoting herself in the interval to a study of painting.

The above is a photo of Colon.l Grimm, of the Russian Army, who was recently sentenced to imprisonment for life in an underground dungeon at Schlnesselburg for selling military secrets to Germany. The Colonel, who was betrayed to the authorities by his jealous wife, is said to have received £40,000 for secrets which comprised all Russia’s plans for the invasion of Germany in the event of war, and for repelling a German invasion of Russia. o o o o o Uneasy Lies the Head that Wears a Crown. It is but a short time ago that the Empress of Austria was struck down by an assassin at Geneva, and now comes the news by cable of an attempt on the Emperor’s life. According to the “Daily Chronicle,” a bomb, which was timed to explode as the Emperor entered his compartment of the Imperial train at Vienna, was discovered ten minutes before the train started for I’esth. Search all Europe through, scan the histories of Royal Houses the wide world over, and not one will be found equal in romance, passion, and tragedy to that of the Imperial House of Austro-Hungary. 'Those who love the beautiful empire, with its snow-clad mountains, its peaceful valleys, its rushing rivers, and great, lonely plains—who love its grand, sad, Emperor Franz Josef, that monarch whom death robbed in the most pitiless and tragic manner of only son and dearly-loved wife—ponder oft and deeply upon the cataclysm of woes through which he has existed, and sympathise intensely with a nation who, to save him pain, would do and dare anything, ’let only in their will to work his weal have his people been of service to Franz Josef; to avert Fate they

have been powerless. The Imperial House of Hapsburg has been either absymally sad or triumphantly happy in its experience of love. When the Emperor himself was a very young man, still in his teens, it was deemed wise, for State reasons, that he should marry. There were some beautiful sisters in the castle of Possenhafen. on Lake Starnberg, not far from Munich, daughters of Duke Maximilian of Bavaria, and the eldest was of a suitable age to become the bride of the Emperor, so Franz Josef sei out to Possenhafen with the intention of becoming her suitor. There he saw, and instantly fell madly in love with, Elizabeth—not the princess who

had been chosen for him, but a younger sister—quite a child, and beautiful, with the rarest, freshest, and most exquisite beauty, as all who have seen pictures of her taken as a child-wife can testify. Her hair and figure were superb, her colouring and features absolutely enchanting. So what did the boy Emperor do but enter the dining-room of the castle on the day of his arrival, and deftly change tl>e name-card of the eldest princess for that of the Princess Elizabeth, so that he might sit next to her instead of to the other lady. Eventually he married Elizabeth; and upon the wedding day all Europe rang with felicitations for the happiness of this boy-and-girl pair and prognostications of a joyous future. Tolstoi from Life. “I was fortunate enough,” writes “Maorilanda” to M.A.P., “to see Tolstoi two or three years ago. He was the first ‘celebrity’ I had ever met. Despite what he says regarding h s personal ugliness, his face was intensely interesting, even to one who, for a short time, was ignorant of his ram?. Every gesture, every action of his, displayed a vivid interest in the life gang on around him. His long white bear I gave him a patriarchal appearance, hfs quick, observant eyes belied his age, and seemed to belong to a man still full of strength and vigour.”