People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 5, 4 February 1904, Page 10

People We Hear About

Count Leo Tolstoy, the noted (or notorious) Russian novelist has completed his 76th year. He entered the Kazan University as a student of Oriental languages and law in 1850, but, getting tired of both, Returned home. He has also been an officer in the Russian Army. The Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria is nine times Jang, twice a grand duke, once a grand prince' tour times a margrave, and the multitude of his titles, as count, and so forth, is past enumeration. In addition, as King of Hungary, he bears the title of • Most Apostolic,' which is one of the four honors bestowed by, ihe Pope. " His Majesty the King has lately accepted a unique gitt, their own handiwork, whichl has been presented to him by two natives of Bethlehem, who brought it with them from Palestine. It consists of a large picture of Our Lord composed of mother-of-pearl and is extremely curious and interesting. The two donors were educated in the Bishop af Jerusalem's school, and speak English fluently. One of them was a Government interpreter in' the Soudan War. Mme. Amy Sherwin, the gifted Tasmanian prima* donna, owes her introduction to a brilliant career to an accident. One day while she was singing in the woods near her home, with ail the untutored sweetness of her girlish voice, it chanced that Signor Pompei, the head of a wandering operatic company, heard her, and succumbed to the spell of the woodland voice. He offered the young singer a place in his company, and very shortly afterwards she had Melbourne at her feet. The King of the Belgians is a brilliant talker on any subject. His habits of life are very simple. His Majesty rises at six o'clock and works tor a couple of hours before breakfast, a meal which is served in the Queen's apartments. It consists of coarse dry ,bread, tea, and an apple. The morning is spent in the transaction of State business. Luncheon is of homely fare. The King usually drinks filtered water, rarely wine. He is very particular to take outdoor exercise in the afternoon. Dinner is a plain meal, for the King is fond of ordinary joints. Dr. J. Wilson Swan, F R.S , the inventor of the incandescent electric lamp, has just entered his seventysixth year It is nearly , a generation ago since Dr. Swan first publicly exhibited the electric light which has now become uimersal. There were at that time only two houses in the world lit with incandescent electric lamps— the late Lord Armstrong's and his own. Despite his great service in the advancement of science by his discoveries in electricity and photography, the only country which has recognised Dr. Swan's genius in France, whose President bestowed on him, twenty-two* years ago, the decoration of Knight of the Legion of Honor. It is doubtful whether there is any other living person who can produce q\ute so much first-class ' copy ' as the great Catholic novelist, Mr. F. Marion Crawford. It is an ordinary thing for him to write 5000 words in a day, and he really ' writes ' it. He tried dictating, several times, but somehow could never make any headway His ' eopv ' is a work of art, but very unpopular with the printing fraternity He writes a beautiful, clear, copperplate" hand, and when he starts out his letters are of a very good size and fes legible as typewriting. But as he proceeds' the letters grow smaller and smaller until finally they are not much larger than a pin's head. Some conception of the minuteness of his* writing may be had when it is stated that his copy will generaHy run 1750 words to a quarto page. Miss Castles is (says the Sydney ' Freeman ') at present studying Marguerite in ' Faust ' under Monsieur Valdejo, in the opera class, and he expresses himself as quite chjarmed with the grace of her acting. Miss Violet Clarke (daughter of the Governor) has been very kind to Miss Castles, and they often have afternoon tea together, Dolly Castles is a splendid student, and making good headway at her singing and French. A number of very fashionable people in London are greatly interested in Miss Castles. The Hon. Mrs. Edwardes, whose daughter, the Hon. Sylvia Edwardes>, is maid of Honor to her Majesty tne Queen, corresponds regularly with Amy, and assures her of a hearty welcome to their home whenever she comes to London. Mrs. Ronalds, who is a recognised society leader in England, Lady Dallas, and many others also take a great interest in the young singer. Mr. Vert, one of London's greatest (managers and entrepreneurs, says that, given health, there can be no possible doubt as to Miss Castle's success, and that he felt so oertain of this* that he would not wish for any money to lose Miss Castle's business as her manager.