People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, 18 October 1906, Page 28

People We Hear About

It Was not generally known that Mrs. Riddell, the popular novelist, who died -a few weeks ago 'at. 72 was a native of Carrickfergus, - Ireland, Her- father, Mr. James Cowan, was High Sheriff of Antrim. She ■ wrote ■an enormous _quantity of 'fiction- of the popular • kind for the .masses. - "* _• , Oft -August" 17 (says the « Pall Mall Gazette ') '. the Emperor Francis Joseph was seventy-six, and in congratulating him Europe may congratulate herself. It ' was the, custom, r 4o ' say that the most "wonderful -.thing in. this Sovereign's, reign "was, that he 'continued', to reign. The European 1 outlook may- not be, as it appears to the pessimist, very much that. •of -1848 • . but the disappearance of Franz 'Joseph would make things difficult. The Emperor may fitly rank as the G.O.M. of European monarohs. He came to the throne at the same age as did Queen Victoria, '" and - has reigned for-^ fifty-eight years, during domestic and political troubles have- showered thick upon him. In. length of reign he is far ahead of any other • European monarch. :The King of Greece -approaches him nearest with a record of forty-three years; and the King of .the Belgians comes next with forty-one years. In English history his record has only been twice exceeded— by Queen Victoria and King George 111. - In his 'A Varied Life,' Gen. Sir Thomas' Edward' Gordon tells this story :— His Majesty Alexander 111 of Russia, was playing whist out of his own domiri- " ions with an English Royalty as partner, and one of his equerries with a Scottish gentleman a"s opponents His Majesty held a good hand, and towards the end of it sa*d : 'We have the game— four by honors and the odd trick. The Scot said : ' Please, your Majesty, let us play the hand out,' and when that' was done he added ' Your Majesty made a revoke.' The ' equerry lo o ked' aghast at the boldness, and the Tsar said-- 'I" have never made a revoke in my life.' The Scot replied : ' Perhaps your Majesty was never told ' and • proceeded to turn over the tricks, and show the re-^ y okc ,\ , T i ie equerry was more aghast than ever, and th'tf English Royalty smilingly said : ' Pardon my friend's 3 *"" blunt-ness. '_ The next day the Tsar, happening to meet the Scottish gentleman, said, with a laugh • ' I have been thinking over what you said yesterday about ttie revoke, and probably it is true that I was never told.' It may interest our readers (says the < Catholic Weekly ) to know something of the day's work of his Eminence Cardinal Merry del Val, Secretary of State to his Holiness Pius X. :— His Eminence, after paying his early devotions, says Mass. at ,a -quarter past seven in the morning. His ' thanksgiving ' over a cup of coffee and a mouthful of solid food constitute the princely breakfast. Then, to the work in his office —in the Borgian apartments— until dinner time, which is - ' supposed to be at two o'clock; but, owing to the' continual pouring in of fresh business, the hour is often nearer to three p.m. But not even meal time brings leisure to the Secretary. Letters,- telegrams, papers etc., are constantly .being handed in, some of which jnay need immediate attention. About four his Eminence goes oui for exercise, and probably for business, too, in the shape of formal visits. After a hasty cun of tea at six o'clock he returns to his office, where he remains at work till nominally nine o'clock when supper is served. Thus the proverb, ' Qui sen tit honores sentiat et onera,' seems fully- verified in the life of a Cardinal Secretary. - The ♦ purple and fine linen "' which figures so prominently in the less intelligent conception of a Roman Cardinal, at all events, has its off-set Jn downright hard work of the most Wine ■■* sort-that is to say, highly responsible brain work There is no 'Eight-Hours' Day' for the Pope's Secretary. A far more trying accompaniment to his office must be the hostile criticism with which he is; frequently assailed— the inevitable lot of one who has risen so rapidly ,to # exalted dignity in the Church Thus, for example, while in Italy his opponents charge him with being 'too Spanish',, in^hte own S -• Spain, on the contrary, those who seem to be Drenar' ing trouble for the Church there a la Combes haverecently accused his PJminence of disregard of Spanish interests. Clearly, you cannot 'please everybody !> But V if the Cardinal can but succeed in his endeavor s faith- 6 fully to carry out the behests of hisau&ust •PaftA.T**" master, we fancy he will be quite > contend '

A journalist found in a' hotel after hours ? ' iir Grange pleaded that he was hunting up news, and produced his^ paper to- prove- it.. The - Bench >held- he had a lawful excuse for his presence. in the hotel and dis- : missed the case.