Notes

New Zealand Tablet, 19 January 1911, Page 112

Notes

An Ideal Gentleman Most of the great writers have tried their hands at describing the perfect gentleman; and the classic definition of Newman comes as near to accuracy and completeness as mere words can go. The late Mark Twain on one occasion when asked to give his idea of a gentleman gave a notable answer to the question and one which shows that the ideal can be realised even by those who may occupy only a very humble station in life. He replied, simply and effectively, by pointing to a concrete example. Lecturing at a. New York theatre, he said he had been asked to give his idea of a real gentleman. This reminded him of his late coachman, who entered his service thirty-six years ago. ' He was my coachman on the morning I drove my young bride to our new home. He was a young Irishman— tall, lithe, honest, truthful, and he never changed in all his life. As our children grew up he was their guide. He was all honor, honesty, and affection. In all the long years Patrick never made a mistake, he never needed an offer, he never received a command. He knew. I have been asked for my idea of an ideal gentleman, and I give it to you—Patrick McAleer.' Prospects in Portugal Facilis est descensus Averni which may be freely translated as meaning that when a man starts on the downward path he generally finds everything greased for the occasion. The same holds true of nations, as recent developments in Portugal show. Look, for example, at the length to which that unhappy country has already got in the matter of providing facilities for divorce. Divorce facilities in Portugal,' writes the Lisbon correspondent of the Daily Mail of November 7, < will, according to the Government's new decree, exceed those of almost every other European country. The clause permitting divorce merely on the expression of a mutual desire for it, when the marriage dates from at least two years, is as " advanced " as the legislation in some of the American States.' And regarding the general condition of things in the Republic and the outlook for the future a writer in the Fortnightly Review for November makes the following significant admission: .'The positivist Republic set up on the Tagus in the most

advanced capital of one of the most backward countries of Europe is the most violently anti-clerical, the most enthusiastically agnostic regime since the goddess of reason was worshipped at Paris. . . If it does last, we shall have to recognise that anything may be possible to the Europe of the next generation.' '. Amusing Cable Blunders Under this heading our contemporary the Adelaide Southern Cross draws attention to the amazing cable blunders that are sometimes made in the transmission or interpretation of telegraphic messages. On Friday last (says our contemporary) the Advertiser published the following cable message:—' His Eminence Cardinal Logue, Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, has resigned his offices owing to ill-health. Cardinal Logue was appointed Primate in ISB7. Formerly he was Bishop of Raphoe and Coadjutor to the late Primate. He was made a Cardinal in 1893.' The Register— rightly, as we think—made it Dr. Alexander, Anglican Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland. It is highly improbable that the Cardinal, who is still hale and vigorous at seventy, has resigned, while Archbishop Alexander is eighty-seven years of age and feeble: Moreover, the cable message would hare said ' Cardinal Logue,' and not ( Primate of All Ireland,' if he were meant. The Broken Hill papers, however, made the message refer to Dr. Peacocke, Anglican Primate of Ireland and Archbishop of Dublin, who is 75 years of age. It is either he or Dr. Alexander that is meant. The confusion arises from the ancient Catholic styles of 'Primate of All Ireland,' which attaches to the See of Armagh, and 'Primate of Ireland,' which belongs to Dublin. The same nomenclature exists in connection with the Sees of Canterbury and York in England. The Melbourne Argus also made a curious blunder in the passenger list of the Omrah telegraphed from Fremantle. The Catholic Bishop of Auckland (Dr. Cleary) was a passenger, but the paper made it the Anglican Bishop (Dr. Neligan),' who recently resigned the See!