Personalities.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 362, 16 April 1903, Page 7

Personalities.

THE KAISER'S ENGAGEMENT RING interesting little incident ocfjksl& caned while the Kaiser was Mjhk travelling in Norway last July. During a drive from Gudvangen to Stalheim, a gold ring slipped off hie Mbjesty'e finger unobserved. It was afterwards picked up by a stable-boy, who banded it to the hotel-keeper, who in turn restored it to the Emperor. On rewarding the stf.blt-boy, his Majesty eaid: «1 am bo extremely glad to have recovered the ring, for it was my engagement ring.'

IHD COUNTESS TOLSTOI

The Countess Tolstoi, in her way, is almost as wonderful as her famous husband, whose BQvere illness is at present causing such gravd anxiety. Her individuality and her theories are as marked and distinct as are bis. Nor does she always agree with' him in Lis views. In fact she most strenuously opposed his tirade against the copyright system. Neither is she a blind admirer of tbo Count's stylo and stories, but often freely and somewhat warmly attacks both, the result bting a rather heated argument. The Countess is a woman of broad training and ripe education. Strong in ber character and great in her ability, she is the type of woman who would best understand a man of her biisband'6. kiod, one who would be able to further the best in his and both their lives. Her position is not one without trials The wife of a reformer who is s.i extreme aa Tolstoi is apt to feel here and there a sting, for the world has not hesitated to { say, its opinion regarding him. The cool, deliberate intellect of the Count ees Toistoi holds her in gcod stead and keeps a nice balance in the Russian household. A great many people were surprised and somewhat startled when they read, just after the excommunication of Count Tolstoi by the Holy Synod,- a letter of pro'est signed by the Countess. The letter was written with force, character, and style. It suggested a, vigour of intellect and power of discrimination in its author which made people recognise for the first time what a really clever woman the wife of the famous novelist is,

TBE FUTURE KING OF THE BELGIANS.

Prince Albert of Flanders, the future King ofrthe Belgians, the most model of heirs presumptive, will be a prominent figure at the coming Coronation. Like his 'second cousin, the Prince of Wales, Prince Albert was educated like most second sons bom in the purple, Trie death of the Oount of Flanders' eldest son was a real tragedy, occurring as it did the day following hiß informal betrothal to his cousin, Princess Clementina. There was, at one time, a rumour that Prince Albert would, in a matrimonial sense, copy the Prince of Wales' example; but the Princess was, in this case, unwilling, and the future King of the Belgians, a year ago, married one of the many pretty nieces cf the late Empress of Austria, the young people being very foDd of each other.

•JOHN OLIVER HOBBES,' ACTRESS

Wonder has often been expressed that ' John Oliver Hobbes,' when she took to writing , plays, should have exhibited, 'first gc-ony so wide a: knowledge of the technical and practical requirements of the stage. But many people. forget, if taey ever knew, that Mrs. Craigie, if not as great at acting as at novel writing, is* certainly, as good an actress as she is a musician-. At her father's house in PorChester Terrace, Hyde Park, ' John Oliver Hobbes/ as Pearl Richards, played many parts, and play td thorn so cleverly and stage managed them with such a professional air, that I have fancied it njay have been a toss-up at that time whether she was destined tu delight the public as ar. actress or a novelist—to win distinction on the boards or between them,

KINGS AND QUEENS WITH AUTO ■'" ■ = '■'£' MOBILES,

Her Majesty Queen Alexandra having tatted the swee a cf motoring, is now trying to convert her sister the Dow&gor Empress cf Hussi*. A London firm have constructed an ,electric victorisetto ,to seat-two person's;'arid this' beautiful automobile will" Boon' be on its way to St.. Petersburg. Queen, Helena of Italy, too, is fast becoming an - enthusiastis automobilkt. She has had a fine, machine built, and tho chief mechanician of the firm of makers is now in. Koine acting as instructor to tho newest * cbauffouse.'

The Eoyal automobile by which King Edward travels to a high speed to Windsor occasionally is a waggonette of the most perfect type, and tarnished with the latest improvements. Its framo is nearly painted a dark colour, the .seats are covered by an awning,- and the sides are hung with grey waterproof curtains that can ba easily drawn, or ..opened./ Ttie two. upper panels .of the door at the back, which, affords additional promotion against dust or rain, are glazed in order to assist in lighting the interior of tiie vehicle.

CBESS AND DRAUGHTS. Somo members* of tho British Parliament while away the time by playing chess, and for the last f<w years draughts havj been added. You sea members sitting for hours over the boards, and usually there is a little knot of onlookers watching tho fortunes of the game. Mr. Mason, the Oon6ervativ.—there are two Masons in the House, one a red-hot Liberal, and the other an equally red-hot Conservative—has varied these pastimes, bringing into the House a set of knittingneedles, a~ad employing his time in working at stockings His health has net be*n good, and his sight is bad, and he is thrown back on this as an amusement. It is not so bad a pastime, after all, though it dees look a little funny. The one amusement I object to is tt.e hideous and brainless occupation known as playing patience —a social disease lam sorry to see spreading rapidly. At least pingpong has the advantage of giving some kind of exercise; indeed, I have h< at dot' some ladies who have reduced weight and improved digestion hy ping-pong. But patience —Heatren deliver rao from that brain-rotting exercise! PHILOSOPHY IN FICTION. In managing men, as in managing horses, the real secret of their mutiny is not so much fear on their driver's part as the knowledge of that fear in tho driver. * * There is nothing that a masterful and brutal mind really onjoya so much as finding sonid one stronger than itself. # * Mrs. Brereton was always uioro , than usually brotal when she was not quite certain in the depths of her own mind that she was going to win. Then, when the stress was over, she gave him his head again with such completeness as to convey to him the impression that he had always been free; there was no reminder nor the faintest stwarn on tho curb to show him the curb was still theie.