Personalities.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 375, 16 July 1903, Page 7

Personalities.

|iZ>I&IIOPIN rarely read anything heavier than a French novel. AbS? Lord Clive said that ' Robinson Crusoe' beat any book he ever read. St. John Chrysostom never* tired of reading or. of pttiainjf«'the of tire* Apcstle Joßr. 4#: r % ■-', | . ;; i James I; the classic* and v#ry familial with most of the Latin writdft£& ** Bunyan Iread little besides his Bible, and often said that Christians aoalddo' well to read no other bock. Salvator jlosa liked any kind of poetry, ut more especially that relating to the ) cuntry or to country scenes. ' Hhme Baid that Tacitus was the ablest * writer that* ever lived, and himself tried 1 to. model-his style on that of the Roman historirn.. j Eoctfe gave most of his attention to works of philosophy. He said amazed at the profundity of thought shown by Aristotle.'

The- elder Pitt liked Shakespeare, but not the labor of reading plays. He'en-" joyed hearing them, and once Baid that he bad loarnt more English history at the theatre than at the university. " Shelley read with close attention all the .works' he cotild find antagonising Christianity. Ho thought he was an atheist, but was mistaken, as tbere is not a more spiritual writer in our language than he. He read the Bible with great care and soiaejof hia finest imagery is .borrowed from Its pagjes. c j »OC I'.. • J I Tennyson] would not talk about his ptoetryi feutr'once intimated that,he regarded the on the Death of theDvikV u&Wellington' as containing mre in- r epiration than some of the others.. He once said that he did not expect much of the 'Charge of the Lip-ht Brigade,' and was agreeably surprised.atUts regfption. Sjott believed that 'Waverleyjfwasihis best novel, and 'The Lady M ti*e;Lfrfb'

hißj-bißat poem. He and*thf Bjtllahtyhes j had more than one lively .subject,' bu|; he would never admit a Change of opinion. He knew The Lady of.the:-Lake'|by heart and once repeated the whQle to prove the fact. .1 \ Ti » AkING COWHERD. The following is ant ther,story .of,the King of Italy's simple and unassuming mahnerj. A short time ago his Majesty was enjoying a country walk near Rnccarigo, and, | feeling very thiretj, he personally ,aske|d a/peasant woman whovwas milking, a cow by he| c"otfajg> for a glass of milk. |'l |an*t feive loufthf,' said the T woman, *ot knowing 1 who -it was . that-addresEjed her, «but if you will mind the cow I will fetch you one ftom the •house,,';. The King joyously agretd, and . mindedthe bow until she came back-with ; the promised milk. When she returned he asked her why no farm hands were -about.«•«* They've all gone to cath a glimpse of the King,' she answered.' ' Well, little mother, you can see. him Jh]t)w,'Jreplied the King, ' Bjnd. that,., too, L without leaking your work.**/ : At thiasß^et^ ; -laughed, thinking this garbed stranger was trying to jest with her. The King laughed, top, as he; saw how she deceived herself,>^;Then ? pressing ' a coin into her hand for the milk, he sauntered off.

THE CLOWN. «**■* * When Fred Griffiths played clown in London he had quite a lively time one night. Fred, as every be dy knows, is the surviving partner o"f mirthfirm, the Brothers Griffiths, of l^a^D,Jßfeey i ' and 'Wrestling Lion* * fam£ oFrefl is now running a very attractife Jarid humorous show 1 under the old tome. But the* "other 'brother' happens to be his own son. r> f Fred made a Mfciomi, and a born, humorist,' he was an immense ; success, and might have made a big name - :in the characatejkbut \a jibbed. Thevpait - jwas too precarious, he said. <,; „ t 5 ,,. / , I 01 course it is well known that when ;the clown; mates <-his > thrilling "feapsr - through windowj|aM|fa^Ughts, 'th'ere^is-.. l a£body on the other side ef the scenery Jfecjatch him as. he cornea through, .'/When Fred" was • Engaged, there were four men, detailed to catch him after every leap It was their duty to stand, two and two, with hß^ds : cla>p9d;t&geth3r:i forming a kind of cradle" for the clown to Slighttipoh, full length. ...,.., For some reaEon or other, the four men., 'had a grudge against him. Perhaps their' ideas ag to tips* did -not quite coincide with his. -But Fred is a generous man t and the fault could not have been on hia side." ' ' .*««. v/ t iAi - ,r *- - Anyway, one night he made a startling. leap, amid the cheers of .the audience, through a fanlight painted o*the scene. He sailed clean through, and. looked for the men to catch him. .--"v '•■■•' .».«P*? • They were sitting in a corner platings cards." jr I •, ■ | '|Hevfell full ■ He ,m i'ght have broken his neck. Instead,, he got up and .those fpur .men, one*up ®| iSprp^w^like Bjjb Fitzaimmons. stuffing out pern, he%s#n back to ?9§le wondering where he"was—cried, 'Here we are again !* and finished his. scene.,. But he chanced no more leaps that night. And hedoes.not : play- down now.- He eaya it's too risky. ' THE EARL AND COUNTERS .OF \ j TANKEBVILLE. ~ ..Lord and Lady Tankerville are great Northumberland worthies, and the latter is one of the many fair Americans who have become British peeresses. r The present Lord Tankerville is the . second son of th'o {late Ea.rL and. he was: - Behfiet. Ha-ifaf"-A.D.C. to the seventh Duke of Marlborough when his Grace was Viceroy ofIreland; and be spent a good : ma%y'ye'ars of his life in the far Western States of America ranching, and studying the man- ' nersand customs of the cowboys on his native plains. It was at Tacoma, in 1665, that 'he married Miss Honora Vanmarten. the present Lady -.Tankejf sille, a. beautiful audi charming girl, who, though descended from one of the old Knickerbocker families of New York, wa3 born in Switzerland, and brought up in Borne. Teacher: 'lf one servant-girl, could ; clean tjio rooms in two hours, how long ' "would n take two seryantrgirls to do. it?'. Little Gi jl: ' Four hibuVs".* w *!-..« * Teacher: ' Wrong. It would only take one hour.' •/ f.|A UY3. -:"'. . '4}tQ'S Little Girl: 'Oh, I didn't know you were talking about servant-girls that -wasn't on speaking terms.' , ' Mother: * I tfanjfißofcbf &o feks lope medicine now'. Will he take it like a'eood boy?'- ! t Bobby i Eb;' mother, 9 la it: .Mother: Yep, very nice,' * .>.-, »-1 /Hobby: 'ls it. Does oo like it, mother P' Mother (making believe to;sip it|: 'Yts;. very jriueh.' ". «T --■ »-—■•,' .-. Bobby (apppearing Tovdng): ■ Then oo d'ink it.imother, instead of m?. Bobby not selfish 'ittle boy.'