BEFORE THE DREADNOUGHT SCARE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 475, 6 April 1909, Page 3

BEFORE THE DREADNOUGHT SCARE.

Of the political aspect of the muoh-talked-of Royal visit to Berlin plenty has been said already (says a recent number of the .Queen ), and of its beneficent fruits we shall doubtless taste in the future. The social and personal sides are, however, of hardly less interest, at any rate to women nor perhaps in these days of the power of personality, can the two be really divided. Iho pride of the British residents was on a constantly increasing scale right through those wonderful .four days, crowded with pomp and pageant, with homely affection and tnoso acts of tender and unexpected kindliness for which our Sovereigns are so noted. One thing will over remain as a memory to thoso who wore amongst it all/ and that is tho charm of the Queen. It conquered Berlin, as by magic, from tho moment when sho emerged from tho Eoyal train, clad in pansy-coloured velvet, with a toque of exactly tho same shaded flowers, and wearing an ermine capo, and shook hands in spontaneous atrootionato fashion with the six soldier sons of the Emperor, standing stiffly at the salute, till her departure, delayed by some quarter of an hour by her visit to that homo healing, the Virchow Hospital Iho Emperor aptly voiced the popular sentiment when in his speech at the State banquet he described the Queen as "lightening tho brilhanco of these festive days by tho charm of her winning presence/' and thanked her for "not shrinking from the northern winter journey to afford a proof of ner feelings of kinmanship." Tho Berlinors aro a strenuous and hardworking people, and-the fact that from tho highest to the lowest they laid asido their usual evocations and devoted themselves to taking their part in tho doings of tho (sovereigns speaks volumes for their enthusiasm. . •

M'hat sin a name?" "Well, sometimes there is a hyphen, says, an exchange. This was shown at a big concert,, where a lady becamo suddenly faint and had to bo carried out A doctor bustled after her; ho fussed and felt pulses, but she remained scarcely conscious and alarmingly feeble. "Better call your carriago and take her home," tho doctor said to tho lady's husband, who handed his card to tho attendant, and said Cab. A second or two later tho attendant s voice was heard from afar, "Mr. Blogg's cab I Mr. Blogg's cab!" Then the patient's eyelids lluttered; her colour revived, over so little; she parted hor pallid lips, and a faint mnrmur came forth— "Bcvcrry-Blogg I" He was a nervous, fidgety young man,, and ho looked with considerable apprehension at the woman next him, who held :i baby, its face covered with a thick veil. The baby gavo now and then a sharp cry, which the woman evidently tried to suppress. At Jast, after many anxious glances, tho young man spoke. "Has —has that baby any—anything contagions?" ho asked. Tha woman looked at him with a mixture of scorn and pity. "'Twouldn't be for most folks," she said, in a clear, carrying tone; "but maybe stwoulil for you. He's teething"