BY THE ENGLISH MAIL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1382, 7 March 1912, Page 6

BY THE ENGLISH MAIL.

» LONDON SUMMARY. EDITOR AS MATCH-MAKER. London, January 26. Mr. Reginald Smith, K.C., was the principal guest at tho 'Authors' Club, London, when the subject of discussion was: "Does the author understand the publisher, and vice versa?" Mr. Smith, who is editor of the "Cornhill Magazine" and principal of tho famous publishing house of Smith, Elder, and Co., said it'was not always easy for a publisher to follow the working of i.n author's mind. Nor did the author always understand the anxieties which a publisher Buffered. He recnlled an interview with tho late Mrs. Oliphant, They had agreed on tho payment to bp- mado for her book, not one word of which was written, and then sho said: "May I h.ivo the money now?" The inevitable answer was: "My dear Mis. Oliphaut, your books are immortal, but you are not." (Laughter.) Sho had not seen the risk which the publisher would run by paying for a wholly unwritten book. Mr. Smith also recalled a contributor to the "Cornhill," who, after writing several good stories, sent one which Mr. Smith thought not' so good, and rejected in as kindly fashion as might be. Back came the reply that his friend «n«—or rather had been—engaged to be married, but there had teen a littlo difficulty, and the two were not on speaking terms. Tiio contributor, however, had put things into the story which he thought would nitit his fiancee's hard heart when she ;awo to read the story. (Laughter.) "What could I do but print the slury? All came right and ended in marriage bells. I think' the editor ought to havo been asked to the wedding; even an editor can bs human, and maybe useful." (Applause.) "GIANTS' DISEASE." A case of "giants' disease," or acromegaly, is reported from Low Moor, Bradlord. The patient, Mr. Harry Faulkner,' of Merely Court, Low Moor, a lliau of thirty, states that he was a normal boy up to tho ago of fourteen, when his toes and jaw began to grow very .large. He continued his employment on tho railway at Bradford, but at twenty-one he had to cease work, as his fraino had grown so much and he had become weak. He was then seven feet tall and weighed over seventeen stone. The utmost caution had to be taken in walking, as his limbs came out of joint easily. He is still growing, and his left hip has become so large as to prevent him from standing upright. He is nblo to sit up for only a few hours each day, and is provided with a special chair of large proportions. Ho says that he is never free from pain, and has lost tho sight of one eye. Mr. Faulkner's parents are both about medium height, as are his brother and sister. "Giants' disease," an uncommon and as yet littlo understood disease, usually shows symptoms like the above nt about the ago of twenty-live. So far as is known thero is no cure, and the usual treatment, with thyroid extract, appears to have no influence on the progress of the disease. Persons exhibited as giants and strong men have sometimes become acromegalic. EARLY MARRIAGES. Mr. T. R. Macquoid, the artist, celebrated his ninety-second birthday on Wednesday, January 24, in his homo at Tooting, S.W. ' Part of tho day ho spent in painting. His wife, the well-Enown novelist, who is eighty-eight, said: "We have been married , sixty-one years on Sunday." . ■ > ■*•■• ■ . Giving her opinion on early, marriages, she said:-"I think that the London girl is quite safo in marrying early in life, where it would bo a grave mistake for her country cousin to do so. Tho city girl sees life, and knows tho ways of tho 'world much better, than if she lived in the provinces. She knows her own mind and seldom makes a mistake. "In the city boys and girls havo a hard world to face, and somehow the very knowledge of that draws the bonds of matrimony closer. I think twenty is a suitablo age for a girl to marry, but I know of so many cases in which marriages at eighteen or seventeen have, turned out extremely happy. Marriages are made in Heaven. If you go deeply into the secrets of everybody's hearts you will find that they love only once in a lifetime. They may marry for what seems liko love, but really it is not. My great, aim in writing novels is to show that truo love alone is necessary to a happy marriage. I think a happy marriage is tho happiest thing on earth." WRONGLY REPORTED DEAD. ' The experience of being reported dead whon in reality in good health possesses certain drawbacks, outweighing its novelty. So Mr. A. J. Brymer decided early on Wednesday, January 24, after reading tho announcement of his death , and receiving the astonished greetings ot friends who, mourning his loss, met him on the railway station en route as usual , to the city. All theso friends were dc- . lighted and'then amused at a side of (he situation not- quite accepted by Mr. ■ Brymer. : At tho establishment of Messrs. Ring i and Brymer in Cornhill City, men went in r during the morning to oiler condolences i to other members of tho firm on tho death i of tho senior partner, who was all the [ time doing his everyday work. A number , of bank clorks who regularly take I luncheon together at the house began to [ say how sorry they wero to hear of Mr. . Brymer's death when they caught sight ; of Mr. Brymer's familiar figure. Then they I rejoiced loudly. Many letters and telegrams of sympathy were received from all parts at Mr. Brymer's private residence ! and.at tho two branches of the firm. ; Altogether Mr. Brymer felt his "death" . to bo a nuisance. ■ THE KING AND A FLAG. A remarkable speech was made by the ' King to the Ist Connaught Rangers at ' Delhi on the occasion of presenting new 1 colours to the battalion. His Majesty, ! in making the presentation, said:— "Remembar, this is no common flag 1 ' am committing to your keeping. A colour is a sacred ensign, ever by its inspiration 5 though no longer by its presence a rallying ' point in war. It is an emblem of duty, 1 the outward signs of your allegiance to " God, your Sovereign, and the country, to ' be looked upon, to be venerated, and to bo ■ passed down untarnished by succecdi.i;; i generations. Just over a century ago you excited even Wellington to er.th'iiios'.n I by your magnificent counter-attack at Etisaco. Twelve year's ago you showed that ninety years made no difference in your fighting spirit. Time has brought many changes in war, and you are not likely | again to meet an enemy who will bring j a Jingling Johnnie (Connau;:ht Hangers ; war trophy) into the field. Hut vhutrver ' the enemy opposed to you, I feel confident that the Connaught Rangers will bi: such as they showed themselves in the Penin- | sula, the Crimea, and South Africa." ', FROM DEVIL'S ISLAND. ; Edward Guerin, who escaped from the I French penal settlement on Devil's Island some years ago, was recently arrested in ! Glasgow on a charge of loitering with intent to'steal. lie was eventually found i not guilty by the stipendiary, and discharged. Guerin came to England short- . ly after escaping from Devil's Island in a . "dug-out," but on arrival he met a f> rni.er associate, "Chicago May," who betrayed him to the police, fie was arrestj (id, and his extradition demanded by the , French Government, but he successfully f contested the claim on the ground 'hat ho was a British subject. On ■ the i-vrning '. following his release an attempt wis nade [ on his life as he was standing at (lu. cor- ■ nor of Rv/.sell Square by "Chicago May" , and a man called "Dutch Gii6," who wero , respectively sentenced for the attack' to ' fifteen years' penal servitude and a life '. term. ' TRAGIC END OF DEAN'SWi^nW. ' Mrs. Jcnnottc Williams, the widow nf a > former Dean of Grahamstown, South '. Africa, has died as the result of a fire ..at , her fiat in Great Enstorn Street, Strat- '. ford. The old lady, who was somewhat 5 eccentric, lived alone, and although posi sossing comfortable means, kept' no ser--5 ynnt. She married Dean Williams nearly forty years ago while, he was a. vicar in Gloucestershire. After the Dean died she took up ostrich farming, and was very 1 successful until the Boer war broke out, when she suffered heavy losi-.os. She was . the daughter of the late Samuel Gael, a s well-known barrister, who wrote a'number of booka on law.