"THINGS I CAN TELL."

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1590, 6 November 1912, Page 5

"THINGS I CAN TELL."

REMINISCENCES OF A NOTABLE SPORTSMAN. LORD ROSS MORE WRITES A BOOK. Lord Rossmore has launched out on the uncertain sea of authorship. He has written a book of' tales of people in Society, some of which are well worth recording, and will be appreciated by "the man in the street" for -their obvious humour, and others of which lose most of their ' point for tho simple reason tlliit_ to aDpreeiato them the reader would require to have the personal acquaintance of the more or less notable people about whom, the tales are told. But Lord Rossinbre is an Irishman, and what he doesn't, know of tho folk among whom he lisis lived, and moved and had his being would probably; not be worth a placo among the records' of high life". ..

When Lord Mentions were intimated to the world, some little time ago, they naturally caused a flutter among the folk with whom he mostly rubs shoulders"—for who can tell the manner of a Society man's reminiscences ? » honl will he give away ? must have been the question that would occur to -But Lord Rossmore is a- sportsman, who plays the game," and there are few;, if any, who will take umbrage at anything he has to tell. As a matter of fact, if he gives anyone away it is himself, for lie is not in the least reticent in. recording lus own particular escapades, a qircumstanoe that in no way detracts from the impression that is general of him as a warm-hearted, jolly, and breezy Irishman. The "Banshee." In the opening chapter Lord Rossmore introduces the reader to liis family, and strikes a grim note in relating the story of the "banshee," a story that produced an uncanny impression on friends of his family who were prime actors in the weil'd happening, yet .were unlikely to bp over credulous of hearsay evidence of "spiritual manifestation." The story is told of the first Lord Rossmore as follows. "Now thoroughly frightened-Lady Barrington called her nrnid, who straightway would not listen or look, and fled in terror to the servants' quarters, The- .Uncanny noise continued for about half an hour, when it suddenly- ceased.. All at. onco a weird cry of 'Rossmore, Rossrabre, Rossmore!' was keard, and then all ttas still.

"The Barringtons looked at each other in dismay, and were utterly bewildered us. to |what the Cry could mean. They decided, however, not to'mention the incident at: Mount Kennedy, and returned to bed in the hope of resuming ilieir broken slumbers.- Tlvey were not left Ion? undisturbed, for -at seven o'clock they were awakened by a loud'knocking at the. bedroom door, and Sir Jonah's servant Lawler entered the room, his face white with- terror. '"What's the matter?ghat's the matter?' asked Sir Jonah, 'is anyone dead?' 'Oh, sir,' answered the man, Lord liossmore's footman has just gone by in great haste, and-he told me that my lord, after coming from the castle, had gone to' bed 111 perfect health, but that about halfpast: two this .morning, his owii man-, hearing a noise in iris master's room, went to him. and found biin in the .agonies of death, and before, he could ajarm the servants his lordship was dead.'" Told of King Edward. Lord Bossmore was a personal friend of King Edward, and, of course, there is more than ono story to relate of our late King's .way:of dealing with men and affairs. The following; shows how neatly and genially his Jtajesty could deliver a rebuko to anyone v;|io did not "toe the line" of his - requirements of social etiquette. The incident took place •at Ep. soui when iho late King was still Prince of Wales. •

''An incident occurred on thisway which serves to' show what a great-stickler the late King was about the proper 'get up' for the races,, By. some oversight J was not- wearing'.-the silk hat demanded by etiquette, and this was ai once observed.,, by. tho l'ripce,. who looked at me dr.iticollyii ftxmijr top»-to:itoe,. aml then Said half in jest-, arid halfoih-reproof—"Well, Bossmore, have., you come r-r-ratting ?'" : Apropos of this 'yeference to .Royalty,' an amusing, story, is told of-the-Duke and Duchess of ;Connaughti—Lord ...Eossmore had been .entertaining-the Duchess, when she .introduced a story relative , to het husband. ".'Well, Lord Eossm-ore,' said she, 'I think it is my turft to try to relate something funny, so I'll toll you what happened to the Duke and myself coming up here. At every station where the train stopped a porter came to our carriage with a foot-warmer, and at last the Duke got so. annoyed that, forgetting the same tiling had occurred all down the line, he said to.the man: "Go away; I've told you three or four times already that I Iton't have a foot-warmer."' ",'"Ach, Duke, darlin', don't be angry," answered the porter. "Sure ail' it's stone cold."'" Chops and a Dog. In 1891 Kord Bossmore visited Australia, and while staying at Victoria- he renewed his acquaintance with; Nellie Farroit and Fred Leslie.' lie went to see this famous pair of comedians act, "We all dined together after their 'show' at the little French club, and Fred toid mo one of his best stories that evening about two men who had ■ been at an exceedingly lively dinner, and who encountered each other in St. James's Street the following morning.'' Both felt very, very cheap, but fieh thought is his bourn den duty; to endeavour to appear very chirpy. . ■ . ":Mornin', old chap,' sail one. " 'Mornin',' replied his friend, " 'Awfully jolly time last night!' " 'Ka—a—ther.' . . '"Had any breakfast ?' asked the first speaker. '. " 'Of course I have.,' answered the other. " 'What did you have?'' '"Oh, tho usual thing—-a chop.' "'Good heavens!' ejaculated the first diner-out. 'Anything else?' -he:ventured after, a long pause. . , " 'Yes. A -brandy apd sflda—and a dog.' "'A, dog!!' esclaimed the . astonished questioner, .'nearly . jumping sky . high. 'What on eaTth did you want with, a dog?' " 'Why, to eat the ' chop, yon d d fool/ replied his-friend as he hastily made a bee-line for. White's." ■

A Certain German Baron. A. good story, is told about a certain Baron o£ German extraction who shall be tameless, and doubtless speculation will bs rife as to who (be noble Teuton can be who laid himself open to a discomfiting 6ally by an Irishman who was one of a cidwd he was- haranguing in this course of a political campaignHe was a bit pf a snob, and when he was standing for. his constituetLcy he thus addressed the meeting, which, as Usual, had an Irishman ill its midst:—

"My friends,'" exclaimed the Baton, "ray title is of no mushroom growth; my grandfather was Baron, and m? '.father was Baron.- . . Then came tie Irishman's chance. "An' it's a great pity yer mother wasn't Baron, too," he shotttod to tie joy of the meeting, and.tho disbomfituTe of the titled alien. The following reference to the '''Grand Old Man" savours of the improbable, but, if true, it affords an interesting sidelight on' Mr. Gladstone's attitude of mind to the "distressful country," and gives point to the question of tile.universality of his popularity therO. ; "The subject of Homo Rule always reminds me of tlio day. when old Gladstone' sat 'down and Mrs. Gladstone made a I speech on tho hustings; Said she, addressing'tlio throng, 'My friends, I found ' it very hard to convince my dear husband about tlio claims of Ireland for Homo Rulo.but one.day when lie came into the breakfast roohl he remarked to me, "My. dear wife, you've over-persuaded .me about that down-troddfcft country. You have at Inst converted, me in favour of Home ihile." "'I got up from my chair, put my arms round his neck, and gave him a. loving, wifely kiss.' She paused to see what the. effect of hef words had produced, aikt ao irrepressible Irishman Milled out. 'And il served llw uw'ld beggar iwi't'ecliy right.'" 'i'lioso are but a few of tho. racy antedulos Lord Ko-siuoj'o lias 1o tell r.f hi>. friends and a«|iiaiiitaiiee.s taken at random, but, though not '•necessarily the best to be found .in 1.1.10 book, tliey serve In indicate the manner of. the telling of Lord iiofsmora'f confession*. relative to ths sort, of people he iU6 aiet.—!' WecM? tats* i.niaa» JJ ' •