A BOOK OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1990, 21 February 1914, Page 9

A BOOK OF THE DAY.

SOME'ANGLO-AMERICAN REMINISCENCES, Mr,.Frederick Townsend Martin, who tells-many good stories in. his book, "Things I Remember" (George Bull and Sons;; per 'Whitcorabe and Tombs), is a wealthy, American • gentleman- whp has. met and Ipown many interesting people ■ ' on both sides of the-Atlantic. He first ! visjted'Europe in .tho year tho Duke of Edinburgh married <v Russian princess, ■ but: spent ,most of his time .in Paris, a city.-.hoj;as do all good. Americans, greatly delights in,-but which he has como to the. conclusion, ho'tells : lis,. _''is' best, described ■as a fiery furnace in which weaker-metals are speedily dissolved." Mr., Martin has had the honour of interviews with three.. Popes—Pius IX, Leo'XIII, and Pius X. Of Leo XIII he.says; "He was something liko Voltaire in'appcarance, and his face seemed ■like a >skull-covered with skin, but his eyes;, were full. of fine intellect, which seemed to . triumph ■ over tho feeble body.'' His Holiness asked .the author many questions about America. "I do hope," hp said, "that yotfr great nation will spend its time in strengthening it- , 6?lf'and refrain, from ; making wars; ; wars are f.atal to; the progress of mankind." In Rome Mr. Martin-, met a ■ fellbiy-American/the late :Mrf • Marion Crawford, tKe, : well-known'novelist. ,'Mr«. . Crawford haying , asked : Mr. Martin which-. r of. hep husband's stories he- liked ;: test,'he. replied, "A'' Cigarette Maker's , Ko'maiice.' "Well," said IMrs. -Craw-l:-ford, -'"that' was. written; for' me' when ;.' ; l'waiill.' My_husband'.used to write a '.f chapter at-a'-:time,?and'read>it aloud-to ;; amuse me; th'e: , l Eomatic6' continued iii > this way. until I was .well, and by that ; tiino it had grown'into-a ho'vel!" - ;■ A Story of Monto Carlo,: ; Mr. Martin- is old enough to remember. : ?Bsden Baden iii' its palmy days before ' ithejgambling saloon's'were''closed andi the.-votaries of.rouge;et r.oir and rou- ; lette-betook-themselves' to Monto Carlo. ' He. tells, a rather' amusing story about a-friend of'his who .was walking orio day in the Casino gardens at Monto Carlo, .■;where : he met an old-clergyman,.accom- . panied: by his .t-hree daughters. . : • The girls wero very anxious to inspect the. rooms, and after much ■persuasion their father allowed my ' ; inend to'take .them; tht6ugh. •' "Anil ■ ; 1 retnembqr,, you'.arp 'nbt to .play," -he ' .!.'added'as, a injunction. . 4 .j ; '\Vhen'tlio, girls... arrived at the:- - their gludo turned, to them. ■ \ '.'Look hert," said ;he, "although Vyou are forbidden: to play, Iwill put ; ; ; on some mimey for you. What's ■ypur age?" he asked tW youngest : . one... .: . . "Seventeen," she answered. ■ ■ Ho promptly put a louis on ' the. . number'seventeen at tho ' roulette'

.:.:. table'. The little ball:'f©n into tho , '),. -number 17, and ;.t.hirty-five louis: . ''■'.i were; .handed to' ..tho gambler •' by .',.'proxy:/'-;.!'■.',■'.. ■:'.,;■■/■, : < ;. '••; f' -At thbJnext.ta.blo' my friend turn- . 'Ed i<) 'the second , '.girl. /.'What's ;" 'yours?.'.'.Masked :,■■,. ■:.."•.■■- v ••;' ' ;![Niheteen,"- : !s'J/e:. ;replied,'. and; ''■nineteen'came.ujp.';.^.--.. • j[ ' "Well]^sM\#'.friend:. to the;' If ■ third-daiigliteri^f •i^itit-iio^ka^'fc^''•'■>•: ■'-■■;:: ; ; ■'■■ ;'-''Tweht^hree,i!i'in'inei''''sho"au- ■ .'eweredjdemuroly. , ..■■"•■'• . '••■ ;.• ' -;-A louis.-was. put.on.twenty-three, ■' ■ but uhfortuuatoly twenty-six:, camo" "■. bpro-her-dis-; , r a*point'ment;iik6' a philosopher,' arid . 'ino. little party strolled-tlirougli . the •-grounds,' my friend walking ahead 'with "sweet.seventeen."" . • ■ : ' ."If-I-.Vcrp.-U) tell.this story," said he; "I should be asked if my. 'namewere.Ananias./ Nobody would believe '-that.-the 'numbers* of your ago.-and : yqurl''sister's-came lip as , 'they/did;,'and'.if your third sister had been lucky. I should' have been 'told to.read the story of'Washing";t<in.' andlay it io-heart," ,- . ' '•' ■ , J But,'^replied'/Hie youngest, of ' the Three Graces, "iny sister's age didi come up." , , ':■,.•■ .; r "Great Scott/ifcdidn't?" erclaimecTin'y.friend.-. , , ;.•, \ "Hush'," whispered the girl. "Lil- • lieVtbfd'you wrongly;.''she • is not twenty : threo but twenty-sis 1" Wliy She -Preferred a: Dinner Party. l[.r.:Martm,Uell3',''several ''stories con cerrtmg .members;of tho British peerafi ahd-.their.-lyivesW:Lady Henry Lennox who-.was: very, eccentric; ■■ and sometime quite'.inconvenieritly'out'spoken, was, In Baj's, at a 'luncheon:, giy&i , by Lad' .Wandsworth,; when ..she .was asked wha' Bhe thought" tho ihest of social plea sures. .Some .of the "ladies-had favoure< balls, others ."mueioalcs," and so on D.ut : Lady Henry .remarked, in her curi ous ■drawl, "Oh/ wejl, for myself I liki dinners best." . 'fDinners!" exclaimec her host. "Mj dear Lady Henry, siirel; you are not., a gourmet?" "Oh.no '" drawled ,'/I.Hke dinners bes becausel tiiOT I.amc'ertain to have ; man on ■ either,.side of me ; who can't gei away."■■•■.;, ■', ;'. -7 :; - An Unhappy Mimlo." ' -;''y'■ 0 ;course;thero.'is ; .the.:iuevi'table storj about the laio 'King.Ed-n-ard. - At.' i Cowes .dinner party'.-'Mr'.; Marfcin thf Hon. ■ Alexauder Yorkc, then Gentle ma'n-iii-'Waitihg- to Queen Victoria Xorkeiyas a wonderful mimic, and coulc imitate";tho'Queen to perfection.. Say* Mr. Martin: "His facial resemblance t< hjs Eoyal -Mistress was positively astounding when housed- to twist 'a dinner napkin into- a- cap, arid act ,the Quoen to- tho life ; it was rather disrespectful, butit waa certainly very aimisjng.. One night Martin had just faller asleep 'when;,ho' was'awakened by some gravel..-benig; thro Vi- at -'hia.Vwindow, Opening .;tho.window-, he hoard V Yorkc say,' in.'.disco'nsolate.. tones,--: , ' Fred -foi gpodness-sake let. mo'.in, tfm'a: done man. VWlien the door was opened j] al .. tin asked.'-Yorkey who 'was. looking; the picture "<jt misery, what'.was tho matter, 'here'si'tho.devil;.tp-.pay,' : ',he re'plicc gj<3omily. v f "I. weut'.to a.- supper party ai Lady ■M.anaeyiHo.'s tb^uigh.t,"arid-'.H.8;11 was there. ( After-■■eupper,the Prince Baid iti/nie,' 'OJi,;Jlr.A'orko, will v O i give 'us some:imifattons? .-1 hoiir -yoi can .take off, my mother very well. Praj do ilt)\' : 'Oh,' sir,, pray excuse me; 1 I begged.': 'What, will : the Queen say if. jl gets' to her -ears She'll n'eVer forgi v *« me.' But H.R.H. commanded, and' ] had to obey. What H.R.H. said .wher the unhappy- mimic had finished his imitations/Mr. Martin unfortunately doe: not record, but ho fancies tho Queer rieveY heard of tho incident. The Traffic >n Titles. One of : Mr Martin's great friends ii England was Lord former ly Viscount do Stern, of the Portußiiesi feorage. Jn view of recent cablegrami ' cqheerning the traffic in titles, it is in terestiug to read in MrMlartin's bpol that "the Viscount always-looked on th( £70,000 which hJ3' mother paid to th< "party as a good investment, for it ultimately enabled him to chango his name When Mr. Gladstone .gave up office, Vis-count-de Stern, much to his-delight, became Lord Wandsworth, and thoroughly enjoyed his elevation, by draft, to th< , ■»'•.■ K Joke Against; Himself.-' V, . ; -,-■' On \occisi()'i. v - : docs no'i seriiplo to -giVW' us- a- story which .tell; against- hi'mSeJF/-.... As thus : "And_whal have- you ; -hec":i ..doinS .vitli yourself to<la7;:,'; ;-Mr-'-MJrfcin-3sked-''Mrs'Stuyve'pni-

sant Fish one evening at dinner. "Oh," I replied, "I'vo been addressing the-in-mates of. the asylum for the blind. I 6poke for over an hour, , and at the conclusion I asked my audience which thej would prefer to or blind." "Well, and the verdict?" inquired Mrs. Fish. . "They, were unanimous in deciding in favour of blindness." • "Whatl After hearing you talk for anhour?" cried my fair friend. "Just Start Cackling." '■ Mr. Choato, formerly Ambassador to the Court of St. James, is famous for his dry humour. Mr. Martin chronicles a smart, but as some may consider.it, a rather rude reply to an affected, talka-tive-.woman'at a country house. The lady was passing Mr. Choato an eg!*, when suddenly she let it fall. "Oh, dear, dear Mr. Choato, I've droppedau egg. Whatever shall I do?" she exclaimed. : "Do?" replied-Choate, with an impassive impression, "Why just start cackling, madam." A few of Mr. Martin's stories are V little thin, and the bluopeneil might have been used to good purpose. But the unfailing geniality or tho author's narativo makes the book very pleasant reading. .There aro several illustrations, mostly portraits. (New Zealanl; price, 95.)