SMALL TALK AT HOME.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1236, 19 February 1878, Page 3

SMALL TALK AT HOME.

(“ Entre nous” in “Truth.”) Never was a man more out of his place, as tho ruler of a half-civilised horde on the Danube, than Prince Milan. He was brought up as a private pex-son, in Paris. He is a big, heavy youth. His idea of happiness is to dine at a French restaurant, and then to stroll on the Boulevards, vex-y correctly dressed, with a cigar in his mouth, and a light paletot on his arm. Summer and winter, he always, when residing in Paris had this paletot on his arm. In summer he never liad sufficient energy to leave it at home, and in winter never sufficient energy to put it on. It seems to mo a somewhat mean proceeding of the Servians, waiting until the Turks had been vanquished by the Russians, and then crossing tho frontier to pick up a few of the chestnuts. But, when it is asserted, that we are specially bound to defend tho Turkish Empire from the invader, because, at our intercession, Servia was saved last year from the consequences of an unsuccessful wax-, I cannot help protesting against such a perversion of history. Servia obtained favorable terms last year from Turkey, because the Russian Ambassador threatened to leave Constantinople if they were not granted. Women of the present day are much what they have always been; some very good, some vci’y bad, and the majority good or bad, as circumstances make them. They seem to me, however, of late, to have developed a very covetous spirit, Ido not blame them for preferring, as husbands, rich men to poor men, all things else being equal. But, having married some rich man, why do they crave so after expensive presents ? There is something mean in this, and, to my mind, it is even more mean in their husbands to allow them to receive such presents. Yery likely all is meant in friendship. But when I hear of a lady angling for presents, and her husband taking care not to inquire where all the jewellery comes fx-om, or accepting, without investigation, the statement, that it is a present of an aged aunt, I form my own conclusions.

One of the beet stories of social presents is this. Some twenty or thirty years ago, lived and flourished a young lady. She was always young, always unmarried, and always a “leader of fashion.” She had, like humbler mortals, every year a birthday, although she never grew older, and. on these birthdays, all her acquaintances were expected to give her a present. These votive offerings were arrayed on a table in an antechamber. Lord Brougham called upon her on one of these rent-days, lie had forgotten his present. With ready presence of mind, he seized upon the best in the antechamber, wrapped it carefully up in paper, and then presented it to the young lady. She was “so much obliged” to him, and never discovered that it had already been given to her by some one else. The Russian diplomatic service is not limited to the avowed agents of the Government. The Russian Foreign Office has one or two ladies in each important European capital, who are the most unofficial of residents, but who, sometimes for mere love of art, but more frequently, in exchange for rouble notes, report to the Chancery of his Majesty the Czar, all that they can pick up. These secret agents generally have a salon, and, to this salon, they attract as many political men as they can. In Paris, the principal Russian female diplomatist is a certain Princess Lize Troubctskoi; but there are, in that capital, three or four subordinate she diplomatists, each of whom lias a salon, much frequented by Pressmen. In London, we had for some (ime,a remarkably able she diplomatist. Of course, she is by r way of being entirely unconnected with the Russian Foreign Office. She takes a deep interest in the welfare of Bulgarians, and is convinced, that the English and the Greek churches ought to bo brought together. For Mr Gladstone she professes a worship, that is most flattering to that eminent statesman. She prefers, indeed, English to Russian statesmen, for they are so much more frank and sincere, and so she sees much pf them,

I was reading an article, a day or two ago, in a contemporary, entitled, “ What has Become of Virtue P ” The author groans over the general absence of virtue, in the present age, as though the world, until now, had been peopled by angels. My belief is, that the sum total of the vice and the virtue of all ages is about the same, and, most probably, always will be the same. Butin some ages, the vices are more contemptible, and the virtues less striking, than in others. Moreover, in some ages, vice is more open, and loss varnished over with hypocrisy, than in others. One of the faults of the present age is, that wo make a great deal too much of men, who have nothing in their favor, except that they are rich. As a necessary consequence, people struggle all the more to become golden calves, and seek to gild themselves, without much caring whether the metal be acquired by fair means or foul. Never have I been able to understand that sort of social subserviency, which is shown to some stupid, ignorant calf, simply because he is the possessor of wealth. The animal takes very good cave not to allow himself to bo robbed, and, to save the most.

obsequious of his toadies from starvation, he would not lend him a shilling. What, then, is gained by bowing and scraping before him P Why is he, simply on account of his wealth, accorded a social currency, which is denied to others, who are endowed with the social qualities in which he is so singularly deficient? When I find myself in the society of one of these financial magnates, I never take the trouble to conceal my contempt for him. I watch, with infinite enjoyment, the startled, helpless air, and the speechless indignation with which he eyes me, as though he were Hainan, and I were Mordccai. [A.tlas in the “World.”]

The latest absurdity in connection with schools is that which occurred at the Liverpool School Board the other day. The sum of £SO was allowed for the purpose of erecting slate-pencil-sharpening stones for the use of scholars !

Captain Boyton has achieved another great feat in swimming, having descended the Loire from Orleans to Nantes, where he was received by an enthusiastic crowd assembled to greet his arrival. I was sorry to learn that he seemed quite worn out from excess of fatigue, and that his wrists are swelled and painful. The Princeese des Asturias is about to buy a palace in Madrid, where she will reside on her brother’s marriage, as she is not to leave Spain until the birth of an heir to the Xing may change her present position of heir presumptive to the throne. A Hohenzollern marriage has been much spoken of for her, but the dislike of the Spanish people to a German alliance will probably stand in the way.

Among the imported Circassians at present serving in the army of the Sultan, two have risen to high honor whoso names are now prominently before the public ; Eaouf Pasha, now Commander-in-Chief at Adrianople and lately at Shipka; and Fuad Pasha, a distinguished commander under Suleiman on the Lorn.

That Mr Tennyson is sensitively reluctant to be lionised is well known; but I think there is something very funny in the following trueincident:—A young lady—a veracious young lady—was walking in the country lanes close to one of the Laureate’s residences, when she met a gentleman, who at her approach deliberately took out a handkerchief and spread it over hie face. Having had no intention of staring at the stranger, she marvelled at the evident measure of defence, and hurried past, not wit hout trepidation ; but the daughter of Eve, of course, turned round before she was out of sight, and beheld Mr Tennyson going on his way unveiled.

Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have at last become popular in the island of Malta by means of the grand athletic festival which they gave to the whole garrison and the Mediterranean Fleet on the 30th November and Ist December. Hitherto the retirement of the royal pair, it must be acknowledged, has caused the military as well as the civil population not to view the presence of their illustrious guests at least with any marked enthusiasm. Moreover the extraordinary anti-Russian feeling in the island had, I am really assured, a good deal to do with the lukewarm loyalty of the place—a sentiment which manifested itself only lately in a very decided manner at the Opera, where a Russian tenor (on November 30th) was hissed from the stage—and has never since reappeared—for no other apparent reason than his nationality. During the late crisis at Paris the following enigma was current: “ What is the height of patience?” Answer: “To explain something to the Marshal, and then wait till he has understood it.” Another mot was : “He is George 111. without the lucid intervals.”

[Anglo-Australian in “ European Mail."] There arc great complaints amongst the Australian landowners on this side against Mr Berry’s Land Tax Bill. It may undoubtedly be regarded as striking deeply for good or for evil at the very life-blood, so to speak, of Victoria, and to say the least of it, a policy which aims at fleecing a minority for the benefit of the many would certainly appear to be open to condemnation. It has yet to be shown, however, that this tax will benefit the many, for if its results be considered in conjunction with the Bill imposing an import duty on stock, the probable outlook will not be very cheering. It is true that the land tax may help to square the losses which must full upon the colony owing to its protectionist policy, but it does not seem to strike the Government that this advantage will be more than counterbalanced by its retrogressive action in connection with one of the most important industries in the colony. Already the proposed visit of the Australian Eleven to this country is creating some sensation among cricketers. But not alone shall wo be visited by Australians in the coming season, for a team selected from the Parseo Cricket Club of Bombay will reach our shores in June next, and propose, after playing matches in London against the Marylebonc Club, Prince’s Club, and the Surrey Club, to go into the provinces to contend against the leading county and other cricket associations. The tour throughout England accomplished, they intend to play a few final games in London and to return to Bombay in September. These Sun worshippers are by no moons novices of the game, as their creditable display against the strong Gymkhana Club, of Bombay, and other Anglo-Indian clubs testify. It will seem strange, after being accustomed to such simple names as G race, Jupp, Daft, and Walker, to read of a gentlemanbeing out —“ caught Bhimjeebhoy, bowled Libuwalla; ’’or that “Bhicnjee was runout for 36." The Grace testimonial hangs fire, and the list is to remain open till next season. The first match for the Australian eleven is set down for May 27th at Lord’s. At a meeting of the Geological Society of London the other day, the Rev. Richard .Abbay, M.A., E.G.S., contributed a paper on the building up of “ The White Sinter Terraces of Roto-Mahima, New Zealand.” The author described the structure and mode of formation of the so-called “ White Terrace” of Roto-Mahiiua, which, as you know, is produced by a deposit of silicia from the water of a geyser situated on the side of a small hill of rotten rhyolitic rock, about 100 feet above the surface of the warm lake (RotoMahana), into which the water from the geysey finally Hows, and the foot of the siliceous terrace projects. [Correspondent “ Otago Daily Times.”] Twenty competing models for the statue of Burns, to be erected at Kilmarnock, have already been sent in, and will be exhibited when the period for sending in models has expired. Some of those sent in must be of rather slender merit, as they are deacribed as being “ truly ludicrous," The fund for this monument now amounts to £2OIO.

Mr James Ballanline, the well-known author of “Ilka Blade o’ Grass keps its ain Drap o’ Dew,” “ Tiie Gaberlunzie’s Wallet,” &c., died at Edinburgh on the 18th instant, in his GOLh year, after a protracted illness. It was chiefly through his exertions that the collection of Burns relics in the Burns monument in Edinburgh was formed, and that statues were placed in the niches of the Scott monument. Mr Ballantine raised himself from the humble position of color mixer to the late David Roberts, R.A., to the head of a large and important firm of glassatainers. He was an active Freemason, and occupied the post of Grand Bard to the Grand Lodge of Scotland.