THE CHANGING WORLD

Hokitika Guardian, 19 November 1928, Page 3

THE CHANGING WORLD

(OTAGO “DAILY TIMES.”)

Genius and impeeuniosity were proverbially wont to run in double harness. The eases of Goldsmith and Sell linen—me. one was uorn 200 years ago an the other died a KX) years age this month—are sufficiently in point. What a literary treasure is the “Vicar of Wakefield” I, Boswell has given ‘authentically from Johnson’s own exact narration” the history of the sale of this novel to Francis Newbery: “I received one mornng a message from poor Goldsmith that he was in great distress, and, as it was not in his power to come to me, hogging that I would come to him as soon as possible 1 sent him a guinea and promised to come to him directly. I accordingly went as soon as I was dressed and found that his landlady had arrested him for his rent, at which he was in a violent passion. I perceived that lie had already changed my guinea, and had got a bottle of Madeira and a glass before him. 1 put the cork into the bottle, desired lie would lie calm, and began to talk to him of the means whereby he might lie extricated He then told me that he had a novel ready for press, which lie produced to me. I looked: into it, saw its merits, told the landlady I should soon return, and having gone to a bookseller; sold it for £OO. 1 brought Goldsmith the money, and ho discharged his rent, not without rating his landlady in a high one for lift vug used him so ill.”

From a now volume on Franz Schubert, author of some of the loveliest thugs in music, the following is culled :

“The total sum which Schubert made by his compositions in the entire course of his life amounted to the equivalent of £575. For that sum he composed considerably more than 1099 s-mis symphonies, operas and dances. For his first on id work—the “Promptlines” of 1810—he !-•-<■•(-i-ed £■!. For the fir i 12 songs of file “Winterrcise’ cycle composed in Pie last months of his lift-, he was paid lOd each. Rut his struggle with poverty always n gay struggle. He was never without a circle of warm-hearted friends drawn to him by a charm and magnetic quality which his short., dumnv figure—he was only a trifle over five feet in h<s.-’-‘ ’ steel spectacles. his shy ness, his silent e. wlmn in flit' presence of strangers, hid from all h"t his intimates.”

Schubert would copes- a song on' the hack of a menu card s-e-vi by a companion ii.s they sat over their tankards in a. Viennese cafe. He died at the age of 31. su'd so the story runs the invent'U'v of his possessions included over 599 enm , '<-sitions assessed in value at 8s fid. AYell mav posterity he anxious to make anie-d-

AH Hoover’s qualifications to he Fir-f PRizen -tf the r 'American P -p-’hlie are more .solid than showv. He is no •'glad-hander.” I lie 'platform abilities of tb" President-elect have been thus described: “Until within the rest eight years Al,r Hoover could hardly speak in puplie at all and even now his performan-

o leaves nearlv e-ervHiing' to ho desired. He reads his speeches in tone's audible only a few feet away and with an air of martyrdom which is irresistibly reminiscent of a small hoy forced against his will to spm k in a prize competition nr schoo 1 ff lie were heckled in the course of his speech his native impulse undoubtedly would he to pick up his papers and have the platform.in offended -ilriec' Concerning New York, which after all assisted the lurch of the United States to Rep ibli d-Tii side, an Archdeacon from Ohio, visiting Lemon has been genially informative. He says: In ;\cw York the only thing that counts is the dollar. New Aork is owned by Jews and run by Irishmen; and some of tho people there a.re Americans.”

The gift of Lord Dewar for ,p‘>stprandial epigram is evidently backed by a lively appreciation of a. good prao tical joke. In his recent hook Sir Harry Lauder tells an amusing aneedoe. Admiring his lordships’ pigeons one way, Sir Harry threw - out a gentle hint that a couple would not he amiss at' his Hglilaml estate. L-rd Dear accordingly sent the pigeons north, but -—Sir Harry ted Is the sequel—- “ They were homing pigeons and were hack at Lord Dewar’s place before ho got my letter complaining bitterly of the joke he had clayed on me. That’s the kind of present one Scot gives to another.”