PERSONAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 17, 18 January 1913, Page 5

PERSONAL.

Lovd and Lady Liverpool (remarks a lady writer in the Sydney Daily Telegraph) are delighted with Auckland, and New Zealanders are equally pleased with their new Governor and his charming wife, who formerly belonged to that circle ,at Home that one hears comparatively little about as far as social doings are concerned. Although Lord Liverpool owns a London house in Grosvenor Gardens, he fand Lady Liverpool only entertained on a very quiet scale during the,season. They, like so many other notaL.Aies, have come to regard continuous entertainment as simply a weariness to both the flesh and the spirit. It is interesting to note that both Lord Liverpool’s half-sisters carved j out useful rather than social careers for themselves. Lady Mabel, who took up the work of a hospital nurse, | married a doctor whom she met ini hospital, and her sister, Lady Constance, now Lady Constance Hawkins, is the %ife -of a clergyman, and an earnest worker in all matters appertaining to her husband’s parish.

Captain Holford, harbourmaster at New Plymouth, has resigned owing to ill-health.

The Nelson Harbour Board yesterday appointed Mr Leslie H. Reynolds, of Wellington, consulting, engineer, to supervise the improvement works.

A cablegram from London states that Kweichih,' Secretary of the Chinese Legation, has been appointed Con-sul-General for New Zealand.

The death is announced at Standerton, South Africa of Mrs E. M. Haselden, wife of Mr F. H. Haeeklen, formerly M.P., for Patea.

The Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes, Post-master-General, and Acting-Minister of Defence, will represent the Government at the funeral of the late Hon. John Bryce, at Wanganui, on Sunday.

The Rev. H. 5. Deane, Vicar of Patea, has resigned on account of ill health. Rev. 0. M. Stent, Vicar of Raetihi, has accepted the position. Rev. Deane has decided to make an extended visit to England.

Rear-Admiral Ross, of the United States Navy, who has been visiting Australia and New Zealand, left on his return! home, via the East, by the Prince Sigismund, last Saturday.

Master L, G.'Mail, of the Stratford District High School, who has gained fresh honours for the school ,by securing a high place in the Junior University and Senior National Scholarships, is a Midhirst boy, and son of Mr ,W. J- Mail, the local schoolmaster.

Mr G. W. Stubbs, accountant, of the Loan and Mercantile’s Stratford branch, has been promoted to agent of the company at Opunake, succeeding Mr Jackson, who recently resigned. Mr Hill, of the Auckland branch, will fill-the local vacancy. Mr Stubbs has been in Stratford for seven or eight years, and is a very popular officer of tne Company.

Captain F. H. Dampen left to-day by the mail train for Palmerston North, where he attends the class of instruction for officers of the Wellington Battalion. One of the principal objects of this class, which opens this evening and continues for a week, is to perfect the organisation for the camp at Oringi, opening on April 14, for those who are not taking the ordinary course of drills, and four days later for the majority of Territorials.

' Doctor John Ross, of Waipawa, who intends following farming at Wairoa, was last night presented 'with an illuminated address by the residents (says a Press Association wire). The Mayor and others spoke eulogistically of his services and regretted his departure. The Councillors also presented Dr. Ross with a leather kit bag, and Mrs Ross was the recipient of several* valuable presents.

Mrs Hardy, wife of the famous novelist. died last month in England. For nearly forty years she had shared Mr Hardy’s struggles and triumph®, and had seen him rise into fame. They were married in 1874, the very year in which he published “Far From the Madding Crowd.” While taking naturally an intense interest in Mr Hardy’s work, she had strong opinions of her own. She was a keen suffragist, even to the extent of taking part in procession® through the town. She also shared Mr Hardy’s literary and. artistic tastes, and was herself the authoress of a number of short stories, poems, and sketches.

Captain W. H. Northcroft, who ha® been appointed Resident Commissioner at the Cook Islands in succession to Mr J. Eman Smith, is a native of Essex, and 67 year® of age, was formerly a Stipendiary Magistrate. Coming to New Zealand in very early life, he served in the colonial forces in Taranaki and Wanganui, and later became sub-inspector in the Armed Constabulary and a captain in the New Zealand'Militia. Captain Northcroft took part in no fewer than fortynine engagements, and distinguished himself on several occasions by gallant rescues of comrades-in-arms. In 1910 he was awarded the New Zealand Cross. He was appointed a Magistrate in 1877, and retired from office only a short while ago.

The Bishop of Melanesia (Dr Wood) has now had his first glimpse of the scattered islands which form his diocese. He is delighted at the speedy prospect of a distinctly native church. The impression made by the bishop is expressed by one of his flock as follows: “I am greatly astonished at . this bishop; he is very tall, his face is exceedingly • beautiful, and bis clothes are beyond description. He is also very learned indeed, and I am astonished because in three days he already knows something of the Mota language.” Tide astonishment will be abated by many when they hear that the bishop held confirmations on this cruse in six different languages. J. McMillan, deputy-manager of the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Shipping Company, who is on a visit to the colonies, was in New Plymouth yess terday, and, while there, was waited upon by a number of residents with regard to the prospects of a direct service between London and New Plymouth being established. Mr McMillan, after hearing a good deal of argument, summarised the position to be that if his company was guaranteed a certain amount of general cargo it would have no option but to give the service. Mr Newton King, Mr E. Maxwell and others, said they thought there would be no difficulty in guaranteeing the quantity of cargo asked to secure the service. The deputation was introduced by Mr C. E. Wilkinson, M.P., who is a member of tho Harbour Board.