TOPICS QF THE DAY. A Gossip About Things In General. (BY OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT. )

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 242, 18 February 1888, Page 7 (Supplement)

TOPICS QF THE DAY. A Gossip About Things In General. (BY OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT. )

TIIE BATTLK OF TKAIfAIiQAH SQUARE—LlNnell's Funeral— The "Pall Mall's" Ravings — Drawing Sir Charles Warren— The New French President— His Characterises— Sir Charles Dilke Re-Asserting his Position - Christian Malevolence— Mrs Crawford— Wnv Lady Dalhousie Died—Anecdotes op Lord Daliiousie— Death ok the Second Lady March— An Afflicted Family — ThcProgress of Medical Science— Cancer —The Macßattenbero-The atrical NotesChristmas Novelties-End ok the Publishing Season— Memoirs — Fritu's Froth a Great Success— Poor Pollock— Another Jubilee — The [Victoria "Pickwick" — A pitwrY Book— "Better Dead"— A Scream, ingly fenny slcit— a capital shilling's, wohtii— Extracts, Etc.

London, December 16. Dk.si'ite the valorous Stead's inflammatory invocations, public interest in the Battle of Trafalgar Square languishes, and, should the sensational public funeral of the 14 bludgeoned martyr " Linnell next Sunday pass off quietly will dwindle to nothing 1 . Even the doludcd unemployed themselves are beginning to realise that it is not so much to secure their rights as to get his own way, and to humble the Home Secretary and Sir Charles Warren, that their friend the " able editor "is fighting. Into Sir Charles more particularly, Stead has, vulgarly speaking, got his knife up to the hilt. Had the Chief of the Police token up tho glovo when challenged, ho might in time have been forgiven. Bub he wag simply silently contemptuous. Neither by threats, insults, nor direct queries could he be drawn. In rain Stead foamed and raved and ranted about " Bloody Sunday," and " the victims of tho police." Scotland Yard remained perfectly silent The truth is of course that the much -tried and much-bullied constables did many of them lose their tempers and exceed their duty on that Sunday afternoon. Some innocent men had their heads broken and others were locked up. So far, however, from these facts being surprising to most of us the real wonder was that nothing worse happened. Had the same riot broken out under Colonel Hendersons easy - going regime, the Strand would certainly have been looted and many lives lost. As for the martyr linnell— well, (k inortuU nil nisi bonum, bo we'll simply say he was indiscreet. Hissing the police is at any time a somewhat hazardous operation, and Linnell hissed them when he knew them to be simply infuriated.

Anecdotes of the Late Lord Da Ihousie Lady Dalhousie died from blood-poison-ing, brought on no one knows how. Her husband had been ill for some time. After their return from New Zealand he seemed quite restored to health, and buckled vigorously to politics. Though apparently the quieteit and most unassuming of men, his ambition was boundless,and his capacity : for work immense. During the following j session. Lord Dalhousie made his name ana | influence powerfully felt, and was every- 1 where spokeu of as the coming statesman. ! At Court both he and Lady Dalhousie were person grat, and ib was doubtless owing to this fact his lordship became a Goldstick-in Waiting. Tis related of him, by-the-way, that while holding this office he greatly scandalised the Dukeof Cambridge by riding in the Park in a " sac " coat and " pot " hat. H.R.H. even went so far as to remonstrate with the young peer, but he had quite mistaken his man. Lord Dalhousie listened and smiled. Next day, however, he jeappeared in the same costume. Then the Duke gave him up. I made a mistake in telling you that Lady j Dalhousiewas the original of Lady Corisande ' in "Lothair." It beems there has been some confusion between her and an elder sister. Lady Ida Bennett could only have been about 14 when Disraeli's novel was published. The death of the second Lady March is terribly sad. Lord March lost his first wife within a few months of their marriage, and now his second has been similarly snatched away. Lady March was only 24, and very beautiful. Her young husband is said to be quite broken down. The Lennoxes are, perhaps, more beloved and respected than any great family in the South of England, and sincere sympathy is felt for them in their many recent bereavements. It is only a few months back that the Duchess of Richmond (Lord March's mother) and a younger brother both died.

Progress of Medical Science i There seems to me a good deal of truth in an observation which I read the other day, to the effect that medical science does not progress at all proportionally with other sciences. It is surely discreditable, I for example, that despite the increasing ) number of poor folk tortured to death with cancer every year, no serious effort is being I made to discover a cure. The "Timos" | suggests we should treat the problem as i the Australians are doing tbeir rabbit difficulty, viz. , offer a substantial reward for its solution. The possibility of securing £10,000 (say) and eternal fame would unquestionably set many clover brains work* ing. No doubt something of this sort will now be done, especially if the Crown Prince succumbs. The Queen, 1 hear, favours the notion. By-the-way, Her Majesty has sent £1,000 to Scotland Yard to be divided amongst the detectives who so skilfully foiled the dynamitards on Jubilee Day. What, I wonder, would have been the public feelings had they known the truth on that auspicious occasion. The Queen and Prince of Wales knew it, and great pluck, ifc must be admitted, they, showed. The authorities certainly believed they had made everything secure, but they couldn't be sure. All depended on there being only one gang of plotters. On (lit that when the Superintendent at Scotland Yard heard that the procession had got safely back to Buckingham Palace he, for the first time in his life, fainted. One can easily imagine such a thing. His anxiety as that imposing cavalcade moved .slowly along must have been terrible. Her Majesty does odd things at times, but the christening of the Macßattenberg (as Labby denominates the latest hope of the House of Beatrice), first as a Presbyterian and secondly as an English Churchman, beats everything. ' Why not mako the child a Roman Catholic too ? He would be safe then — somehow.

Professor RuskUi's Latest. If the S.D.W.S.P. (Society for Doing Without Some People) of >lr 'Barries amusing .skit, " Better Dead ", were a fact , instead of a mqre figment of imagination, wo should most certainly .suggest, to , the, Com-, mibLee the desirability of, promptly ," snap-, ping short" poor old Eiuskin. ',. For some; time • past this -venerable t (too yeneyablo) sage has been playing '/ ekittloß, ' )vith his erstwhile great .rpputationt -Jf.jHS, relatives do not iprthwith .' lock; . ,up; pen and ink, thore wilVsoon i^deed^be b.ujb, little of rijj left. Portions 'of^tbejjautgbJTor, f graphy triod many^jipl^tss»ii»'^ * ob4j , some of last year's " arrie'ctures J> #ere the ■

purestrbosh, It is, hdwover, the otd'mantf ridiculous letters to the " Pall Afal} " that have done him most harm. Many "euitdrs would have suppressed the one on the Trafalgar Square riots out of sheer pity, it was so obviously tho work of a. lunatic. I may Hero mention what is perfectly .well-known in the art world, viz. , that the rrofcssor has for some years past been liable to temporary fits (often lasting for weeks) of acute mania. The legend used to bo that when ho recovered irom these attacks he recovered completely, and that his intellect was as unclouded as in its brightest period. Neither the old fellow's writings nor his behaviour have, however, latterly confirmed this. Occasionally he would produce a page or a chapter of beautiful thoughts ex^rosscd in perfect prose, but far oitener his lucubrations wore the more ravings of a great brain gone wrong. Tho last volumes of Kinglako's History of the Crimean War (tho first of which came out 30 years ago) have appeared, and the great work is now complete. Tho historian himself has reached tho age of 85, and scarcely expected to live to finish his self-appointed task. He seems, however, better and brighter for it, more especially as the reviewers aro all most complimentary.

The Latest Craze The fnshionnblo craze of the moment is " boxing," or rather prize - fighting. Common people flock in thousands nightly to the Aquarium to gaze on the refined lineaments and muscular perfections of Smith, Sullivan, Kilrain, and Company, whilst their betters indulge in jovial little bouts of sparring at the Pelican Club. The Pelican, Imay tell you, is thb Club to belong or just at present. Its premises, if limited, ate luxurious, its cooking A 1, its hours late, its consumption of liquors prodigious, and its catholicity unbounded. The primary intention was that the Club should consist mainly of "tho boys," and it has been tolerably strictly adhered to. All fast young men about town, actors, turfites, journalists and comic vocalists belong to it, and the Sunday evening smoking concerts and "sparring" bouts arc among tho liveliest ever known. Edward Solomon, the composer, manages the former, and particularly well he does it. At first there was some difficulty in getting first-rate artistes to perform, but now even men like Toole and Corney Grain like to "do something " at the Pelican. It was " The Pink 'Un " that gave the Pelican a first send off. The " Shifter" is Secretary, and all the staff, from Mr Corlett downwards, have become members. Mr Benzon began so well with his jumpers that many thought "the plunger" was going to make a splash in the steeplechase arena. He has not, however, had much luck lately, and may find it more difficult to win the Grand National than he anticipates. The action for libel against him which Colonel Barnard is bringincr will be tried, 'tis said, soon after Christmas.

Theatrical Note*. The theatrical world is at ifcs busiest just now. Fully one half of the West End houses and all the East End ones will change their bills at or about Christinas. Some have already done so. The farcical | comedy called " The Circassian " failed at I the Criterion, and Albery's famous "Two Roses" has been put up in its place. Either this piece owed more than we sup- | posed to Irving's " Digby Grant," or the public taste has changed, for, though capi- | taly acted all round, it doesn't seem to take. The plays drawing best just now are "The Arabian Nights" at the Comedy and "Miss Esmeralua" at the Gaiety. Great preparations are in force at the latter house for " Frankenstein," which*has been written specially with a view to Australasian audiences, and will, it is hoped, prove the backbone of the coming colonial tour. The Olympic Theatre seems hopelessly unluckly. Anywhere else , " The Pointsman " would have run a couple lof years instead of a few months. An adaptation of Haggard's "Jess" is, howj ever, is said to be in preparation. The winding-up season of the Hare and Kendo 1 I management of the St. James's commenced I last week with "Lady Glancarty." Mrs Kendal grows almost too matronly for hei-oine parts. Ido hope you will see her beforo middle-age has taken the " steel " out of her acting. In some characters (notably " Susan Hartley " in " A Scrap of Paper ") she is still as good as ever. Wilson Barrett has taken possession of the Globe Theatre, and will produce " The Golden Ladder " there on the 22nd inst., with Miss Eastlake and his brother George in leading parts. Reports speak well of this piece. The Haymarket version of "Fromonfc Jeune and Rislcr Ain<3 " has been christened " Partners." It is a very free and easy version of Dandet's masterpiece, certain incidents of an unsavoury character having been excised.

The Last ot the Publishing Season. The publishing season now drawing to a close has been a great one for memoirs. It is not often that four such deeply and generally interesting books as Mr Francis Darwin's, MrVV. P. Friths, MrT. A. Trollops's and Sir Frederick Pollock's make their appearance almost simultaneously. The palm for temporary success must certainly be awarded to the versatile Royal Acadeinican, whose autobiography has hit the bull'seye of popular popularity as unmistakably | and securely as did the famous " Derby Day." " Darwin's Life "is of course an infinitely more important work than ♦ • Friths Froth" (as someone has christened the artist's amusing volumes), but it will scarcely be as widely rtead. Of course the Art (with a big A) world abuse Friths writing as much as it abused his printing. Ruskin and Company pished and pshawed and poohed at the " Derby Day " and at * ' llamsgate Sands." They were philistine, they were bad art, they were altogether intolerable. Nevertheless they -were the pictures of their respective years, and for the first time in the nistory of the Royal Academy the envious ancLdlsgufetecl committee found it necessary to rail round 1 a picture to keep o$ the ground. Tho i same growlers now call the autobiography ! " tittle-tattle," " a collection of chestnuts," ! and "rubbish," Still all-the-world'and-his- ! wife are reading the book, which has already run throngh four editions, notwithstanding its heavy price. • Sir Frederick Pollock's " Personal Remembrances," if less voluminous, are also leas interesting than either Friths or Trollope's. Many of the Btories in both are indeed retold by Sir Frederick, and {this is the real drawback) not particularly well told. The effort of the " Queen's Remembrancer " shows, in point of facfc, that writing these chatty books of reminiscence i& not quite such "child's play fts one might suppose. Good style seems essential to success.

Another Jubilee Celebrated. • In celebration of its fiftieth,, „Ohap:man (l and HalMiavti jfist^ produced a j ,sumptujous edition (in many .respects the, finest ever 'issued) ,of the itnmprlal u Pickwick Papers." ' It ,ia, . ,p.\iblished in two handsoriieVjVoJumes} An<J ha& ( 'been, appropriately christened the/'/Viofcoria." , T\\e 'ttofcioniof I ,^©, tjook- i3jthat pt t a,stand'ar.d and ( auth6ritativ^je^iLtion ; frbm tUe'latest revised .text,'of|,t/ie v> auihfc»(,. ffie orig^al Ipilatei?,', j'uolu^ing' 'varloug "( jvjuich' have; peye^.jbejcjiie A9§^peyljw)t>)«\ ? and the, .rse6t&d, B^ss^aiji r.e;prp^Qe^ya;o^ Hhe original drawings' with marvellous

fidelity by photo-gravure. To collectors of Dickens the> work will be, indispensable, and many outsiders aro'also.sure to be tempted by the illustrations, Jills, in fact, tho next best tiring to a first.', edition. From o, letterpress point of vievy'tYfe Jubilee"Pickwick " (published last year by MacMiilan), with numerous explanatory notes, etc., by Charles Dickons the younger, was porhaps more interesting, but the illustrations of the Victoria edition are incomparably superior. First editions of Dickens's earlier works are going up rapidly in price. A "Pickwick "in the original parts, if in decent condition, will readily fetch £15. Even bound copies are worth a considerable i sum when the edges have nob been trimmed. Great mistakes are, however, ofton made by tho inexpert purchasers with i regard to first "Pickwicks." ' One subtile distinction alone maiks? the difference between tho iirst and the second edition, and it is a triilo very few would notice, yet it makes a vast difference in tlio book's value. I will lot you into the secret. A nr&t "Pickwick" must bo dated 1837, contain the two Bussplates (expurgatedsubsequently), and have no explanatory letter press beneath the illustrations.

"Better Dead" This little book is in its way one of the best things of the season, and will in a few weeks bo on everybody's lip 3 as the " shilling shocker" to buy. Nevertheless " Better Dead " is not a "shocker "at all, but a satire, and a most subtile one to boot. Many peoplo will, indeed, probably miss some of its best jokes altogether. I am not, I hope, particularly dense, yet I had to read over certain passages again in order to grasp the author's jibe. Once, however, find your joke and you will enjoy it. The hero of " Better Dead " is a Scotch student named Riach, who after taking a respectable degree at' Edinburgh comes to London to seek his fortune. " His intention was to become secretary to a member of the Cabinet. If time permitted he proposed writing for the press." Prior to leaving his native village of Wheens the white-haired minister tries to bring Riach to the point re his daughter Clarrie. The student, however, proveß too logical. " Love," he says, "is a mere fancy. Grant that, and see to where it leads. By imagining I have Clarrie lam just as Avell off as if X really had. Why, then, should Igo to needless expense and take her from you 1" The white-haired minister rose—" My boy," he said, " if there must be a sacrifice, let tho old man make it. I too have imagination." Andrew was touched and gripped his hand. "Rather," he cried, "let the girl we both love remain with you. She will be here waiting for me— should I return." " More likely," said the minister, " she will beat the Bank." The Banker was unmarried, and also loved Clarrie. The parting between the sweethearts is most touching. 14 Andrew ! ' was all she said. Lovers' watches stand still. At length Andrew etooped and kissed her passionately. "If a herring and a half," he said anxiously, " cost three halfpence, how many will you get for elevenpence ?" Clarrie was mute. Andrev shuddered. He felt he was making a mistake. The most objectionable thing about Clarrie was her hair. She wore a black frock atJd looked very breakable. Nothing irritates a man so much. On ihe morning after his arrival in London, Andrew sets out to secure the private secretary's place he required. Mr Gladstone was at home, but all his private secretaryships were filled. Andrew was not greatly disappointed, though he was too polite to say so. Mr Chamberlain was the with man whom on the whole, he believed, it would be best to work. Bub Mr Chamberlain would not even see him. Step by step the young Scotchman descends towards starvation. Then, under startling circumstances (too lengthy to detail), he meets the President of the S.D.W.S.P. (Society for Doing Without Some People). "Our Society," explained the President, "takes for its first principle the sanctity of human life. Everyone who has mixed much amongst his fellow creatures must be aware that this is adulterated, so to speak, by numbers of spurious existences. Many of these are a nuisance to themselves. Others may have given promise of great things and failed. In the case of the latter how sad to think that they should be dragged into worthlessnessanddishonour, all for want of a friendly hand to snap them short. The great function of the Society is to find out men who have a claim on it and to lay their position before them ; after that it is for them to decide whether they go or stay. "But," said Andrew, "that gentleman you just drowned in the Thames. Had he consented to go ?" " No, that Avas a case in which assistance had to be given," said the President. " And do you find many of them are agreeable ?" " Very few. Even those we counted on often disappoint us. There is Mattock, now, who said life was not worth living. I called on him last week fully expecting him to meet me half-way." "And he didn't?" " Mallock was a great disappointment," said the stranger, with genuine pain in his voice. The President goes on to explain that the law winks at the Society's " removals." ' ' We have two magistrates and a minister on the executive," he says, "and the Lord Chief Justice is an honorary member. I have here a very kind letter from Gladstone. Its purport is that he hopes we won't admit Lord Salisbury as an honorary member. " Why not ?" aBks Riach. " Well, the Society has poAver to take from its numbers so far as ordinary members are concerned, but it is considered discourteous to reduce the honorary list." Wo had one very - fine • fellow on fclie honorary'lisb. ' Buthe is dead'now, Thomas Garlylo. l Though neavly' 80 years of age, He would hardly rest content With merely giving the S.D.W.S'.P.' his countenance. He Avanted to be a working member. It was he who mentioned Fronde's name to us. " For honorary membership ?" "Not at all. Froude AVoiild never have completed the reminiscences but that we could never make up our minds befcweon him and Freeman." ' • Andrew joins ,the Society and expresses a Atfish to " bogih on" a'felloW lodger who has friends ra every Friday night and recites to them Avith his door 1 open. Unfortunately, however, the Sbciety does nob recognise private cases. Tho public gain is too infinitesimal. ' He adjourns to Gower-stveet station on the lookout for .suitable- persons to f c remove," and the President accompanies 'him. ' "' j No suitable celebrity, however, tu'rnj3 up. [.They are just, going h,ome \vhen,two men appear,' shaking hands. > I *,' Chamberlain 1" , exclaimed the Prosi,d.ent, yushing; v after him,' , t*'l)i& you recognise "the obiter?" cried jAVidrew) pantjng.abhis fieqfs,. , , ',] No j w ( ho was it r „ , , ,> ' , ' •' ;■ ".Sfcead, of the <^aU^aJl ■ I Great Gpdr ejaouljttes^he.^res^denb ;t; t "" two at" a time.'" !ne turned "and 'ran

back, then stopped irresolutely. He could nob follow one for thoughts of the other. Surely this is most excellent fooling. I' might go on re-quoting endlessly, indeed, the temptation is almost irresistible, so numerous are ths plums in this literary pudding. Enough, nowever, has been given to show the quality. Buy " Better Dead," and laugh.