TABLE TALK. [From Our Special Correspondent.] (For the Week Ending February 23rd.) PRECIS. Mr Houston—Duchess of Newcastle—Poor Izard—Prince Rudolph's "Pals" Exiled What He Drank-On The Verge of The Horrors—The London (N.Y.) " Herald" Scores One.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 361, 20 April 1889, Page 4

TABLE TALK. [From Our Special Corresponden t .] (For the Week Ending February 23rd.) PRECIS. Mr Houston— Duchess of Newcastle— Poor Izard— Prince Rudolph's "Pals" Exiled What He D rank -On The Verge of The Horrors— The London (N.Y.) " Herald" Scores One.

London, February k53. Great fears are enter lamed bhafc the illnoss from which poor Mr Parnell is> suffering will turn out to be cancoi of the stomach. Mr Houston, bhe now famous Secrebaty of the Irish Loyal and PatrioUe Union, whose evidence before the Parnell Commission has created such a sensation, is a slim young man not more than seven and twenty, with dark hair, a slight moustache, and a reflective habit of looking up to the coiling when puzzled. The derisive laughter which greeted his replies as he described how entirely he had confided in Pigott's bona Jidt* with' regard to the alleged forgod letters seemed to make no more impression upon him than it did on Mr Soamcs and Mr McDonald. The new Duchess of Newciistlo (nei Mios Candy) is, like her husband, strict High Church, and their wedding- was held at 9.30 a.m. This was in order that it should not be necessary for bride and bridegi oom to break fcheir fast betore receiving Holy Communion. All Saints', Margaret-street, was crowded with smart peoplo, notwithstanding the early hour, and it was i vory pretty wedding. The boon companions ot tho lalo Crown Prince Rudolph, Count Hoyos, BratHsch, the cabman, and others have rccoived short shrift from tho Emperor. Bratriseh was arrested, conveyed to the hon tier, and warned not to set foot in Austria- Hungary again as he valued his lito, whilst the Count has been sent to assist Cardinal Savigeuo in his dangerous anbi slavery campaign in the Soudan. The Countess V abo started for Paris at once. Between the Sunday afternoon, when the Crown Prince left the Palace at Vienna after qua; telling with his father, and the Tuesday evening when he committed suicide, he consumed such vast quantifies of a mixture of champagne and almost priceless sparkling cognac that he must, even before he was wounded, have been on the verge ot an aitack of the " horror?." No doubt the pain and the fever brought them on, and, a pistol being handy, suicide Mas committed almost as soon &* thought of. "Vanity Fair " says the Prince leavec debit- to bhe amount of £300,000. He was very toncl of jewellery, wore bangles and i ings ijafore himself/ liked the Crown Princess to be blazing with diamonds on great occasions and posed as an authoiity on ladies' diess. The London edition of tho New York " Herald's " " interview " with Major Le Caron in last Sunday morning's issue wa e a great journalistic " score," and Iris made our own dailies, vulgarly speaking, f-ick with chagrin. The "Pall Mall Gazette" and the " Stai ," the " Telegiaph " and the " Daily News " had tried vainly but fruitlessly to do what their eight-day-old contemporary brilliantly achieved. True, the interview was? contempt of com t, and someone will likely have to go into durance vile because of it, but tor such a " coup" mo^! journalists %vould risk a good deal. Mr Jno. Wolfe Flan nagan, whom we now know to be the author of the famous " Parnellism and Crime " article?, is the son of an Irish judsre, and a barrister by profession. He was a notable man at Oxfoid in his day and has tor some years devoted his whole soul to the consideration of the Irish question, writing much for the papers and reviews on tho subject. Mr Flannagan i& about 36 years of age and decidedly pei&onable in appearance. He is now permanently on the "Times" staff. "Wilkie Collins is in much bettor health than he has been for some years, and ib engaged on a really thiilling novel of the good old sensational school. The hero is a poisoner of the Waineritrht sort, only more human, and the story is founded on fact. Mr Collins has yet another balo in hand for the "Illustrated News,'' when it will follow "Cleopatin." Mr Augustine Birrell has a third series ot " Obiter Dicta " in hand. "The Fog Princes '" is the name of the stoi-y which Gertrudo Wai den is wiibing for a syndicate of provincial newspapeis. The same byndicate purchased Ouida's " Guilderoy "" and James Greenwood's "Thirteen in the Box." Jessie Fothergill\s story for Tillot son's will be called " A March in the Ranks."' John Holling*head has arranged with Sampson Low for the publication of his reminiscence-, which will be called " Et Cretera," and he i.s as miscellaneous in character as " Honest John " himself. The initial volume of Macmillan'b " English Men of Action " series has deservedly been a great success Sir William Butler's sketch of "Gordon " would, but for the author's continually girding at Gladstone and his Government, be a model brief biography. It gives one a capital idea of Gordon's personality and character, and tells tho story ot his desertion simply and badly. By the way, an accusation which Sir William makes (and upholds by statements of fact) to the effect that Lord Charles Berosford was as much if not more to blame than Sir Charles Wilson for the delay which sacrificed Gordon's life, has caused some sensation.