TOPICS OF THE DAY. (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) London, July 5.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 396, 24 August 1889, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY. (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) London, July 5.

THE SHAH'S APPEARANCE AFTER SIXTEEN YEARS. The Shah returns to London after an atr sence of sixteen years looking absolutely unchanged. "He might," said a friend of mine who went down the river on the press boat to meet the king of kings, "have been away a day instead of the best part of two decades, for all the difference one could detect. Ho seemed to wear the same faultless white gloves, to use the same peculiar lorguette, and to acknowledge our cheers with the same stiff littlo salute as of yore. Presently, when he sat down, we saw the natty feet encased in tiny patent; leathers, which the caricaturists of 1873 loved to dwell on, and, finally, when His Majesty raised his jewelled fez, surmounted with the familiar diamond aigrette to greet the Duchess of Portland, 'twas observed that his sleek black hair remained untinged with grey." And yet, a good deal has happened since 1873. The Russian Emperor, who welcomod Nasr-ed-din then, has since died of assassination. Two sovereigns have vanished from the German throne, and the lad who gazed in wonder at the Shah's bejewelled surtout on the occasion of his fix-st visit to Berlin last week greeted him with the care-laden face of a Kaiser. In Belgium, Leopold the Good still reigns, and here in England the Shah probably notices but few changes. Our gracious Sovereign is a trifle bulkier perhaps than in 1873, and " Yum-YuWs " waist gives him more anxiety now than it ■ did then. On the other hand, however, the dear Princess is as young as ever, and Her Majesty has the philoprogenitive husband of her dear Bee to present to Nasr-ed-din.

THE FIFE MARRIAGE. It is an open secret thab the Princess Louise of Wales has been offered to more than one English nobleman in marriage. Years ago it was arranged between the Prince ot Wales and Lord Salisbury that Lord Cranborne and H.R.H.'s eldest daughter should be induced to tall in love with one another if possible. Later, however, this match was, by mutual consent, abandoned, and the Prince of Wales set his heart on capturing the Duke of Portland. Unfortunately, "Jummy" didn't see it, and a coolness between H.R.H. and the Ma&ter of the Horse resulted. The Princess Louise herself has been in love with Lord Fife for several years, a'nd about eighteen months ago he was secretly acquainted with the fact. It then transpired that he admired the young lady very much, but with the Lornes fiasco before him doubted the advisability of marrying Royalt}'. Love, however, ultimately got the better of caution, and the Earl has now no qualms whatever, whilst the Princess looks radiant with happiness. In all probability Lord Fife will make the same stipulation that Lord Salisbury did when consenting to a possible match with his son, viz., that the Princess takes her husband's rank and title.as well as his name. It wou'd have saved endless trouble and heartburnings had the elder Princess Louise consented to do this and become Marchioness of Lome, only Lord Fife is a persona grata at Windsor, as well as Marlborough House, or Her Majesty would have certainly remembered that two of his sisters have figured in divorce suits. True, they were petitiotaors and much-injured women, bub till recently the Queen never allowed that fact to weigh. To have been connected anyhow with a divorce case meant " taboo."

THE DURHAM-CHETWYND AWARDThere will be a meeting of the Jockey Club bo-morrow to consider the award in the purham-Chetwynd case. At this gathering it is not unlikely that the late arbitrators will hear some excessively plain speaking, as the friends of both parties are profoundly dissatisfied with their decision. Lord Durham's allies more particularly mean to raise a lare to-do. His Worship, they say,Jias admittedly done t)he turf a great service and proved every syllable he uttered at the Gimcrack Club dinner up to the hilt ; yet because, forsooth, he was unable to demonstrate actually that Sir George Chetwynd had won money by Fullerton's in-and-out running, he is to be mulcted some £10,000 odd in costs. Even as things are, of course, Sir George Chetwynd is very severely punished. The costs of the suit will pretty well ruin him, and his reputation as a horse-owner has received a severe blow. '

"BEN TROVATO." A very ribald anecdote is going the rounds anent an incident which is alleged .

to have occurred during' the G.O.M.'s. "wakening of the west" tour. 'At one of the ho'uaes Mr and Mrs Gladstone happened to stop at for the night the old |ady came downto bieakfast before her lord and master. Whilst they were awaiting him, tho hostess as per usual turned the conversation on Ireland. " Well." she said," my dear Mrs Gladstone, I don't know what's going to be the fate of poor old Ireland. But," piously, " there is One above who knows." "Yes," replied Mrs G. absently, "yes; he will be down in a, minute. When I lott him he was brushing his hair."

THE SKY MEETING. The "Hawk" has a quaint story anent an Indian postmaster at some up country Bengal station, who, when a letter passed through his hands addressed to the Honorary Secretary Sky Meeting, sent it to thostation chaplain. A sky meeting in India means a minor race meeting.

A SPIRITUALIST'S RETORT. Two smart young journalists I know, recently visited Eglinton and enjoyed a highly succpssfuj^e/^cc't One cohmuned at length with a deceased uncle, and the' other wifch a long-dead aunt. ' After they had paid their guineas and were on the point of - departure, the older said, " Well, it was all very interesting, but I don't .mind telling you now / never had an imcle." "Nor had I an aunt," joined in his companion. Eglinton was not the least nonplussed. He merely observed sternly — "Gentlemen, I cannot be accountable tor the moral conduct of your respective grandfathers."

MUSICAL NOTES. The two greatest tenora in the world, Tamagno and Jean de Reske", are now singing in London. The former « makes his debut to-nighi- in " Otello " at' the Lyceum, he being the original creator of the title role of Verdi's opera. The La Scala cast and chorus will, in fact, be complete with the exception of the first representation of Desdemonaon nowplayedby the composer'sspecial favourite, Signora Cataneo. I saw "Ofcello" at the Feniee Theatro in Venice two years ago with the Scala Company, and I confess I wasn't impressed. But then the theatre was such a barrack and the seats so uncomfortable. At the Lyceum it will, I daresay, seem a very different affair. . , On De Reskc nights at Coven t Garden one can't get seats for love or coin of the realm. Some ladies love Jean, others Edouard, Catholic-minded folk adore both. They arc in truth miles in front (both as regards acting and singing) of any other tenor and basso. I like them best myself in "Faust" and " Les Huguenots." Edouard de Reske's sardonically malignant Meplristopheles once seen can never be forgotten. The critics, however, appear to think Jean de Reske's Lohengrin his finest pei formance. Carlotta Patti hated Adelina with true sisterly fervour. She used to &ay that she had a tar finer voice than "Mrs Nicolini," and but for her unfortunate lameness would have, vulgarly speaking, "knocked spots" off that young lady on the operatic stage. As a matter of fact, Carlotta Patti's soprano, though phenomenally high (rising to A and even Bflat in alto),had never the power and richness of her younger sister's organ. She was less frantically jealous of the latter of late years, l believe, and accepted help from "La Diva," but they never became real friends.

THEATRICAL. Madame Melba was unfortunately prevented by indisposition Irom taking her part in tho State concert at Buckingham Palace on Friday evening, but she gave the mad scene in "Lucia di Lammermoor " beforo tho Shah ab Coven t Gaiden on Tuesday night. Letty Lind says there is not a word of truth in the sfcory about the Gaiety girls encouraging 1 foolish young Australians to ruin themselves by giving them diamonds, flowers, suppers and all the rest of itV'Both ] principals and chorus were phenomenally staid and quiet in Australia, especially in Sydney. "I think," declared the young lady, "you will find all the diamond presents made to any of the company in^AioS^ tralia consisted of some photographic-views of Melbourne someone gave Miss Farren." The iair Letby declined either to deny or affirm her rumoured engagement to a wealthy Australian squatter. Charles Arnold ("Hans the Boatman") is so pleased with his eleven months' tour in the Sunny South that he has pretty well resolved to make his permanent home jn one of the Australian colonies. Miss Marie Van Zandt has concluded arrangements for a concert tour of the Australian colonies in the spring of 1890. Her voice is as yet quite unimpaired.

A CORDIAL WELCOME. Searle, the Australian sculler, accompanied by Neil Matterson, occupied a box at the Cambridge Music Hall, Shoreditch, the other evening. They were soon espied and recognised by one of the performers Chirgvvin, " tho White-eyed Kaffir," whojinformed the audience of Searle's presence in characteristic fashion. Loud, cheers and and cries of "Fetch him out," ".Speech,"*' obliged Mr W ill Riley to introduce the whole party, who returned thanks, Searle showing manifest delight, and beamingall over his face. Minting, the Australian cyclist, has obi tainedan extraordinary successafcHengler's, < in Dublin. Mr Albert Hengler says: " His one wheel ascent of a spiral column simply j electrified me when I first saw it." I