TABLE TALK. (From Our Special Correspondent.) London, August 9.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 406, 28 September 1889, Page 6

TABLE TALK. (From Our Special Correspondent.) London, August 9.

A Good Place fok Land Agitators. An amusing yarn is going the rounds anent a smart retort of the veteran flaneur and war correspondent, "Billy" Russell, who has just returned from his jaunt to Chili with the King of Nitrates. Somebody grumbled to Dr. Russell ab ut tho appointment ot the notorious "Pat" E«ran as American Minister in Chili, and asked if there was or could be any sane explanation of such a selection. ""Oh ! I think so," said William, genially. " Chili is subject to earthquake?, and no man understands land agitations better than Patrick Egan."

The Marquis of Lome's Lament. The Princess Louise (Marchioness of Lome) is a great person for " hobbies," and has always some new pursuit on hand, in which, for the moment, she is frantically interested. Just at present glass-painting absorbs her Royal Highness' every thought, and 'tis gravely sfcated that the impossibility of getting good masters to assist her in Melbourne was one of the considerations which induced the Princess to request poor Lord Lome to decline the Vice-Royalty of Vicfeoiia. The disappointed Marquis has " lot oft steam " in a dolorous poem ungrammatically entitled " Who is the Happiest ? ' which will appear presently in the "Scots Magazine." j

Interest in tue Maybbick Case. The May brick case excited more interest in London than any crime which has taken place outside the limits of the metropolis for years. All the big dailies and illustrated papers sent "specials" to Liverpool and published lengthy reports. In the "good old town itself the " Express" and " Echo" issued fresh editions almost every hour, and an immense crowd hung about St. George's Hall from an early hour in the morning till late at night. On Friday evening last Sir Charles Eussell was recognised as he crossed to the Noi thWestern Hotel, and received quite an ovation. On the other hand, an unlucky Court official, whom tho mob mistook for Briei-ly, narrowly escaped lynching. It was remarked by those of Mrs Maybrick's friends who saw her this week with her veil up that she had grown ten years older between the coroner's inquiry and the trial. Brierly, too, has aged perceptibly. He speaks to hardly anyone now if he can help it, and throughout the trial sat reading or pretending to read in one of the Grand Jury rooms, looking a picture of sombre remorse. The twelve good men and true who formed the jury at the Maybrick tiial were as inane and vacuous-looking a lot as I should imagine ever bad a fellow -creature's life at their mercy. The drift of much of Sir Chas. Russell'a cross-examination was obviously absoluto Greek to most of them. The foreman and two others certainly did seem to be taking pains to follow fche medical evidence carefully, but the majority, I fancy, gave ib up as a bad job directly the first doctor was cross-examined. The testimony of Dr. Stevenson, the Government analyst and fcoxicologist, told terribly against the prisoner, and Sir C. Russell tried altogether vainly to shake ib. Dr. Stevenson was positive Mr Maybrick had

died from acute arsenical poisoning. Neither the symptoms before death nor the ■post mortem examination would admit of any other conclusion. Had Mr Maybrick been in the habit of taking arsenic regularly himself, his symptoms before death would have been different to what they were. Sir Charles Russell was, I hear, dead against Mrs Maybrick being allowed to make her so-called "'statement," urging that it was wholly inconsistent with the general scheme of the defence. Sir Charles had augge&ted that Mr Maybrick's motive in taking arsenic secretly was an aphrodiasiacal one. But surely, too, if Maybrick had been a systematic arsenic eater, some suspicion musk have crossed his mind that the drug might be the cause of his illness, and he would have spoken on the subject to Dr. Humphries or to the nurses ; but he never said a word to explain his illness. On the contrary, he again and again expressed himself profoundly puzzled as to what could have brought it on. Mrs Maybrick looked pathetically forlorn (aa she doubtless knew) whon she stood up on Monday afternoon, and in tremulous tones, but singularly well-chosen words, addressed Judge and jurj. Only a man with the heart of a nether millstone could, at the moment, have resisted an impulse of profound compassion. But it didn't last. With the recapitulation of the case for the Crown came ajreminder to the eHect that at the very time that the interesting penitent was (as she now tells us) confessing all to " my dear husband " she was also writing to her "darling" Biierly, and informing him that Maybrick knew nothing of their London escapade and wa.« bick. /' , The extraordinary prolixity of the learned Judge in charging the jury in the case excited general remark. Poor Mrs Maybrick had evidently braced herself lor the verdict on Tuesday evening, and her dismay on learning that His Lordship would not conclude before the morrow betrayed itself in an involuntary exclamation. On Wednesday morning the unhappy woman was so weak she had to be assisted into the dock, and at first everyone expected her momentarily to faint. By a great effort of will, however, she appeared to tight down the illnestt (or whatever it was) and once more concentrated her attention on the Judge's observations. These were for a long time greatly in her tavour, but when His Lordship came to discuss the prisoner's voluntary statement she must have shivered inwardly. Bit by bit the learned Judge dissected this remarkable impromptu, and pointed out its terribly weak points. There was, he said, a curious lack of evidence to confirm ie, and its inconsistency with many admitted facts told seriously against the prisoner. Why, too, did Sir Charles Russel 1 pass so lightly over such a vital part of the case ? How came it.if he believed Mrs Maybrick's statement, that hib cross-examinations were not directed towards proving it? Where, moreover, were Mrs Maybrick's mother and the Brooklyn doctor, who could have depo&ed to her usine the arsenic lotion ? Other witnesses had been brought from America; why not these? Mrs. Maybrick sat like a statue durinsr this trying period, and the Court was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. The Judge doesn't always speak quite clearly, but he delivered these criticisms with an impressivenes3 not to be mistaken.

The (jERMan JliMpbkor in &i,GhA !(^. The German Emperor has nob increased his popularity by his behaviour at the. Naval Review. He was frigidity itsell, would shake hands with no one bub Royal personages, and went through the various ceremonies on Saturday and Sunday (but more particularly an Sunday) looking profoundly bored. The contrast bebween His Majesty's cold hauteur and the Prince of Wales' genial bonhomie excibed general remark, as perhaps H.R.H. knew, for he busied himself recognising persons he had meb before even more than usual. The postponement of the Review from Saturday to Monday caused disappointment to thousands. The magnificent new Whibe Star Liner Teutonic, with some 300 invited guesbs on board, including Mr Chamberlain, Sir Frederick Leigh ton, and others, had to return to Liverpool on Sunday evening without seeing the spectacle, as the steamer was due bo sail on her maiden voyage bo New York on the Wednesday and had to take in cargo and provisions, etc., meanwhile, Itjwould not be easy to imagine a more detestable day than the August Bank Holiday. Easter and Whit Mondays were bad enough in the matter of weather, but this last popular festival fairly capped them. Torrents of tropical rain succeeded one another ab intervals of fiom ten bo fifbeen minutes after moments of delusive sunshine, jusb long enough to put the unwary holiday maker ott his guard. Finally the wind gob up, and the miseries of the countless cheap-trippers who had gone by water to the Naval Review were crowned by a rough voyage home in cold autumnal rain. A sicker, sorrier lot than the party of distinguished sbabesmen and diplomabisbs who landed at Waterloo about midnight has, I should bhink, seldom been seen.

1 Tennyson's Eightieth Birthday. Tuesday last was the eightieth birthday of the Poet Laureate, who is not, 1 regret to learn, at all well. The year 1809 stands out as a birth-year of famous men. Mr Gladstone, Lord Tennyson, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Lord Houghton, and Darwin were all born in 1809. Darwin died in 1882, and Lord Houghton in 1885, but the others still flourish. The Grand Old Man seems indeed to achieve more remarkable feats (physical and intellectual) every year he lives. As he said to a deputation at Hawarden on Bank Holiday, " Lord Palmerston is the only person who ever attained to the position of Prime Minister that I have not already outstripped and left behind." One may add that if the right hon. gentleman lives till the 27th of December next year, even the worthy "Pam" will have to take r a back seat to him. Lord Palmerston,> ou may remember, died within two days of his eighty-first birthday.

Literary Pensions. The return jusb published of the literary pensions granted annually by Parliament reveals some rather interesting" facts. One learns, for instance, that Lord Tennyson and Sir Richard Owen (Professor Owen) have drawn £200 a year since 1845, and that two old ladies (lineal descendants of Daniel De Foe) get £75 per annum apiece. Mia Oliphant receives £100; George Macdonald. £100; Robert Buchanan, £100 j Mrs Charles Kingsley, £200 ; Russell Wallace, £200 ; Dr. Murray (of dictionary fame), £200 ; and Lady Helps, £200. The largest pension granted is likewise the oddest, viz., £300 to the daughter of the adopted daughter of the great Lord Nelson. Buchanans £100 (considering that he makes thousands a year out of his plays) also seems to call for some explanation.

As a result of tailor dresses, or of physical culture, the Philadelphia girl is flinging out her chest much better than she used to. Sweetness and light. — Underweight sugar. Forgiveness is almost indifference ; who really loves does 'not forgive.