A LINK WITH THE PAST.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 276, 18 May 1912, Page 1 (Supplement)

A LINK WITH THE PAST.

INTERESTING REMINISCENCES. The second issue of Lady Dorothy Nevill's vivacious "Reminiscences" contains some, racy stories of the Victorian regime. Here .are a few of them:- — A WAITER'S MISTAKE. There are manv queer characters wlio lived in the country in those days, and some of the individuals who had; owing to their worldly means, co'iltrivcd to push thrgugli tlie barriers with which at that time the aristocracy still fenced themselves in, were absurdly pompous. Such a one was a certain landowner who, himself of plebeian descent, had married the daughter of a peer. He was so proud of this that- he made it an invariable rule to speak of his wife, as Lady , if a neighbor asked him "How's- your U was well known that the'reply would be: "Lady ——, I thank yotj, is in perfect health," or "Lady as the case might be; but one thing was certain: he would never speak of -her as ''she" or "my wife," for her title was sacrosanct of this gentleman, who was a good deal of a dandy, always wearing lavender kid gloves, and rather affected to <!espisc country ways and habits, for which reason the countryside was vastly amused at a great rebuff which he received. Having business to transact in the local town, this gentleman deigned to take lunch at the local ho stelry, an old inn presided over by a landlord of considerable character, who was by no means prepared to regard this visit as. the great condescension which his fine visitor considered it to be. Drawing off his lavender gloves, be somewhat disparagingly surveyed the room, and after >

a few enquiries for dishes which could not be provided, ordered a pint of wine and a'chop. When, however, this arrived. lie found it anything but to his taste, and, sending for the landlord, told him it was execrable. The latter, who was in 110 way impressed by his guest, declared that all the local squires had lunched at his inn. and were satisfied with what was served to them. "As. however," lie added, "you don't appear to like our cooking, and kick up such a fuss about this chop, I shan't charge you anything. 1 make you a present of it." CompleteIv horrified at the man's assurance, the visitor was about to make a dignified reply when, to his horror, a bumptious old waiter entered and said: "5. 7 our missus 'as called for you," an announcement which filled the poor dandy's cup of sorrow to the brim. KEEPING A SECRET. Af> for secrets, most of them, as was once said, are kept in the street. With regard to the number of persons who may safely be entrusted with a secret., there is 110 proverbial authority for be-, lieving it to exceed two. We are told, in several languages, that "The secret of, two is Cod's secret; the secret of three is all the world's," and the Spaniards would say, "What three know, all the world knows." A gentleman who had; gained possession of a valuable eonwner-. cial secret confided it to a friend, \yliO' appreciated its value. A short time afterwards this friend came to ask per-1 mission to communicate it under oath of; eternal secrecy to a friend of his, who would be likely to assist in utilising the secret to the best advantage. "Let me see." said the original possessor of the secret, making a chalk mark on a board at hand. "I know the. particulars—that makes one." "Yon know it," continued he, making another mark by the side of the one already made, "that makes •" "Two," cried the other. "Well, and if you tell your friend, that will be " making a 'third mark. "Three only." said the other. "No." was' the reply. "One hundred and eleven!" (111). j MR. CHAMBERLAIN AND HIS BRIDE. "^•1 In his home life Mr. Chamberlain has been peculiarly fortuna.te, for 110 one j ever had a more perfect wife than he. j Mrs. Chamberlain's devoted care for her husband during his recent illness, with- J out doubt, has been the cause of his Restoration to comparative health. She is the most charming woman imaginable, and I only wish more American brides were like lier. 1 had once expressed my doubts as to the complete success of marriages between Englishmen and damsels from across the Atlantic, for which reason Mr. Chamberlain wrote me the fol- ] lowing when he married:— j Highbury. Moor Green, I Birmingham, Nov. 3, ISBS. Dear Lady Dorothy—l shall not have the pleasure of seeing you during the autumn session, for a reason which I am sure you will recognise as a good ' one. When this reaches you I shall be ha.lf-wav across the Atlantic, and I do .

not expect to return home till Chiistmas, Tam going to the United States to mnvrv Miss Fjulicott—one of those American "iris whose importation into this country you once deprecated so strongly in my hearing, "iou said: like the Americans very well, hut there are two things I wish they would keep to themselves —-their girls and their tinned lobster." lam ready to give up the lobster, so you must be prepared to like the girl. POOR MR. BALFOUR. Occasion-ally a humorous incident enlivens parlv warfare. We have all heard of the old ladv who, attending a funeral, and being told Mr. Gladstone was present. said: "Oh. I do hope he won t make a disturbance!" At Tpswich, during the 1010 elections, curiouslv enough an old lady also distinguished herself in somewhat the same wiv Great crowds having assembled, she was convinced that this was caused by (he opening of the Quarter Sessions. "They are only waiting for Mr. J>alfonr." said an acquaintance. ■■Well " replied she. "I suppose, it the poor mail has don,, anything wrong, he'll have to suller for it now.