Mail Items.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3621, 4 August 1880, Page 2

Mail Items.

The Queen, who lores music, as all know:who. are admitted to her august presence, sent the. other day. for little D'Albert, who holds the Queen's scholar* ship in the Kensington Training Sohool.. Mr Arthur Sullirau of course, as the principal, took him to Court. When before Hen Majesty this wonderful little boy—who, fortunately for himself, is not a wonder child, but a true wonder when he plays, and'a true child when he does i not —sat down and played, without fear and without reproach; a whole programme which the Queen had selected. When he | came to play Liszt's "Bhapsodie Hongroise" the Queen rose from her seat perfectly astonished, and stood behind his chair expressing her satisfaction and her pleasure in the most gracious manner.

This little D'Albert, the son of the famous

composer of dance music, is not only so remarkable a pianist, but at,his age he has written a canon for sixteen" voices, and it may be hoped that in the great pupil of his great master we may hail a new Sullivan to come.

A writer, speaking of the acting of Madame Sara Bernbardt in Adrienne Lecouvreur, says: It seems to me that she throws iulo it every one of the host of rare and noble qualities with which she is endowed—tenderness, alternately childishly cajoling, fascinating, passionate, pleading, and submissive. When Bhe is roused to anger she is for a moment terrible as a pythoness on her tripod; but fury soon subsides, and the afl'ectionate, single minded, docile creature—the very woman — once more predominates. Her unmerited sufferings, her itnmersurable lore for a dissolute bat wholly bid man, her heroic self-sacrefice, her almost angelic resignation, her combat i with death, her final submission to the inevitable—all these, with voice,, and eye, and pose, and mien, and with a thousand delicate touches, she expresses in a manner and with an eloquence not attain* able by any other living actress. From first to last, the skill of the accomplished artist is thoroughly felt, though wisely kept latent. But all this artistic skill only subserves and ministers to the evolution of the artist's greater possession— that of a thoroughly heartful, sympathetic, and womanly nature." Those who know Archer the, jockey say that, by his extraordinary instinct, he is enabled to estimate, not only the powers of the horse which he rides himself, bat he can accurately judge of the capabilities of his competitors. The income, of a good jockey is at least equal to that of the Lord High Chancellor of Eugland-£IO,OOO a year. Archer receives a retaining fee from the Duke of Westminster amounting to £1000 • year, simply to ride in any race either of,his grace's steeds that may be selected. This says, nothing of fees, or of the nettings which a man proficient in know* ledge makes put of judicious bets. Archer's income last year J has been estimated at £11,000, and this year it is not likely to be less. A supreme effort is being made this year to obtain the legislation.of marriage with a deceased wife's sister/ The bill, which has passed the House of Commons on several occasions, has-been invariably thrown out by the. House of lords; .but the opposition to the measure is annually growing feebler, and: there is.litjtle doubt that the bill will epeedily beoomeithe law of the land. It is a non-ptrty measure, and is always supported by many Conservatives', whilst it lropposed on the Liberal side by a few Presbyterians. The measure has been supported by many of the most eminent divines of the Anglican, Boman Catholic, Jewish, and Nonconformists Churches,? and the theological and social objections ioi&hare been repeatedly refuted. It.will be remembered that the Prince df Wales and the Bake of Edinburghfotidfor thel' bill last year, on which odefrioirtttf Prince said:"— lf My Lords,—t nttts/'io present a petition, signed by '3268 farinsrtf of Norfolk, praying for the legalisation of, marriage with a deceased wife's sister.r I present, it my lords, on local and general grounds. -, It is my firm, conriotion that if the bill passed it would-be of advantage to the community at large, and I there* fore give my, hearty support to' the noble lord who moves the second'reading of the bill." It is said that the bill will?ree«ive the support of_4oo members,of the new House of Commons, and', that the Government will give facilities fdrpawine it. \ ';. ••—-.' ~ The World says Lord Bipon fancies himself a Boman Catholic; as a matter of fact he is an English? Puritan, believing very strongly in certain truths of regaled religion, and thinking that he 'can only live up to his ideal of, faith bjftricCaubmission to the laws of the old do^itioil code of Christendom.. PbsiiUy he^iras not altogether aware, ofcthe fuU;f«^rtpof his words when he said.,thatJniteming Papist be' had become* atore'fsiiMerely, Liberal than before. It was. <petftetly true, and meant this—that he had become more profoundly penetrated 3iHth^he'conviction that there is a Dittos'ruler of the universe, and that an unflinching allegiance is due to Him if we: wotofd 'aeiouN plish anything good or great/'in.,this world. . So, when, he '"rewirefi" 1 new spiritual comfort, the poetry of the political creed, in which he had been brought up naturally struck his, imagination more vividly than ever. ,'" r. Lord Beaeonsfield. intended, it is stated, if he had remained in office, to submit a great many names to the Queen for recognition, in the Birthday Gazette, but nearly all of them were' withdrawn at the last moment, all except the names of the Colonial governors and statesmen who were marked out for (he Order of St< Michael and St. George, and the hand of Lord Beaconsfield is seen ip; the distribution of this Order by the.way in which the value of the Order itielfhas been raised by placing the name of Prince Leopold at "the head of the list. Practically, the Order- was- extinct till Lord Beaconsfield took it in hand, and it is now one of the most distinguished of the series, by which the Queen.rewards the services of public jneji.