A NEW STORY OF DISRAELI.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1407, 9 July 1881, Page 4

A NEW STORY OF DISRAELI.

_ . 4About the time of the Groat Exhibition of 1851 a Lilly unknown to him wrote to Mr Disiaeli sevcial times, asking for an interview with linn. Being one of the Royal Commissioneis of the Exhibition, he wda much engaged, and, beyond a polite acknowledgment of the letter, he took no step to Wai ds a compliance with the request. But Ins fair correspondent was not to be put; aside by the gieat statesman's neglect, and nevt wrote to his wife, asking for an interview. .She added, with true feminine tact and piecaution, that there was no unworthy motive At the bottom of her anxiety, for she was 60 years of age, and almost at the end ol her earthly career. Tins request was granted, and the visitor explained that she was the widow of an Indian officer of some distinction, that she had no family, and that, being herself a Jewess, and an ardent admner of Mr Disrael's literal y and political genius, she desired to will her fortune to him. Mrs Disraeli afterwards communicated this to lior husband, who treated the matter as a joke, and, in the midst of his amusement, penned a note to hih adimiei to s.iy that lie had no objection to become her heir if she were so minded. A day or two afterwards, as Mr Disraeli was leaving home for the Houso of Commons, his valet handed him a lettei, which he put into the jjocket of Ins oveicuar, to read at a more convenient season. On reaching the House he was immediately absorbed in the exciting political events of the moment, and forgot all about the letter. It icmained in his coat-pocket for a few weeks, and his valet, smpused to .see it there unopened, took it at once to hia master. Mr Disraeli opened the letter, and found in it a note fiom the lady, saying that she quite understood his hesitancy with regard to a personal interview with a stranger, but as a pi oof that she was in earnest, she enclosed a cheque for £100, which he would no doubt find useful in paying his exponses at the next cbction. Mr Disraeli then called upon his fair correspondent to thank her for the acceptable gift, upon which she showed him a will in which sho hud bequeathed to him all her propcity, only stipulating that he and Mrs Disraeli should pay her a holiday visit twice a year at her house in Torquay. Four or five years after this the lady died, and Mr Disraeli found himself possessed of £10,000 or £30,000 in cash, a quantity of pi ite, jewels, a fine library, and a handsomely appointed house. With the money he paid off his debts, and was enabled to make a new and favourable start in the woild, free from pecuniary worry or encumbrance.

As Actor at Windsor Palace. — In His recently - published work, entitled "Random Recollections of an Actor," Mr Frederick Bolton relates the following amusing incident which occurred at a dramatic performance, in which he himself took part, at Windsor Castle : — "After playing Tom Hayday, in 'The Prisoner of War,' I had dressed quickly and wanted to look about. T ascended the stage from my dressing-room, and found no one about. A sudden impulse seized me. The dais on which Her Majesty, Prince Albert, and the Duchess of Kent (the Queen's mother) sat, was before me, in a moment I jumped over the orchestra, ran lightly up over the steps of the dais, seating myself in Her Majesty's chair, and throwing my legs out thoroughly at my ease, exclaimed in a loud -s oice, ' Now I am King of England.' Suddenly a side door opened, and then Colonel Phipp3, with horror depicted on his countenance, exclaimed, 'Do you know, sir, where you are?' 'Very well,' I said; 'in Her Majesty's seat. ' ' Come down, sir, come down ; you ought to be ashamed of yourself.' 'What for?' I said. 'No one, sir, is ever permitted to sit on any chair Her Majesty has once sat upon.' I descended somewhat crestfallen at the enormity of my sin, reflecting what a vast quantity of useless chairs there must be in the palace if Her Majesty was not particular

where she sat. - Mrs Ezra Bliss, of Columbus, 0., has given £2000 for the erectioa of a building in connection with Kenyson College (Episcopal) to bo known as Hubbard Hall. ■ , • In Great Britain there has been no instance during^the past 700, jjeajrs of ]&ay> three consecutive Januarys haying sogkny a mean temperature as •those ,pf I^9-Sl, the mean' f of -these last ' three tfeing ' only 32,gdeg, (/ 7 , „, ifU ,j i.,, ,-/