People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, 4 October 1906, Page 28

People We Hear About

' I know London from the charcoal seller of ' the East End .to the man on the throne,' said Father Vaughan, as he chatted with a correspondent in the parish house. ' I worked considerably in the East End,' he continued, ' and the pious poor is God's aristocracy on earth.' Desiring a suitable inscription for the house in which Ambrose O'Higgins was born, and which Chili has undertaken to preserve, the Chilian Government has asked the men of letters (and women) of that country to submit MSS. in a competition. The winner will be awarded compensation. * Madame de Navarro, better known to the world as Mary Anderson, lives a life of great retirement at Broadway in Worcestershire, but she is entirely happy in this self-elected obscurity, which she will never forsake again for the flash of the footlights, for hers was a real retirement, not one of those designed in order that a triumphant return to the stage should be made. General Lord Ralph, Kerr, who entered on his seventieth year on August 11, is a brother of the late Lord Lothian, and heir-presumptive to the present Marquis. Lord Ralph, who served in the Afghan war, and is now Colonel of his old regiment, the l 10th Hussars, retired from the army some years ago, and lives at Woodburn, a pretty place- overhanging the River Esk, close to Newbattle Abbey, the family seat in Midlothian. Lady Anne Kerr,, whom Lord Ralph married in 1878, is the youngest sister of the Duke of Norfolk. Mr. J. M'Cann, whose memory will live in Ireland as the jauthor of ' O'Donnell Abu,' sleeps his last sleep in Leytonstone Catholic Cemetery in East London. No storied urn or animated bust is there to mark the spot or tell his life-tale, and the London branches of the United Irish Lea-gaie are taking steps to erect a memorial. Most Rev. Dr. O'Donnell, Bishop of Raphoe, in sending a subscription towards Ihc fund, writes :— ' I gladly acknowledge the claim which the author of " O'Donnell Abu " has upon me. Who can count the men of our race whom that noble war-cry has roused to 'energy in the cause of Ireland ?' That the world does move (says a correspondent of the Boston ' Pilot ') has received renewed confirmation by two occurrences in ' this Canada of ours ' and in your own country. The son of the late Tirera-gh man, Mr. Nathaniel Clarke Wallace, in his life time Orange- grand sovereign of British North America, has joined the Gaelic League 'of the city of (Orange) Toronto, recently founded as an outcome of the visit of Dr. Douglas Hyde. And now comes the announcement that 'among those who will deliver courses of lectures at the Catholic Summer School will be a son of the late William Johnston, of Ballykilbeg, also in his lifetime grand sovereign of the Orangemen of Great Britain and Ireland. A particularly touching incident transpired in connection with the death ol Mrs. Craigie. The famous authoress, who had (been staying with her parents (Mr. and Mrs. Richards, Steephill Castle, Ventnor Isle of Wight), travelled to London on Sunday evening, arriving at Lancaster-gate at nine o'clock In accordance with her custom she desired to advise MiRichards of her safe arrival, and wrote the following telegram : ' Excellent journey. Crowded train. Arrived here by nine. Fondest love.— Pearl.' The local telegraph office being closed, Mrs. Craigie left the message with the servants to be despatched in the morning, with the result that it was received by Mr Richards an hour or two after Mr. Craigie had actually passed away. When the ex-Empress Eugenic visits Paris she almost invariably occupies a suite of rooms facing the Tuilleries Gardens. Much surprise has been expressed that she should take up her abode in such close proximity to the scene of her triumphs long ago (for of course, the Palace of the Tuilleries was her home in the days when she ruled France through her husband), thereby invoking memories whioh could not be other than bitter. The subject was delicately broached in her presence recently, whereupon she said, 'It is perhaps the greatest happiness of my life to look upon the garden^ where my son played in his childhood— a sad pleasure if you will, but one I would not' forego willingly.' The ex-Empress has just entered on her 81st year.