Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

7 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

THE WORLD'S GOSSIP.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

THE WORLD'S GOSSIP. The Queen, as you perhaps may be aware, is an excellent sailor. That is to say, a choppy sea does not seem greatly to affect her. The Marquis of Lome, on the other hand, is very much at sea when on the sea. This fact was made painfully evident when her Majesty, accompanied by the Marquis and other Royalties, went for a trip on the Alberta round the warships lying' in Cowes Roads. The weather was lovely, and the sea calm enough to please the most fastidiouH but, if report speaks truly, it was not smooth enough to please the Marquis of Lome. At an early stage in the proceedings, he was compelled TO retire to a cabin, and must have been heartily glad when the trip was over and he touched dry land agaiu. Her Majesty is evidently no believer in the old super- stition anent the ill-luck of the peacock. The new Indian dining-room at Osborne is lavishly adorned with those birds of supposed ill-omen, and at State banquets a stuffed peacock, tail and all, frequently :adorns the Royal dining-table. Her Majesty takes a keen and most intelligent interest in literary curiosities, and all kinds of relics pertaining to her predecessors on the throne. The other day she purchased rt hymn in the hand- writing of Queen Adelaide. and an old manuscript containing some contemporary particulars of Mary, Queen of Scots. No one, save and excepting Sir Henry Ponsonbv, has so much influence over Her Majesty as her Indian Moonshi. He has, indeed, become almost the keeper of the Queens con- science. and a member of the Household told me only last week that it is everyone's endeavour to stand well with this Oriental pundit, for it is quite within his power, if not to cause the dismissal. at least to initiate the disgrace of anyone giving him offence. Tullv five years ago the Prince of Wales wanted 'to be sent to Dublin in lieu of the Lord Lieuten- ant, and would have gone, too. had not the Queen expressed her strong dissent thereto, chiefly based upon the fear lest any harm should_ come to the Heir-Apparent, who was much hissed on the occasion of his last visit to the Green Isle. It was said at the time thab H.R.H. was a little appre- hensive of personal violence: but. however, this may have been, he was certainly disposed to go across St. George's Channel five years ago, and there remain in a Royal residence for a portion of the year. The Duchess of Albany has been making herself at home with the poor. On a recent visit to a home she. after visiting each department, went into the mangling-room, and, amid the enthusiasm of her poorer sisters, gave the handle a turn or two, and finished the piece of work that was being -done. The Duke of Albany's widow is evincing great interest in providing employment for poor liondon girls by increasing the number of farms that cultivate "Sweet lavender" in Surrey, thus finding them work to do in plucking the fragrant flower. Among those new Ministers to whom Her Majesty is not particularly partial is Mr. John Morley. who, however, ought to get on at Court, so cold, and calm, and passionless is he. But it is not the- man so much as the politician the Queen dislikes. There are others that Her Majesty would rather regard", through a telescope than deprcs but, as to these, I will name no names, on the principle that the least said (about them) is the soonest mended. Mr. John Morley lives in Elm Park Gardens, off the Fullham-road. His house is wholly unpretentious outside, and simplicity is the note within. In the entrance hall quite a number of portraits of notable men are hung. Few of the portraits are of politicians, however. Mr. Morley's study, which is upstairs, is simply packed with books. Perhaps it is as true to-day as it was long ago. that Mr. Morley is never more happy than when among his books. These are melancholy momcilts for Mr. Xabouchere, as to his exclusion from Mr. Glad- stone's Administration. I understand that Mr. Gladstone has written informing him that he (Mr. Gladstone) is entirely responsible for his not being invited to take a place in the b-overnment. Jttr. j Gladstor states that he did not submit Mr. Labour1 's name to Her Majesty in consequence of in1: n his public career which cast no re- flee," .ever upon his public character or c.r' xnis probably points to Mr. Labouchere's don with Truth, and to some of the articles have appeared in that journal. That which luust add great bitterness to the feelings of the __I J: r\ A ■_ r1 ,j. 1. ro .4- 4-1. hon. inerauer lur VLiceii Aiiut's vjriiut; is Liittt tiie moment of his own defeat is the moment of his old enemy's triumph. Sir Edward LawsAn has obtained the baronetcy which Labouchere strained every nerve to put out of his way, while he, with all his Parliamentary experience, known ability, and consummate audacity is left out in the cold. Mr. Labouchere's lively narrative in Truth, recalls a story which Lord Beaconsfield used to tell with creat gusto. It was about a member of his party who ranked his services higher than the leaders did, and was always hinting about his reward. At last the time came, and the expectant member suggested a peerage. Lord Beaconsfield pleasantly evaded the subject, but the request was persisted in, and at last the Tory Premier tried to effect a compromise on the following terms I can't make you a peer," he said, but if you like you may say that I offered you a baronetcy, and that you refused it." The announcement that the office of Master of the Buckhounds is shortly to be dis- continued is eminently satisfactory. The Here- ditary Grand Falconership, abolished last year, had at least an air of romance about it. and, although it was an absurd sinecure, was perfectly harmless. But this Buckhound business had nothing what- ever to recommend it. The hunting- of tame deer cannot by any stretch of imagination be called sport, and what pleasure lords and ladies could find in. witnessing the subjection of tame animals to cruel torture it is hard to understand. The wonder is now. not that this sort of thing is come to an end, but that it has had the privilege of Royal sanction so long. o Few of the new members of the House of Com- mons will have a more mixed career to look back upon than Mr. J. C. Macdona, who is the new Conservative M.P. for Rotherhithe. His official description, made for Parliamentary purposes, is as follows Was a clergyman of the Church of England is a barrister president of the Kennel Club." Mr. Macdona, what time he wore the cloth, was looked upon by his brother parsons as dis- tinctly eccentric. The most probable reason for this was the fact that he had absolutely mistaken his vocation. Although an excellent man in every respect, he knew a great deal more about dogs than he did about theology, and was long noted as the possessor of the finest strain of St. Bernards in England. His development into the President of the Kennel Club was a matter of course, but why so excellent and honest a man should have -exchanged the surplice for the long robe entirely 'passes my comprehension. It is a strange illustration of the perversity with which Mr. Gladstone's name is pursued that imme- diately after that gentleman published a letter praising the exercise of cycling, the Lanrrt dis- covers that it is a most baneful practice, straining the blood vessels and generally destroying the system. Cyclists to whom money is an object will do well to avoid France. In that country of the free a tax is imposed upon every cycle which enters it, and at St. Malo the other day an Englishman had to pay 9 6 3s. 4d. before he was allowed to take a couple of tricycles away from the steamer. For- tunately, there are other countries open to wheelers where no impost is enforced. A rather caustic portrait of Mr. Cyril Flower, 'Lord Battersea that is to be, says that he is one of those gentlemen who are fond of posing at the Bar of the House, quite unconconscious, of course, that it is the only quarter which is visible to two- thirds of the Ladies' Gallery." He can never forget that Punch called him the handsomest man in the House," and he likes to think that behind the grille fair lips are asking who is that with the auburn hair. Like a woman, his hair is his glory, and both head and mane are ever carefully groomed. There has been a pretty little scandal in high -places this last few days. The matter is connected with the threat of two or three prominent book- makers to post a Royal sportsman. It is well- known, of course, that amongst the Princes there are those who owe the ring more than they will ever pay, and it is said that one of these personages treated a prominent member of Tattersall's with great contempt when spoken to on the subject. 'The result is likely to be a co-operation among the fraternity, and a scandal which would easily be the first of the season. Naturally, there are many '"layers" who dare not make a fuss, as there are many great racing men who never pay the rins: but in this instance the bookies are quite strong enough to carry out their threat.

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