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Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru
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Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau
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THE HARP-HOW TO PLAY IT. w…
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THE HARP-HOW TO PLAY IT. w o NOTHING TO EQUAL IT IN MELODY. By JOHN CHESHIRE, "AIIPIST BY APPOINTMENT TO H.R.H. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH. At last it seems likely that the harp is to popular. It is the oldest known UsIcal instrument, and there is none to rival, et alone equal, it for sweet melody. The rationS of antiquity famed for their great O'\>'e of musio and the arts held it in high It is mentioned several times in the v.'d Teslament, Jubal, of the seventh genera- from Adam (B.C. 4000), is spoken of jr the fourth chapter of Genesis as" the of all such as handle the harp and or8an." When the children of Israel were **ried into captivity they sat down by the tiversof Babylon and wept, and," says David, *e hanged our harps upon the willows in midst thereof." The harp should be Pected for its ancient historical asso- tlatious, both religious and secular, for "ere the beautiful in art is the harp is allied to it,. have often wondered at the absenoe of JY Written history of the harp. All my life Qave been a student of the instrument. Its Ustory and development are lost in oblivion. '» undoubtedly Egyptian, and my researches convinced me that it bad its origin in Warrior's bow, whose string gave forth ttsio. It ig the most powerful of stringed foments. Just why the harp has never become very Popular I cannot understand. To be sure, at moment, one occasionally hears it in some aWIng-room in London or Paris, and occa- °nally in public, but it is not as popular as 'would be; first, I suppose, on aocoont of price of a good instrument—from £ 100 to -and, secondly, because it is thought to U6 hard to play. But to those who know its autie8 it is far and away the sweetest of all Instruments American ladies have begun to the harp, and soon it will become P°Pnlar in America. It is important to begin aright. The tone pr0(jU0e(j by pressing, not pulling or il*! J-D"' strings, the fingers being held Srtically or bent half-way to the palm1 « the hand, the thumb erect, and t wrist firm and steady, forming tone regulator." According to the tone so should the wrist be held firm or °«e. The movement of the arms should under any circumstance, alter the posi- °f either hand. I have made a life tnP^y of this and the proper production of tone, action of the hands must be quiet and easy. Any superfluous demonstrations, such eiJS030 players indulge in, are never made by harpists. The waving of the hands, Nourishing of the artns, and the swaying (■' the body are mere affectations, a waste of energy, and a display of the Orat possible taste. The proper manner of holding the hand £ on the strings—a matter of the very highest Importance — is as follows: — Let the extend the full length of the right and band, then bend the tips of Angers half way to the palm of the hand. ^Urn the hand over to the right, placing <dio-K^er8 uPon the strings, at the same time raising the elbow, always keeping the Ser1I&,) erect. The right elbow being raised „ "es to keep the strength of the hands and 8ers near the strings. If the elbow were Iowed to drop too low, this strength would va drawn away from the strings. While the right elbow is h¡.ld out the left *hoold be held in. The fingers of the left *|*Dd should be bent similarly to the right, and thumb should be quite erect. Hold the left hand a little above the right hand. A proper touch is absolutely neoessary to tttelligref)t playing. Let the fleshy part of *he finger near the tip be placed on the frings—never the finger-tip itself. One must iv0*'106 constant5y to acquire a good touch. a 18 (lueation of tone production is &Ppareilt.ly overlooked, for many pupils no Her see a harp than they imagine they can QP°n it. This is a great mistake. Unless e touch be properly acquired by diligent actice^ there can be no tone or colour to the Whfe|fS Pei'f°rmance. On the contrary, it feicf Monotonous to the ear, as a colourless in Qre *s tame to the eye. A remarkable thing ponneotioo with the tone of the harp is that ^18 the only tone which is produced directly the touch of the player without the aid intermediate agent. Hence arises the W2 imitating its tone, for the rp2|cati tones of the strings in an orchestra no more like the real tone of the harp fog ia like sunshine. at Ill is generally supposed that the harp is, of ^etruments, the most difficult to keep in co^'ti°n- It certainly ne^ds constant 0td • tuning and keeping the harp in j^18 bard, according to the way in which ne* if harpists will take pains to keep *&ti ff ^^rP8 trim they will derive more bat"faction from them, and find the work far ,er than if they followed an irregular 01 of tuning and kept their instruments varying tetiipei-atut-e. Lack of system o ves difficulty. the first place, the strings should be of best quality. A very good method ia ereby the staying power of the strings Uararteed -and excessive tuning HjJ is to let the instrument be over- "e 11& for several days prior to use. Pianos tho llev°r or used before they have been h4j.r°nghly tested and proved. Why, then, Jj ? The apparent indifference of many in this respect is one of the most to '•>US 'niPediments to their progress. The of a barp properly improves the ear to ^n<^erful extent. If a new string will ^0r one ^our, 't ought to remain in ^7°^ condition for one month, at least. There different ways of tuning the harp. Each r«Jer will have a peculiar method of his I have devoted muoh time and thought this branch of the art, and claim a special scientific mode of my own, by which I j*0 tune my harp in the most perfect t a^er: The more I put this system of v aiI1g into use, the more I wonder that it • 8 Remained undiscovered by others, for it re adapted to the instrument than any as method of tuning now in vogue. It is Xl 81lnpJe as it is natural, for I maintain that •on musical instrument has such re- fces for perfect tuning as the harp, te ^as ^een experience that there is ? little musical knowledge among the jtteral run of harpists. Nay, I will say th they understand the harp less the ecience of musio, and that they can other instruments with more satisfaction v their audiences. To be seated at a beautiful I .TTP and attempt pieces beyond their capa- Thtj seems to be the ambition of many. aim, first of all, to please the eye, '»ot the ear. This may do for some P|e; but to those who understand music, gj. ~"armony is better appreciated than a jU-5e^ul position and an exaggerated artistic of playing. In a harpist, as in a "ust, a violinist, or any other player of instruments, there is required simplicity, seriousness, and a fundamental knowledge of music. What makes a harpist ? I am often asked. The primal essentials are a good ear and steady nerve. To these should be added patience and unintermittent practice. One should practice regularly so many hours a day. During the two years when I studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London I practiced ten hours daily. I insisted upon it, and often had to fight for it. Others who did not love the harp so well as I, and who pre- ferred to chat, would try to drag me away from the instrument. I stuck to it) however, and to this habit of steady practice I attribute my success. I began to play the harp when I was four years old. I would climb on to the table, and, with my legs dangling over the edge, let my fingers roam over the strings. My mother tried to move the pedals for me, and I remember well that she moved the wrong pedal more often than the right one. one. Apropos of pedals, here is a good story which illustrates the great ignorance of many persons who pretend to the title of harpists. A travelling harpist" and a cornetist were playing on the corner in Eng- land, when a passer-by stopped and watched them awhile. At the conclusion of the per- formance the man (who, by the way, was a mechanic employed in the factory of Erard, the great harp manufacturer) remarked: You've got a good harp." Well, I should rather think I have," was, thfl reply. One of your own make," inquired the mechanic). What's that P My own make What do you take me for?" was the indignant rejoinder. Well," said the curious stranger, thought- fully gazing at the lower extremity of the instrument, I've seen some harps with treadles." Treadles You mean pedals." Ob, yes pedals. They are worked like those things on bicycles. But where are the pedals of your machine ?" Oh, I took 'em off," was the reply. The things wore out the bottoms of my trousers so that I had to get a new pair every week or two." Those who understand the harp will appre- ciate the humour of this story. To those who do not it may be well to explain that the pedals are to a harp what the black keys are to a pianoforte. Without them the player is limited to one chord, and if he should play The Last Hose of Summer," for example, where an incidental occurs in the second part of the tune, the result would be an ear- splitting discord. This is bad enough when the harpist is playing a solo, but when a cornetist joins in with him, the effect baffles description. While one plays the air correctly, the other plays it incorrectly, striking a note in the chord of C while the other is playing a sharp or a flat. There are seven pedals to a harp, one for each note. To detach them from the instrument would be to destroy its beauty and usefulness. It is the slow, careful,.and regular work that makes the player. First learn how to practice properly, and proficiency in playing will follow. Nothing is more conducive to the acquiring of a solid, firm, and indepen- dent touch than daily scale practising and general finger exercises. From a child I have had an incessant wish to work, work, woik. Now, after many years, I know my harp as well as my child. A lady with two hours' careful practice daily would speedily become an efficient player. The posit:on of the player at the harp is important. When seated at 'the instrument the pillar should be exactly opposite the right p shoulder. The performer should sit perfectly upright, never stooping, the feet slightly pointing respectively towards the right and left side of the instrument, which must be held in a perfect state of equilibrium, almost balanoing itself. How long does it fake to become a pro- ficient ? So I am asked over and over again by people who imagine that the harp can be learned in a single week. I have always said that one (especially a lady) should, with com- petent tuition, make more progress and play with more effect upon the harp after six months' study than upon any other instru- ment after six years' practice. This may sound chimerical, but I have seen it demonstrated very often. As Professor Herrmann would say, It is the way it's done." The harp is a fine medium for the expression of feeling, and a graceful and natural performance on that instrument charms the senses and touches the heart more surely than a pyrotechnic display such as many of our modern virtuosi regale their audiences with. What the oultured taste wishes is to bear a melody played which can touch by its charms, its phrasing, its simple yet telling effect. If all harpists would do this instead of playing what are called showy" pieces, the publio would appreciate the harp more and the player would be held in higher estimation. The general repertoire of the harp could well be extended, though there has been written for it much good music which has been either ignored or treated with indifference. Muoh bad judgment has, in consequence, been shown by teachers of the harp, w th the result that pupils have been more dis- heartened than encouraged. It is a remarkable fact that most modern writers for the orchestra when writing for the harp compose passages for four fingers and thumb, instead of for three fingers and thumb. The little finger is never used upon the harp. Wagner has given us an extraordi- nary instance of this at the end of his full orohestral score of Rheingold," where he writes for five or six different harps, not one passage of which can be rendered as writren. No instrument shows the good and bad qualities of a player more than the harp. No matter how yoo may endeavour to deceive the eye and ear, the harpist is so exposed to his auditors that detection is sure f his playing fails. Soloists who are seated when performing on other instruments can evade detection of wrong bass notes, &c. This is especially the case with the pianist. The violinist stands while playing, not requir- ing his feet for pedal work, but the harpist has an indispensable adjunct to his fingers in the pedals, and great skill and presenoe of mind are necessary to the best execution of passages. Here I must stop. You didn't think there was so much to be written about the harp, did you ? Did space permit, I might, however, pro- long it still further, as there s much to be said of which lovers of the harp would like to know,
Mendelssohn and the Trombone.I
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Mendelssohn and the Trombone. Mendelssohn couldn't stand brass instruments. Of tile trombone he once said, It is too sacred an instrument to be used freely "-a view that will find a heartfelt echo in the man whose next dcor neighbour is all am Lteur troiubonist.
Advertising
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THE FINE OLD WELSH DHINK.-SpecilAl Notice. —Mr. Morgan W. James, manufacturing chemist, Llanelly, desires all customers for the Fine Old Welsh Drink" to send in their orders early, so that the drink irmy be delivered in good time, and thus prevent delay during the busy season which is no ri fast approaching. 533* PARRY AND ROCKK'S Welsh LAM are the best.
A Chance Meeting.
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A Chance Meeting. At the last moment a young girl entered the car hastily and paused in the aisle looking up and down for a vacant seat. 0 It was the noon train out, and the car was filled principally with ladies who had been glad to hurry through with their shopping to get out of the beat and dust and have some time to freshen up before evening. A few gentlemen were also in the car, but they were something more than middle-aged,- and pro- bably only went to town at all in order to keep up the delusion that they were necessary at the office or warehouse, and now having satis- fied their dignity, and put in the morning, they were flourishing Panama hats or palm leaf fans, and yawning prodigiously on their way to a well-earned rest. The young girl was beckoned to a seat beside a plump, middle-aged woman in a gray gown, which did not tend to diminish the em- bonpoint of her figure. Gold eye-glasses swung on her ami-Je bosom, and she wore fresh kid gloves a size too small for her pudgy hands. Coming out of the glare of the street the twilight arches of the depot had seemed de- liciously cool, but the car was stifling. As the train dashed out from under the last crossing culvet the young girl threw up the window and pulled down the blinds with a click. Ob, thank you, that is much better, ex- claimed the lady in gray, who bad involun- tarily turned away from the blinding sunlight which flooded them. She now bestowed a scrutinising gaze upon her companion, who was simply gowned in black. Black is so non- oomni ttal and what can one tell from a sailor hat ? But her blonde hair was stylishly knotted and her hands were small; she settled herself with the air of one accustomed to travel, and she did not look out of the window. "Yes," repeated the plump lady, "that is better, but travelling oa such a day is almost intolerable under any circumstances." The young girl smiled her sympathy with this opinion, but said nothing, as the conductor at that moment reached their seat. No one in the car seemed inclined to conversation, 'J'he old gentlemen were already napping, and the ladies leaned away from the light with their fans in front of their aching eyes. The mono- tonous roar of the moving train seemed to add to the noon's oppressiveness. However, after the first two or three suburban stations had considerably thinned out the seats the motion of the train seemed to be acoelerated, and the swifter rush of air brought some mitigation of the heat. Then the remaining ladies began languidly to rearrange their packages and discuss the morning's shopping tour or plans for the evening after the men come out." The lady in gray furtively held up one hand and observed with dismay that the palm of her dainty glove was stained dark with perspiraiion. She straightway drew a clean white handkerchief from her pocket and spread it on her lap, carefully resting her hands, palms upward, upon it. Then stealing a glance at the sharer of her seat, and dis- covering that she was observed, she ex- claimed I declare it always does grieve me to see the first soil on a fresh pair of gloves. After that it doesn't seem to matter so much." The young girl again simply smiled-it might be with sympathy or with amusement. Her companion found her baffling and fidgeted consciously in her corner of the seat. Finally with a sudden resolve and an added dignity of manner, she inquired, Are you going far, my dear The young girl raised her eyes in some sur- prise, but answered without hesitation, Not \ery." Well, indeed you are fortunate," replied the lady. "As I said to my husband this morning, you pay dear to get to the country on such a day as this. You ought to go, of course, early in the season, and never go near town except on cloudy days, or just after a rain, when it's clean and cool. And so we've done every year since we. were married until this one But Mr. Henderson found his busi- ness would take him to town every day this summer. So, as Arthur—that's his son-has a place at the shore and Isabel—that's my daughter—has a place in the country. They just insisted that we should not bother with an out-of town place at all this year, but just divide our time between them." "Then you have a married daughter," said the young girl with some show of interest, and the lady smiled complacently. I do not wonder you are surprised. My husband vows that except for my complexion being so much fresher than Isabel's it would be almost impossible to tell us apart. And when I was a widow-but there, you know how it is with widows, they are always so much run after that it would be no wonder if they lost their heads. I suppose you've noticed how a widow will set a girl in the shade any day ?" "I have heard that it is so," replied the girl, tentatively. "Of course, you are too young to hsve ex- perienced it yourself," condescended the matron it isn't probable you're married ?" "No, I am not married—yet." "lhe girl's response was so obviously emphasised that the lady could not be blamed for the avidity with whioh she seized upon the clue, exclaim- ing: "But engaged? Now do tell mo about it, my dear. I'm sure there's nothing so interest- ing—and being married three times myself I ought to know." And she settled herself in an attitude of deep attention. Now, the girl did not seem to hesitate from any timidity, but regarded her comfortable confidante with a droll smile for a moment in silence. Then she began: I am on my way to pay a visit to the sister of the gentleman to whom I am engaged." 1, Why, how delightful!" ejaculated the lady sympathetically you will be having gay times, riding and walking and all that A ith your sweetheart." Oh, he is not there," remonstrated the young girl, in a tone of surprise. "That would not be proper at all though, of course," with a tender smile, he will run out some- times, when there is anything particular going on. Indeed, he will be coming on a late train for a little dance his sister gives me this even- ing. I should not have gone out this miserably hot day but for the dance." That's just my case," cried the lady in gray my daughter has a lawn party to- morrow, and of course she wants my advice with the decorations, and that in the morn- ing, so I must needs go to-day." "How wild I am to see the children Three such beauties! I es, I know I'm a young grandmother, but when you marry at seven- teen what can you expeot P I wish you could see Isabel in the basket phaeton, with little Isabel and Victoria Almeda, and Lionel riding his Shetland pony beside them It makes as pretty a picture as I care to see." And the plump young grandmother beamed with enthusiasm over the picture which she bad conjured up for herself. They will be at the station to meet me, I'll warrant, ponies and all Well, children are not much to my mind," said the young girl, coldly, although I sup- pose I must like Leonie's, as Max is so de- voted to them." And have you never seen them ?" "No, I have only seen Leoxiie-oaoe, You see it was on the other side that Max and 1 became acquainted." The plump lady looked perplexed, but held her peace. He was at the University, Heidelberg, you know, and I was at apension." A gentle smile of amused retrospection played around the girl's pretty mouth. Ub, those were gay old times. But since we came home it is very different, of course." Was it some trouble brought you home ? I notice you wear all black." Oh, I make it a rule to wear black when- ever I am obliged to travel alone. A young lady under such circumstances can wish nothing better than to slip along unnoticed, and one cannot be conspicuous in black." But you can't judge people you meet when travelling by their clothes. You can be so deceived. Only a year ago I was going over to New York, and there was a very ordinary- looking litt'e woman sat by me. She was dressed in purple, and wore the dowdiest hat, and at first I did not pay much attention to her, but she asked me a good many questions about places we passed, and her English was a caution. So I made up my mind she must be a foreigner. I've often heard they dress dreadfuliy, and I did the best I could to be agreeable, though 1 couldn't decide whether to speak French or German. But you can imagine my amazement when she left me at Cortland-street ferry, for she thanked me for my kindness and gave me her card, with a coronet on it, bless your heart, and the I j Countess de Graffenried The young girl appeared to be impressed, and looked pensively at the tips of her fingers. Almost all the suburban passengers had been dropped by this +ime, and the stretches of green fields between the villas grew larger. The conductor had left the back door of the car open, and a delicious breeze came rollicking in, blowing the young girl's blonde hair and the stout lady's feather about and rustling the papers which the old gentle- men had thrown down as they hurried out. It will be a pleasant evening," said the stout lady with a yawn. Yea, indeed, I am so glad Mme. X. got my green tulle done after all. Leonie wrote me 1 needn't trouble to order flowers, she would have one of the men get me water lilies from the lake." There is a lake near ?'' "So it seems. You know I have not been there yet. Max says it is a poem of a place, but Max is so romantic, added the girl, with a smile, half fond and half apologetic, He is handsome, of course P" queried her companion with renewed interest. Jf cour e I would think so, but be really is. He has very dark hair and is pale, with large, darksblue eyes, but not one bit girlish looking, and then his figure is perfect. You should see him in his yachting suit." He goes for athletics, I suppose ?" "Not exactly. He is rather literary in his turn of mind, but he can afford to indulge his fancies, and his yacht is superb." You have been out on it, then ?" II Yes; that is when I met Leonie. She came on to chaperon a little party for Max. He wanted auntie to do it, but she is so afraid of the water." Well, indeed, my dear, I sympathise with her. I don't think I ever shall muster up courage to cross the ocean. Mr. Henderson insisted on our going abroad for our wedding tour, and, for that matter, so did Mr. Dupont; but there, I just couldn't make up my mmd." ".Oh," said the young girl, sitting up straight, with her eoft eyes brightening, "I love the sea. I never feel so much alive as when the wind freehens up d the boat just bounds. Max says we shall make a tour of the Mediterianean soon (with a rising blush) el and take a run south every winter." "That's the way Isabel and Mr. Leland talk! They think nothing of going abroad for six weeks, just for all the world as if th<-y were running into the city." « I « I » t 4 » The brakesman on the noon accommodation is shol t and stout, and announces his stations in a fierce, explosive fashion, but had his every word been dynamite it could not have had more immediate effect upon these two ingenuous ladies when at this moment he put his head inside the door and cried "Arbutus Station." They sprang to their feet with one accord, the plump lady turning very red in the face while she gasped out some incoherent sen- tences, and the blonde-haired girl turned her back on her companion while she gathered up her umbrella and baJ. The station was a three-sided box, painted green, and contain- ing a wooden benoh, A country road stretched white beyond it. There was neither basket, phaeton, nor Shetland pony in sight, but as the women faced each other on the siding, one with the dilated eyes of amazement, the other with the narrowing lids of distrust, a neat Dayton wagon drove out from behind the station, and a clean, pleasant-looking Irish- man alighted therefrom. Hat in hand he addressed the fellow-travellers, Was it to Arbutus Lodge you expected to go ?" And in one breath they answered, Yes." Then it's glad I am to welcome you, and it's liking the place I'm sure you'll be, for the missus is a raal lady. An', by way of intro- ducin' myself, I'll just say 1 am Thomas Con- nelly, the gardener. Mrs. Lindell was needin' the coaohman herself the afternoon. Av coorse it's you ma'am, are Mrs. Robbins, the housekeeper, and you, miss, Nellie Pethers, the nurse ?" And so our travelling companions became more fully acquainted.—Philadelphia I'resi.
A GREAT COMPOSER AT HOME.
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A GREAT COMPOSER AT HOME. M. Gounod's country homn (writes a correspon- dent of tho Neio York Herald) is situated on the road leadiii2 t,) fit. Cloud, neiir the peak of Montre- totit, anti ilires minutes' waik fioin the railway station. You enter through a inonuirerittil gate- way opening upon a long, "bady avenue, lit the end of which IIppears the English-looking villa riised upon a terrace three or four steps above the road. M. Gounod has a tall, line figure. Tim massive fo ehead is illumined by deep, pene- trating eyes t, at seem to rea l you through and through. 'Fliey take fully as gr,,a' ,a sl)nre in tlje conversation a-,q liis words. We had b;en s,rolling the pnrk for some time when we met Madame Gounod and the chilJren. Gounod presented them simply as "My wife, my children." In the coarse of geuer.il conversation I spoke admiringly of the giett amount of work accomplished hy Gounod. "Stop; don't s:y suchn ihing, I beg of you!" he excluimed. "I would have to live all mv life over iig, in in order to expiess half of all 1 mean and fed. It is only at the end of ont's work that he understands its meaning. Michael Angelo, dyine. said,«I shall finish I nm onlv beginning to raise the curtain veiling the perfectirlne of my art. An ai tist who has not the love of his art is lost. Conviction is the k-y-uote, the touchstone to succo.s?. I remember when I was a child my professor gave me a long, tire. some penance to write out. As I was toilino through the irksome tisk, with the disgust inseparable from ueeless works, the pro- fessor came beside me and explained that every- thing, even a penance, may contain some interest; it all depended upon our manner of looking upon and understanding it. The penance is not in the tiling itself, but in the idea attached to it. Every- thing has its c>i«rm if t >ken in the right way. I understood the lesson and have beenle»rning it ever si lice." i-
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WHY REMAIN DEAF? Professor Keith-Harvey, 21, Alexander-square, South Kensington, Loudon, S,W., will send free to all sufferers an lllu*tt*ted Pamphlet, describing his patented Electric Aural Battery," whereby Deafness, Head Noises. 4c., can now be cured absolutely at the patient's own ixome. Artiflcial llar- Drums, <Sc„ entirely superseded, Lc
-, Lord Randolph Churchill's…
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Lord Randolph Churchill's Sayings and Doings CANDID UTTERANCES TO A CAPE INTERVIEWER, Fivsuming that Lord Randolph Churchill has b.en correc'Jy reported, he has been exchanging some curious confidences with an interviewer 01 the Johannesburg Star, "And what do yom think," asked one of Lord Randolph's interlo- cutors, wi.l be the issue of the coming general election "The itsue Why, Mr. Gladstone will come in, of course." But suppose Mr. Glads'one should have disappeared (" Well, I have often thought that Lord Beaco.sfield dead has been a much more pjteut factur oa the Con- servative side during the.past six years than Lerd Beaconsfield living could possibly have beeyj." Oh I see. Saint Gladstone 1 Aud if Lord Salis- bury thinks to get a new lease of power if hit present Ministry can but survive the G.O.M. he may probably find that he has made a huge mi3" take T' "That is so. Lord Salisbury is a recluse < and his knowledge of the British ekcior ia j about on a par wilh mine of the elect),, s in the planet Saturn." But Low is it, Lord liandolpli asked another who wanted to know, that Hit G.O.M. is alwnys manifesting a sort of sneaking lleard for you Is he ? Well, I have no doubt Mr. Gladstone like? best ttirse who attack him the most, and give him the best opportunities tag pyrokclinic display. But somebody spoke lust now of Mr. Gladstone's proximate disappearance. Certainly he is somewhat deaf now; but do you know that Sir Andrew Cbrk lately gay. some friends of mine a cold shudder when ht assured them that their arch enemy wiis physically as sound as a bell, and that thaie was no organic reason, so far as he could discover, why the venerable statesman should not ba taking an active part in politIcs-yes, in this sublu- nary sphere I-at the middle of the next century." Upon the question being moved of Lord Randolph and Mr. Chamberlain forming a party, the former is repoited to have said, "I djn't think you will hear much in the future of a Chamberlain-Churchill ombination. From my point of view the partnership under present con- ditions would not be equal at all." "How so f" We I, you know, Mr. Chambtrlain made the hideous mistake of leaving his party. My party have often implored me to leave them but I liavv always sai-J, 1 0, dear no! You are my party, ant it is my duty to remain with you and s* if I cannot mifee you perceive the errdt of your ways. I have not the slightest inten- tion of allowing you, the misguided leaders of my paity, to shake me off.' The true-blue division, of course, are greatly disgusted at my attitude—the Birmingham Tories, for examp's, have cooled most piinfully in their affection since I was accused of striking out an independent line, but I fancy they will consider the expediency of coming round to me long before I deem it right and wise to go round to them. Further. Lord Rmdolph is represented as saying I remember Mr. Labouchera oroce coming into my office to ask me something c$j otHer, and I jocosely said that I "must be civil because I supposed we should presently be changing places. To which he replied, I My dear fellow, how much do they give you here ? t5,000 ? Well, seeing that Truth gives me more than twica that, I don't think so.' Besides, Mr. L-abouchere is cot half a bad fellow. I know of no man Ï4 English politics, or in any other walk of lifcu who tries half so hard as he does to paint himself infinitely more hideous than we who see him every day know him to be." So far Lord Randolph as a politician. The Johannesburg paper goes on to say that it will probably be news to us reader^ so bent and broken was his carriage, that his lordship proved himself an ardent sportsman, whom no amount of disappointment could disgust or exertion tire. And he is not the senseless Sybarite that some have imagined. If it were a campaign," he said, I Lope C should be ab'e to make whatever sacrifices the exigencies of the case might demand; but since It is not a campaign, since I like my champagne, and prefer a feather bed to a cartel and a kaross, I hope the good people of this country will kindty allow me to travel aa I please." Lord Randolph is believed to be one of those who hold most thoroughly that time was made for slavey Anyway, the answer is attributed to him -in reply to the question What do you belitive to be the most pr- cious privilege ?"—" To be able to lie ia bed until twelve o'clock in the day without asking anybody's leave." Lord Randolph Churchill (says a London evening paper) is very pa ticular About his letters from South Africa to the Daily Graphic. Afterdis- pa'ching them he has sevrill times called direct- ing parts to be cut out or altered. It must cost his lordship a good deal to be his own censor by cable. However, he is no doubt by this time out eft convenient roich of the cable; It is said that there was considerable jealousy among three of four of the morning p ipars as to who should secure the riht of publishing Lord Randolph** letters. Though they would have had a widee circulation in the Telegraph, or more aristocratic readers in the Morning Post, they would certaialf have lacked the illustrations which accompany them in the Paily Graphic. When the series ia concluded the letters will, it is understood, be pub- l'sl ed in book form.
THE PRINCE OF WALES'8 BOYHOOD.
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THE PRINCE OF WALES'8 BOYHOOD. Tho Enylish Illustrated Magazine for September contains an sirticle by L. R. Wheeler on the Queen's G,ir,lens at Osborne. These gardens, it aeems, are zealously watched, and kept strictly guarded from prying eye?. They contain a number of relics of the gardening practices of the present Royal Family when tiiey were small children, and a number of curiosities c llected by these same children when th<y had grown up fnm all parts of the world. We m :ks a few ex« tr;tcts;- H.R.H. AS CARPENTER. On the light of the entrance gate Btmds the children's toil-house, built (as a strp of wood in the Queen's handwriting repoits) by the hands of the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1857. It is still in splendid preservation. for the late Prince Consort always taught his chiidren to do things well. Judging from the large tool-liouso, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh were no me in adapts at carpentering, the board- ing of the sides being substantidly put together, and the gables of the roof morticed in true form frequently when the Prince of Wales visits the gardens he looks critically round this shed to see that the joinings are secure. It is kept exre-ly as it was when the Frincos and Trincetses were yoiinff, the b rrows and garden too's bting in an excellent ftate of preservation. Each child had a perfect set of tools with a barrow and wagon, and the Queen had a special wagon for hpaself, in which the chikhen often drew her ab,ut. The ini'ials of each of the Royal children are painted on the back of the instruments, with theexc;ption of those of Princess Beatrice and the Duke of Albany, who were then very young and had to put up with a toy horse and cart and a v,,i-y siiia,4 Uartow. 2^ERK THE BATTLES W £ BE FOUGHT. The Dukes of Edinburgh and Conmuight were very fond of building stone and brickwork, and their handiwork can be seen in another part of the ar,iel.5 in th shape of a miniature fortrere called "the Albert Barracks," which was finished on the 2nd of October, 1860. It was under ilig eye cf the Prince t'■ nsort these fortifi- cations were connnenc? and splendid sham bittles were fought tit r hy the children; the Duke of Connaught cond the Duke of Edin- burgh defending their works ngainst the combined attack of their brothers and si-ters. A repeated story that sometimes the attack, led by the Prince of Wales, was too much for Prince Alfred aud Prince Arthur, who were driven off the battlements into the underground chamber, wnicu was proof against capture, and in which t jey ha4 a separate s, ore of arms. The fortress is kept m exactly the same order as it was then.
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