The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-07-25 00:00:00

Frinbm Corasponbmt.

/We deem It right to state that we do not at all time"
hantliy ourselves with our Correspondent's opinions.]

The affection of the* throat, which has lately
kept Mr. Gladstoiae away from the debates of
the House of Commons, is one which within the
last two or three years has often troubled the
right hon. gea,Vieman. Even his flexible voice,
nngir and musical as it has ever been, is begin-
iu to manifest signs of the wear and tear of
more than half a century of Parliamentary life.
He has, however, always taken the greatest care
of it. Last year when Mr. Chamberlain
Shipping Bill his admirers intro-
1
duced the Merchant Shinpin
poke of it as a great feat that he spoke for three
hours in the House without tasting even a drop
of water. It is difficult to see what was tobe gained
by this trial of physical endurance; but Mr.
Gladstone has never treated his voice in this
way. Whenever he was to make a great speech,
he always ranged on the table before him several
little bottles of a pomatum-like preparation. To
the contents of these he would apply himself in
the intervals caused by the cheers or cries of
disapproval, and whatever the vessels may have
contained, It kept his voice clear to the end.
Of late years Mr. Gladstone has not gone in
for set speeches of the length and calibre of the
days of old. As Primo Minister, and answering
generally in the House of Commons for all the
departments of the State, there has been no
occasion to make orations of three hours in
length as when he was Chancellor of the Exche-
quer. That was generally the extent of the
Budget speeches. Last week, however, in the
debate on the Budget of the new Ministry, the
great master of finance of a former generation
could not even be present, but was obliged to
content himself with writing a brief letter to Mr.
Childers. It must be remembered that in a few
months Mr. Gladstone will complete his 76th
year. Even if during the coming autumn there
should be another Midlothian campaign, which
is by no means certain, it will not resemble
either of its predecessors in the length and num-
ber of speeches delivered by Mr. Gladstone. I
Physically, he is not what he was; mentally, he
is as strong as ever.
. The Russians are giving more trouble, and an
uneasy conviction begins to prevail that ultimate
war is inevitable. People are losing patience ,
at the news of continual advances tewards those
points the possession whereof would menace
the existence of our Indian empire. Rightly or
wrongly Russia is credited with coveting those
territories of ours in the gorgeous East, far from
a land of eternal snows, and where there are
brilliant skies and long summer days. If this
really be so the Muscovite Government will find
Great Britain united as one man against such
aggression. There is much talk amongst poli-
ticians of the reforms which they expect from
the new Parliament; but it is more than prob-
able that foreign affairs will occupy more atten-
tion than many at present anticipate.
With the end of July the London season may
be said to have seen the best of its days.
August is a very trying month in the
metropolis, and last year was especially so,
with the thermometer occasionally at 97 in the
shade. All who can possibly do so get out
of the great furnace of bricks and mortar,
and are off either to the lakes, the glens,
or tho sea. The cholera in the south of
France, and the scorching heat made last
year a very successful one amongst our
own places of holiday resort, and people
found that within the limits of our own islands
there are spots as beautiful, as romantic, and as ,
health-giving as those of foreign lands which
they would have had a journey of hundreds of
miles to reach. Thus far the present summer is
a very different one from the last, and the cholera
has removed itself from France into Spain. Our
own hotels are therefore scarcely likely to be so
crowded as in the autumn of 1334 ; but it is
hoped that in the selection of holiday tours the
attractions of our own scenery will not be for-
gotten.
Hospital Saturday in London is this year
several weeks earlier than usual, for more reasons
than one. It has usually been in September,
when the weather is broken the days are shorter,
and an immense number of persons are out of
town. Last year it rained incessantly through- ,
out the day, and those in charge of the boxes
had the discomfort of standing under umbrellas
during the whole of the time. Last Saturday,
happily for the recipients of alms, the weather
was dry, more people were about, and there is
every reason to believe that this will be the most
successful Hospital Saturday yet experienced.
No tribute of recognition could be too stroll,'
for the self-sacrifice and devotion of those who
volunteer to come forward and stand in the
crowded streets of London the Eve-long day to
receive the offerings of those anxious to relieve
"unavoidable distress and suffering.
The wedding gifts which have been presented
to Princess Beatrice on her marriage, show a
_widespread feeling of loyalty towards the reign-
,ring house. Not one in a hundred of the sub-
scribers to these presents can ever have seen
the Princess, who has led a most secluded life
with the Queen as her Majesty's companion. The
life of her Royal Highness has been passed at
Windsor, Osborne, or Balmoral; and London is
a great unexplored world to her, as indeed is
every part of the Kingdom outside the limits of
the Queen's residences. Princess Beatrice has not
gone from end to end of the land, like the Princess
of Wales, or taken part in nublic ceremonials
like her:sisters. These gifts represent thousands
of subscribers, who know her Royal Highness
only by name, but who, nevertheless, testify their
loyalty to the Queen and her family.
Most of the various London theatres are filled
nightly. At the Gaiety, French plays still
occupy the boards, and Madame Sarah Bern-
hardt draws appreciative audiences. Madame
Patti, at Covent Garden in Italian Opera,
shows that her charming voice has lost none of
its power. Mr. and Mrs. Bancroft have at last
retired from the management of tho Haymarket, 1
and their farewell performances was honoured
by a visit from the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The grand Italian ballet " Excelsior " at her
Majesty's is a great success, the dancing, dresses, '
and scenery are superb, and altogether it is one
of the grandest spectacular ballets ever witnessed
in this country. Mr. Wills's Olivia, adapted from
Goldsmith's "Vicar of Wakefield," still holds its
pupularity at the Lyceum. After Miss Ellen
Terry's benefit, on the 30th inst., when this play
will be acted, the theatre will be closed, and will
not be re-opened until September sth. The
Adelphi will shortly be re-opened with Mr. Dion
Boucicault's Arrah-na-Poo-°ue ; it will be re-
membered that before this theatre was closed the
attraction was Mr. G. R. Sims's melodrama,
"The Last Chance." After a short but success-
ful run, "A True Story" has been withdrawn from
Drury Lane, and Mr. Charles Reade's well-known
"It's Never Too Late to Mend "will take its place,
with Mr. Charles Warner in his usual character. '
The enormous number of 500 nights is now
registered for the "Private Secretary," at the
Globe. On the other side of the water, at the
Surrey, Mr. Geo. Conquest has brought out the
late Mr. Tom Taylor's "Ticket-of-Leave Man." '
G. R.