The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-09-10
GOSSIP
About Men and Women.

Gen. Robert E. Lee is reported as expressing
war. ri never saw more striking object than
Webster in the Senate. The effect of his fine
figure and princely air when speaking, was like
that of livid flash in the midst of darkness.
What Paganini was in music that Webster was
in oratory: the one charmed Europe with one
string, the other electrified multitudes with his
eloquence. His speeches indicate the powers
of the great orator-they are lofty but not i'm
FASHIONED, correct but not fluent"
Miss Fletcher the author of "Kismet" and
Mirage out of which books she has made a
great dealsof money looks about twenty, but is
said to be twenty-three. She lives in Rome,
dresses in excellenttaste, is very pretty and has
a profusion of blond hair. Everybody speaks
of her as George" after her nom de plume,
George Fleming. She is a capital horsewoman,
talks several languages t1uently, and is really
picturesque, dashing creature. She dedicated
Mirage to Walter Pater, and when she was
in London last season he invited lot of college
dons and literary people to meet George
Fleming" He was much surprised when the
blushing girl presented herself. He supposed,
of course, she was man. She was born in Rio
Janeiro, of Jewish mother and an American
father, but has passed a little of her life in
America.
1.-THE Comte de Chambord is sketched an
upright, punctilious, rather indolent gentle
man, who sooner than risk taking a wrong step
VIII take no step at all, but remain seated.
There is photograph which shows him with
his arms folded and his legs crossed; 1t is
speaking likeness. In his little court at Frohs-
dorff, he is addressed as "Monseigneur" and
"Your Royal Highness'' (never by his own
wish, as Majesty and he receives visits from
a great number of curious people, who come
almost as pilgrims to contemplate in him
royal hermit These visits help to make his
afternoons pass-his mornings are occupied in
reading letters from other admirers requesting
his blessing and other valuables. In the eve
ming he sits on a sofa listening to the talk OF
ecclesiastics, or to one OF the ComtesSe de
Chambord's ladies-in-waiting, who plays the
piano, and he may often be observed to nod
pensively till ilis chin ends by touching his
waistcoat, whereupon the room is hushed that
the royal nap may not be disturbed. OCCASION
ally he gees out. shooting, but he has never ;
hunted Since an accident which befel him
at Kirchberg, when he was twenty-one, and
broke his thigh from fall of his horse This
accident made him lame for life and has always
pfetented' him from taking as much exercise
as he has needed. He is nearly sixty years old,
and though stout and straight, does not look
strong but is handsome man with much
more refined and intellectual cast of counte-
nance than is usual among the Bourbons. The
Comte de Chambord is said by those who know
him best not to care for the throne, and this is
probably the true explanation of his indolent
life. His wife, too, the Princess Marie ThereSe
of Modena, beautiful and amiable lady, has
never cared for the game of politics; all her
counsels to her husband have tended to non
interference, and whenever she has been asked
to suggest means of exit from any difficulty,
she has answered by saying that Providence
would doubtless set all things straight.
Tennysons elder brother changed his name
to Charles Turner, in order to inherit an estate
in Lincolnshire known as Grasby hall, yielding
some $4,000 year. He has died without issue
and the estate is at Alfred Tennyson's disposal
on the same terms. bnt he refuses to accept the
property on condition OF giving up his name,
and it will go to some other member of the
family.
The Modern Society Young Man.
Scene: The billiard room of fashionable
club house. AT nine o'clock enter Augustus,
who, removes his Summer ulster and discloses
dress suit.
One of the players-Hallo! Gus is rugged
out under full sail and all the candles lighted.
What is it old fellow?
Augustus-Oh, l have been to make my par
ty call on Miss Banker. She wasn't at home,
SO left my pasteboard and came around here.
Thirteen young men drop their cues, seize
their hats, remark That's the racket for me,
and slide OIL to Beacon street. At II o'clock
MISS Banker gets home, finds fourteen cards
and says: How funny that all the bows should
have called this evening" At the same hour
Augustus receives three "smiles'' and ten eli
CARS, the grateful offerings of thirteen Young
men who have made their party call without
the trouble OF dressing or the expense of a
hack Boston Courier