New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-18
NOTES FROM LONDON.
INTERNATIONAL PERSONALITIES - LORD
WOINER'S GE-MISCELLANEOUS.

\
LONDON, November l.
A measure of the English interest taken in Mr..
Irving may be found in the length of the kilograms
describing his first and second appearances in New
York. The Daily Nacs and Standard have about
column and a half each; the other papers full ac
counts though shorter The scenes at the theatre,
the composition of the audiences, their enthusiasm,
the different points appauded, are all given. The
criticisms of the leading NewYork papers are
quoted Mr.. William Winter is described in 4 ne
Daily NerSs telegram as probably the best author
ity in America and long extracts from his articles
in TIE TRIBUNE are telegraphed Nay, the substance
IOf what Mr.. Irving himself thought OF the mater
and of what he said to reporter OF me be'a"' "
given, just as his speech at the Lotos Ciuo uiiio
and part of Mr.. Reids speech, had been teegrapncu
before And on all this there is abundant editorihl
comment. in The Tines iudcious; in The DAILY
Ne,rs somewhat oyer-emphatic There are III lact
two names of distinction which tins last paper
seldom mentions without adulatlon OF a somewhat
gross kind: Mr.. Irvings and Slr ChaIles Diihe B.
The Times 10 certain extent anticipates your coi.
,nent ON the fear felt by some Journals OF
eehoing English praise saying: "ln MT. lrvings
case as in that of other Englishmen of mark who
have lately visited their country, the American peo-
ne have shown their readiness TO recognize talent
without regard TO narrow national distinctions, and
70 show their sense of the unity in which the two
countries tend TO live, so far as literature and art
are concerned" If any New-York critic betrays as
Won intimate fear of manifesting provincial en-
thusiasm and q subservience TO London, the fear
and not the enthusiasm proves him provincial
Mr.. Irving seems not to have anticipated all the
attention thus shown him. He took CAFE, at any
rate. that London should know authoritatively
what New-York thought, for he himself or his
manager tclegraphed over here and published Ill
the advertising columns of the London papers the
comments of the New-York papers. The difference
between the passages advertised aud the special dis
patches here published as news shows that the
former came from q different source.
Miss Ellen Terry should add, gets her full share
of attention on the second day, and apparently more
of unmixed admiration than Mr.. Irving. None of
Mr. Irynps friends here take it i'll that he shoud he
criticised; they are not absurd enough for that. If
his eocution had passed muster with you, we should
have heard more about American accent than ever
Which reminds me TO ask, what sort of accent Miss
Mary Anderson's is considered IN America TO bef
Not surely, an American accent in the common ac-
ceptation of that term. Is it Californian j ask
because am asked here, and at loss for an an
swer The only thing can say is that there is Ill 1t
n curious "Reminiscences of the accent of Nine. Helena
Modeska; as there is in some of Miss AndersOns
gestures a "Reminiscences of Nine. MOdieska's ges-
lures.
Mr. Matthew Arnold and his first lecture are also
described; less fully, however, than Mr. Irving and
Miss Ellen Terry, for in these days no attraction
seems likely TO compete successfully with the at
traction of the theatre. The TimesS dispatch is
much the most copiOus of all All of them agree Ill
saying that the hall was crowded the the reception
of the lecturer enthusiastic, but that he was heard
with difficulty. The fact that he was reported III
THE TRIBUNE is mentioned in two papers.
The marriage of Lord Wolmer to Lady Maud Cecil
is q very considerable social event and some effort
is made to give it political Importance which 1t
has not Lord Wolmer is the eldest of the Lord
Chancellor who is possibly better known in Amer
fca by his permanent title, the Earl of SelbOrne.
LADY Maud Cecil is the daughter of the Marquis OF
Salisbury by his first wife, who was Miss Anderson.
Lord SelbOrne is Liberal as good Liberal as is
possible for any man TO be who is Churchman first
and Liberal afterward. Lord Salisbury is known to
all the world as leader of the Conservative majority
in the House of Lords whenever chooses to follow
him.
Time was. no donbt, when a union between two
houses so eminent and presumably so hostile would
have meant something more than matrimonial al
lance: would have been impossible unless Il had
meant more But It argues a curious want OF ac-
ouaintance with the actual social and political con-
diti0n of England to suppose that marriages OF this
sort are now either uncommon or have any hidden
meaning or purpose You have your side of the
Atlantic at this moment brilliant example OF the
indifference TO politics which is the note of English
society in such matters. The wife of the Liberal
GOvernor-General of Canada is a daughter Of the
Conservative Duke of AbercOrn. Nobody thought
that an extraordinary union Nor is this There are
people so acute as TO find explanation of il in the
ecclesiastical sympathies of the Cecils and the
Palmers. With every respect for their ingenuity,
the theory is pure nonsense. The one sole and
sufficient explanation of the marriage between Lord
Wolmer and Lady Maud Cecil is that it was love
match.
Mr. GladstOne's presence at the ceremony, and
still more his presence rs Lord Sasbnrys guest at
the wedding-brcakfast in ArlingtOnst., would be
enough TO lay these foolish rumors at rest Nobody
In his senses believes that Mr. Gladstone and Lord
Salisbury are going to lie down together, or that
any possible political combination for any CON
ceivable purpose would be broad enough 10 include
the two. Many other great personages, from the
Queen downward, showed their interest IN the
Young couple and i'll the ceremony which united
them The list of persons of rank and station who
were present at the wedding, or who sent gifts to
bride or bridegroom is long one, though no longer
than is seen often enough on such occasions. If yOu
arc curious TO know how is possible for the most
verbose of journals to spin column of comment on
the marriage of these two young people, ii may help
YOU to read such a sentence as this:
Familiarity with the frequently recurri ing ccrc-
mony cannot impart tTitencss TO the reflection that
marriage Is a great anu SOtDin thdHs'3
commencement of "a new and better life for both
parties to the contract perhaps but the first chapter
in history of sorrow.
1t ought not TO be difficult to compute the price Of
that by the yard
hope it may be permissible to relate an anecdote
which will show how little store the present Lady
Salisbury sets by political hostties The scene OF
is a well-known house in London; the time, last
season: the occasion private concert. The hostess
of the evening had taken little pains to place on