The Portland daily press., 1883-02-16
Gossip
About Men and Women.

In reply to letter from Mr.. Evarts, invit-
ing him to be present at the Union League
club celebration, John Bright wrote: "Be-
sides the ordinary duties of member of
parliament, have special engagements for
the spring-for March and May-which
cannot escape from or postpone tits quite
impossible, therefore, for me to accept your
invitation for the coming month, and can
not hope to take part in the interesting pro-
ceedings to which you have invited me. But
may say something more. | never liked
the sea, and my once strong appetite for
travel has subsidized and cannot but feel
that the friendly welcome promised me on
your side of the Atlantic would force me in
10 publicity from which l shrink
a Washington correspondent writes to the
Cleveland Herald: "Few, indeed, are the
people who can keep up the round of gayety
at the capital without showing their weari-
ness An exception to this rule is a young
daughter of an army officer stationed here.
All winter she has been busy with recep-
tions and dinners, kettle drums and ger
mans, and on Wednesday as she came into
Mrs. Chambers parlors she looked as fresh
and rosy as If it were her first day. My Gu
riosity was thoroughly aroused, presently
had an opportunity to enquire of her how it
was that she was able to endure that to
which stronger women yielded. Oh she
said, mamma is almost crank on that SUBJ
ject. She is bound i shall not look passee
at the end of this my second winter. Every
night when get home, no matter how tired
am, warm-water bath is given me, after
which drink bowl of bouillon, and am
put to bed in the guest chamber, which is
more quiet than my own. In the morning
am not called, but rise when l awake,
which is not often before lunch time. 1t
grows very monotonous, assure you, but if
60, have to submit | tell mamma she
treats me as if were Maud S. or prize
fighter =
Miss Betham Edwards is an acknowledged
authority Oh Egyptology in England, and
Miss Margaret Hardness is delivering lee.
tuIes on the ancient Assyrians at the Brit
ish Museum.
"Nihil de naortuis," etc.. but the reverend
gentleman who now succeeds to the earldom
of Stamford and Warrington probably won't
object to the relating Of story about his
deceased kinsmsn, George Harry Grey. One
day he was dining with some other sporting
men at the Star and Garter, Richmond,
where, according to Thackery, it costs ten
and sixpence just to look at waiter. Well,
the story goes that his lordship, heated with
wine, got into dispute with a waiter and
ended it by pitching him Through window
out upon the terrace below. The mans
cries and The smashing of the glass startled
the whole neighborhood, and the landlord
came GREATNESS up stairs and gasped out:
my lord! you have killed the waiter.''
sTha sh all ri hiccoughed the earl, who
had an Astounding faith in the power of
money TO settle every claim ssiush mn 'im
down ii e tbfiirr - The man wasn't killed
nor much hurt, but he had the landlord put
down in the bill round sum for the scare
he had suffered, and the earl paid it without
a word.
Miss Ellen Mackay Hutchinson writes
most of the literary notes and personals for
the New York Tribune. She is well known
as a contributor. to the magazines, and is
the author of a volume of poems of much
merit.
Wanted! |! Some one who will tell us
what Western critic meant when he wrote
the following, anent a concert given by
distinguished pianist: ''It is an encourage
ing sign of our real musical fibre that SO
large an audience could be assembled to
hear pure abstract piano recital.
Only connoisseurs and persons exceptional
ly endowed with sensitive musical percep-
ionst can get at the subtle beauties of the
pianoforte. ~ He [the pianist has
touch of the robust German species, yet
he is almost, if not entirely free from that
woody thickness of tone which disfgures the
playing of so many German pianists. His
execution seems never exhausted, and the
mastery ease with which he sits at the pi
ano and calls out so large variety of COM
position of high order may surprise every
hearer." Perhaps that other Western critic
who wrote OIL a certain pianist, ''He has the
otium cum dignitate which makes one feel
he is simply enjoying himself playing, and
is not on exhibition" can give us some
plain English for the above.