The morning call., 1892-03-06


plate that he had wickedly and malici-
ouslY thrust upon Chantrey. The sleek
son OF the church had get rid OF the insult
| to his cloth at the far end Of the table and
! thus was the bitter bit. DemOniacal rage
| now overspread his face, but such was his
attachment to turtle that he swallowed the
mess. 1t was cold, but he was hot enough
| without it.
| Sir Edwin Arnold's readings were listened
| to by an audience that filled the house. AS
| readings-of poetry especially-are never
| very enhancing unless given by an elocu-
| ZIONIST who is something Of an actor, it m ay
| be suspected that a very large number
| were there to see the man and were iudif-
| ferent about the matter. Undoubtedly Sir
Edwin has attained celebrity by his poetry
in America-more it may be assumed than
IN his own country, where outside the
world OF letters and journals that hobnob5
in London he has but little fame. In that
respect he is not isolated. A man like
Huxley may lecture in the big provincial
towns Of England and not find more than
two or three hundred of an audience. Time
was when San francisco was heSitatlng
niggard in support of public mans
lecture. Blatant gable or bawling ora
Hepworth Dixon had to give it up in dis
gust Beecher had overlooking houses,
but some cynicS may think his popularity
was in part due to the sensation that made
nIM notorious.
The mention OF Sir Edwin Arnold recalls
very curious incident in the London law
courts. Levi Lawson, the principal pro-
prietOr of the Daily Telegraph. OF which Sir
Edwin was then editor, laid criminal in
formation for libel against Henry Labou-
chere, NJ. r.. and the case was tried before
Lord Coleridge. Lawson professed to have
thrashed Labouchere outside the Beefsteak
Club for family insults in Truth. and Labou-
chere challenged his Gamer to duel. and the
Gamer took advice and declined to go out.
AT the trial the policy of the Daily Tele-
graph about the Eastern question, On which
II had changed front against Gladstone, was
subject OF discussion and examination.
Sir Edwin Arnold was a witness and SO was
Mr.. Gladstone. Mr.. Lawson was called
dapper, rosy. little man, fashionaby
dressed and redolent of perfume. In his
examination in chief. he said that he had
changed his mind on the Eastern question,
and that therefore his paper had changed
its tone. Mr.. Labouchere appeared
In his own behalf, and the first
question to be put to Mr.. Lawson was this:
Now Mr.. Lawson. you say you conscieI-
tiously changed your mind on the Eastern
question, and that the tone of the Daily
Telegraph was altered TO suit that con-
scientlous change. Now, let US see what
you know about the Eastern question.
Where is Epirus 81" The dapper little man
w,
he said with a half-chuckle, "In Greece"
Then did everybody in court-Judge. eoun-
sci, spectators, all but poor Mr.. Lawson
laugh long and heartily. Here was a farrell
cal laundering reply to a crucial question.
Surely man who did not know to what
country Epirus belonged could not shape a
policy consclentlouSiy on the Eastern
question.
The real secret of the answer is perhaps
unknown to Lord COleridge or Mr.. Labou-
chere. The reporters seats were immedi-
ately behind the witness-box, and right in
rear OF Mr.. Lawson sat a grumpy and wheezy
penny-a-liner named Hooper, who had been
forty or fifty years dancing attendance for
several newspapers in that court, and who
had come 10 regard with undiSguised aver
sion any cause ceIebre that cast the burden
OF heavy work upon him. Labouchere he
had no affection for because that mercurial
product OF the nineteenth century was con-
stantly in the hot water of sensational liti-
CATION, and generally came out of his bath
inylgOrated. When. therefore, Labouehere
put his question Hooper thought it so in-
sultlagly trivial that he muttered in very
audible whisper to himself, why, in
Greece, of course" and Mr.. Lawson said
Greece too. 1t is impossible to say what
reached Mr.. Lawson's ears. but the conci-
dence was remarkable.
Very little notice if any was taken In this
city Of the Rossni birthday centenary. 1t
fell on leaD-day. natal circumstance which
gave the composer occasion to say that his
birthday only came round once in four years,
aud enabled him to remain extraordinarily
young as years go. although old in the sense
of life. In Europe some of the cities,
Venice particularly, where ten Of his operas
were first produced, duly celebrated the
event Rossinis music still holds a good
position fer sweetness, sprightliness and
charm. but ever-changing taste has elbowed
of the stage much that he composed. Mu-
sicians all go to the cemetery of forgetful-
ness. but at rare intervals there are exhuma-
lions. BRUSH