The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-25
FOREIGN NOTES OF REAL INTEREST

II Alphonse Daudets health continues good he will
visit London for the first time next spring.
Sir n. A. Lange. who was appointed in 1858 con-
structor NJ the SueZ Canal. and carried out that work,
died in London recently. He had stepped into 4 bar
bers shop To be shaved, and, while waiting for the
barber. took a seat, l:gnted a cigarette, and expired
Immediately.
A second part OF the presen, Czar's account Of his
travels In the East is about to he published by Brock.
haus In LeiI sic. II deals with tho yisi. 10 China and
Japan, the attempt To assassinate him, and the return
through Siberia. The illustrations are from photo
graphs taken by himsel: and by Prince George Of
Greece, who accompanied him.
Thirteen may soon he oniclally recognized as an un.
lucky number by the French War Department. Some
mothers OF conscripts belonging To the class OF 1893,
which should be released on Nov. -, petltlnned
the Minister to discharge their sons on Nov. l. on &c.
count OF the fatality accompanying the number thir'
teen. The French for seventy. three Is soIxante-treIzc.
sixty thirteen, and for ninety.threc, cighty.thirreen.
The conscripts were born in slxty.thirteel were en-.
rolled in eighty thirteen on Nov. 10, and were dis
charged, II the Minister prove obdurAte, on Nov. 10,
1894. The scare arose from the talk In the French
newspapers OF the influence OF the number on the
career OF the late Gar.
The Royal Society Of London has awarded this year
the CopIey medal To DR.. Edward FARMLAND, for his
services to chemistry; the Rumford medal TO Prof.
James DewAr for his researches on the properties OF
matter at extremely low temperatures; the Davy
''N'-H ~
the chemistry Of the rare carths, and the Darwin
medal to Prof. Huxley, for his r,searches In compare.
tive anatomy. The royal medals have been given TO
Prof. J.. J, Thomson, for his contributions to mathe-
mates and physics, especially to electrical theory,
and to Prof Victor Horsley, tor his Investigations in
the physiology Of the nervous system and Of the thy
roid gland.
Lord Beaconsneld's treatment Of his wife and tbs
nature Of the wife Is thus described in the memoirs Of
Sir William McGregor, which were published lately
zone remarkable and grand trait In his character was
his noble deneanor to his wife, From thc day q hs
marriage to the day % her death he treated her with a
chiyalTous devotion. And yet she was a most repul-
slve woman-nat, angular, underlined, with "A harsh.
grating voice; and though ny no means a fool, yet con
srantly saying stupid things, most frequently about
him, which tended To make him ridiculous; as, for In.
stance. when the conversation turned on some mans
nne complexion. 'Ah,' she said, 4 wish you could only
SEE my Dizzy In his bath; then you would know what
a white skin Is II was hideous the TOKENS OF anec-
ton and apparently OF admiration which he lavIshed
on Marianne as we irreveTently called her. one
evenlny :. on coming up from dinner, he knelt before
her and, as they say In novels, devoured both her
hands with kisses, saying al the same ume, In the
most lacEadaslcai manner, Is tlcrc anything l can
do for my dear little wife ="
Jean RIchepln's " vers la Joc," the nrst important
novelty OF the season, has Just been brought out at
the ComSdle F~rancaise, with the strongest cas-, the
company could muster. Got, whose final withdrawal
from the stage Is announced for Tao end OF the year.
created his last part In IL, With Coquelin, LebaTgy,
Paul Mounet, Leloir, Blanche Baretta, and Blanche
Pierson for his colleagues. The play Is a curious Que
for the Theatre FRANCHISE, and, in spite OF the actlng.
had only a success d esthne, NJ. Rlchepin calls his play
q fairy tale In Ave acts In verse. A prince u.ebArgYl
has grown up under the care OF an arbitrary minister
(COquelinl. who has managed the Government with
out consulting him. ON attaining his majority
tho Prince refuses TO rule; he Is taken up with
the study OF his own inner self; Is smitten
with the pessimism OF our end OF the century,
and Is powerless to act Doctors ar called In TO cure
him, but they quarrel and can do nothing. when an
old shepherd lGOt appears and undertakes 10 save
him. He takes the Prince into the country, sets him
20 work. makes him rub against the realities Of life,
aud makes . man OF him. The Prince falls In love
with . peasant girl (Baretta), whom be marnes Ia
the end. bat before winning her has TO listen TO a long
lecture on his duuea 60 the state aud 10 the people
from a rustic rival with the exception OF the horse
play IN two scenes the play Is absolutely pure, which
L. surprising from the author Of Les GueuK and
Les Blasphemes." bat Richepin Is believed 10 be nov
aiming for the Academy. The general Idea Of the
fairy tale was undoubtedly suggested BY the sensation
made by FuldA's " TAlisman % in Germany, and some
critics look on Il as a political satire, but lt Is plainly
directed against the present tendencies Of thought In
France. The French literary critics call IL an operetta
wlthut music, clearly out 81 place al the F~rangaise.
aud compliment NJ. Rlchepln ON his vivid rcc1lcctloas
Of MOneFe, Victor Hugo, and Alfred De AusssL