The morning times., 1895-12-29

Christmas dinners, II he has received
one. He told friend that he should
dine with the Earl of Warwick. the
man who put hun next the Prince of
Wales week ago. Warwick's Christ
mas board had, for q holiday
girt the honor of holding the dinner OF
man who could buy half the world, and
his chef cooked for one who could pur-
chase so many Christmas dinners that the
whole world would go dinnerless, I'M
less he chose to release the trust.
The way this owner of the earth passes
his time is simple if you look at II in the
light of action and righteousness, If
softDess is any criterion.
ROD OF GOLD.
His last chambers In London were Sc
lected because they were lined with a
ruddy material, resembling slumberiDg
fire. At one end is a deep fireplace and
upon the floor lay softest rugs. In q
tall chair with cushions in IL sits the master
of the rooms. He is the man who can
touch the bell at his elbow and give a
command, perfectly sure that some one
else will do the rest quickly.
No man in London is more temperate than
Belt. His tipple is ice water and his hard
drink is tea. At dinners he sips claret,
but again falls back upon the water
caraffe. He is ashamed OF his water
drinking, the Kaffir king, and always has
a wine glass at his hand. Upon his little
table. too, there stands a tall, spiral glass,
strangely inconsistent with the sparkling
water bottle next IT.
Belts eXcesses, If he has any, are in the
line OF smoking. His valet, to whom he
is a hero, tells of many boxes of cig2s
carried in to him every day; but his door
man, to whom he is fool, relates tales
OF titled ones escaping at tie front door
with square packages tucked under their
lordly arms and words OF thanks still wet
upon their lips.
He is the prince, only much more so. Upon
his feet, when he sits in his room,> be lifts
to the fire a pair of golden shoes. These
lie in the fur OF the rug, and when the
gold master drops down into the deep
chair TO look upon power mightier than
his-the dancing flanies-he abscntlnindcdly
slips his slippers, lined with London fleece,
into the hard, bright metal shoes and
raises and lowers them upon the point
OF his toe. None OF the Kaffir kings but
have gold slippers. In the Transvaal a
golden slipper is a mark of friendship,
as worked one is here, and the man who
does not have a pair tossed into his fire
rug has struck only the shallow side of
the gold vein.
In his appciites this rich man is said
to be non-epicurean and ..satisficd with
thing accorded him agrees with the feast
being spread for him by Warwick-thc
finest in London, cooked by the best chef
and served by twenty trembling walters.
He may he willing to eat almost any
thing" but, as a matter OF fact, all
that is piaced before him is made a matter
OF prayer with his host AID chef before
hand, and the only way he can tell what
he likes best is By averaging up his feel
ings OF contentment afterwards.
The rich men of the East amuse them
selves with mystery Of feminine dane
ing and sorg, always ready TO merge from
the aesthetic into the physical. This
man from Africa finds enjoyment watch
ing the fire, going 10 tie opera, hiring
private orchcstras. going halves" with
Barnato in The production of one of the
latter's plays and in fiji gire god pieces.
If not broadcast. ai least in very wide fur
rows. His iGeai Christmas giii fer hirnsclf
is new piece of music, ard a new musical
instrument and new musicians, with a
new company OF PEOPLE to enjoy il with
him. And his ideal Christmas gift 10 others
is q chance to become a Kaffir. Money
is to him now, not his Gcd. but his atmes
pberc. with suffocation where II leaves
off.