The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-16

come back to damp, foggy Lon
 don. It was raining the day left. and foggy and wet and I came back to find the same weather and the same samples of climate. believe 1t has never ceased rainng since left. Nothing is changed. except that London Is very full, and one meets the most unexpected people at all the street corners. It was little more empty last week. for what we call society was at Newmarket and Newmarket was determined. in spite of the elements, to do its best to welcome back the king. who was looking better and stronger than ever, and in great spir- It's. He stayed at his own rooms at the Jockey Club. but he went about every where. There were a lot of pleasant and pretty people at Newmarket, and Lady Warwick, who was in great good looks. made her appearance in a new role-that of chaperon-having brought out lovely daughter. And quite a number of Amer jeans. Of course the restaurants are quite full every night, and you see every one who Is in London at them. Lord and Lady Lurgan are often at one or other of them, and Miss Muriel Wilson was to be seen the other night I think, having just come back from Venice, where she has been with Lady Helen Vincent for few weeks. There have been few shoot ing parties, but not many. Lord and Lady Savile had one at Rufford; and there has been shooting at Elvedon and Blenhelm; and Lord Carnarvon has either had one or is going to have one this week-Yours ever.
 The Boer generals, as the guests of the chairman of the London county council, cannot fail to have been struck with the change in the demeanor of the crowd to- wards them since the occasion of their first visit to London in the summer. The boisterous welcome then accorded them has given way to an indifference which, in the circumstances. cannot be regarded as surprising; and although 1t is to be hoped that the report of an act of per- sonal discourtesy to one of their number was not well founded. 1t was inevitable that their action in allowing themselves to be made the cats-paw of anti-Britsh intriguers on the continent after having sworn allegiance to the king should have alienated the sympathy which was at first 1avfshly bestowed upon them in this country. Never has an attempt to sit upon two stools brought its usual penalty with more exemplary promptitude.
 Mrs. Adair, who is one of the most popular of American hostesses in London, Is going to Delhi, to attend the durbar. It seems odd, but it is, nevertheless true that the Curzon's have invited so many to stop with them that the exodus to In- dia will make a marked effect on the sea- son in England Then again, 80 many Americans Of late have settled in France and Germany, that they too detract from us. The Countess Cora, as we call her, to distinguish her from the countess of the present Earl of Strafford, has taken her daughter Miss Adele Colgate. to sail for India. One of the prettiest women in London is Mrs Won Andre, sister-in-law of Senator Chauncey M. Depew of New York.
 There are five American countesses in London society-Cora, Countess of Strar- ford; Adele, Countess of Essex, the most charming and beautiful of women; Leo nora. Countess of Tankersvifle Louise, Countess of Oxford. daughter of D. c. Corbin of New York, and the Countess of Donoughmore, daughter of Michael Grace of New York who are all prominent in society. Yet with the exception of the Countess of Essex and Countess of Strar- ford, these ladies do not move in the same set as do Lady Craven, Lady Naylor- Ledyard, Lady Cunard. Duchess of Marl- borough, Lady Curzon and Lady Beres- ford, winch Is styled ultra fashionable.
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 The country has no sooner got over the wear and tear of the South African war than news comes from Central Africa that British arms have met with repulse with heavy loss. We have now been cru sading about in that region for the best part of two years. for what reason it would puzzle any one outside the foreign office to explain. I see that news agency has been Officially informed that the Mad Mullah" is not really mad. Anparently any Asiatio or African chief tain who Is prepared to fight the British lion for the freedom of his country is a lunatic as long as he gets the worst of it. but when he gains a victory his san- ity is accepted as proved Even suppos-' ing, however, that the Mulah were as mad as a Central African natter his men tai condition, to my thinking, would be sanity itself compared with that or the government which sends military expe- dition and risks hundreds of lives to hunt him down in the distant and almost in- accessible regions in which he has taken refuge. Are we to take 1t that Imperial Mission includes the duty of allowing no lunatic to be at large in the Great Sahara or the wilds of Equatorial Africa? We are now involved in costly expedition including the dispatch of 8. battalion from India, across hundreds of miles of bar ren and waterless country" to rescue Colonel Swayne's force from its unfor- tunate predicament, and to bring the Mullah. mad or otherwise, to proper