The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-14

"Personalia" by Sigma Doubleday,
Page & Co
"Personalia" is announced by the pub
fishers as "a literary sensation 1 pre-
sumo because this being something OF
"eossipv'' age. readers are more apt to be
Interested in a book of this character
It is in fact very delightful book OF
intimate anecdotes dealing with nearly
, all the famous English artists literary
men. lawyers church dignitaries and
other public characters of the last forty
years. The author comfortably en-
sconses himself behind the pen name OF
stigma" Being too prominent and well
known for his real name to be given he
| can nevertheless in this way give to an
interested public the personal experiences
and observations which his own posi-
ton of intimacy make very valuable.
The author is evidently Harrow
man-one of the great preparatory schoois
| Of England, and he relates many lnel-
dents with evident gusto of his own col
lege days One is remniscenee Oh
! speech day." when Lord Bronghmah
| was invited to be guest of honor. LORD
Broughman was in his eghty-sixth year.
i ana as a compliment W thN NtSSiN''.
| tor one Of the monitors was appointed 10
recite some speech on which 1t was
| known the guest particularly prided him-
| self This attention so greatly nattefea
| Lord Brorghman that he sprang TO MS
feet and vehementy applauded, but on
resuming his seat forgot that 1t was oe-
cuped by his hat upon which he sank
with very disastrous consequences. Later
when the boys in the yard were called
| al,a Lon
Broughman" we were convulsed to see
them acknowledge by an individual In
| rusty black with an old clio, broken
crowned hat almost resting on his nose.
file then passed on to the head-master
house where with the elite of the Vlsi-
tors he was hidden to lunch. Here his
self-esteem received another shock, Tor
the policeman stationed to keep OH
'1oafers" sternly asked the dllapidated
looking old person his business. Il am
invited here to lunch growled out the
indignant guest" Cannon CURLY re-
sponded the guardian of the peace. i
am Lord Broughman was the furious
rejoinder. let me pass! BAH! con-
temptuously retorted the bobby; you
wants me to believe that, do yer? Move
onl" At this critical junction the old
lord narticulate with rage, was fortu-
natey espied by another eminent guest,
VINO, taking III the Slludtioi at d 5ieiNNt
relieved matters.
The reader really cannot open the vol
ume anywhere without finding an anus
ing tale which at once interests and
alures to further reading, and almost
all of the personages are so familiar as
to make the text of even greater value.
OF Lord Coeridge the author says: Al
though posing as one of those unterres-
trial Judge who have never heard of
music hall and are wholly unacquainted
witt. slang Lord Coleridge was not above
enjoying an occasional touch of billings
gate when applied to any individual
whom he did not particularly affect One
of his learned brethren with whom he
was on intimate terms was one day abus-
ing a fellow puisne, who happened to be
especially repugnant to them both, In
language the reverse of parliamentary.
Colebridge listened to the opprobious APP
pellations with bland satisfaction and
then unctuously observed, 4 am not adj
dicted to expressions of that kind my
self, but would you mind saying 1t
again.? -
The author pays his searching respects
also to the church with many amusing
results. OF DIR. Bloomfield, once bishop
of London, he writes: 1.-THE composition
of the bishops domestic circle was plen-
tful, but a trhe complex. He married
twice. and in both unions had been
blessed with progency, while his second
wife was a widow who, besides supple
menting her second husbands family.
had imported an independent brood of
her own. On one occasion when an une-
DUAL battle was raging fast and furious
among the miscellaneous offspring, the
bishop was disturbed in his study by the
inpetuous entrance of his lady. What is
| it, my dear? he inquired, with ill-con-
cealed testiness. oh, bishop, she replied
| In agonized accents, quick quick!
| There's not moment to lose Your
| children are fighting with my children
and are numbering our childrenl
Writing of the great work of Lord Duff
| FERN as viceroy of India and of his SUI
perb diplomacy which was productive of
benefits that are felt in India to this day,
the author relates an incident In connec-
ton with Lord Dufferin's entertainment
In England. They We're accordinly In
vited to some court function, where as
is the custom, all the guests ranged them
selves in two lines, between which the
viceroy slowly passed. exchanging greet
ings with any that he happened to know.
My friend the young tutor, who was
near the middle of the long line, was,
much to his disappointment, passed by
the viceroy without recognition, but he
was soon consoled. When Lord Duff
FERN reached the end of the line he
turned round, and after glancing back
for a moment in the direction of the
tutor he retraced his steps to the spot
where he was standing, and putting out
his hand apoogized for having at the
moment failed to recognize him. A more
perfect example of high breeding in the
best sense Of the word 1t would be i'm
possible to find"
"Of Ruslkin the author has many valu-
able and interesting remarks. and pub
fishes letter from Mr.. Ruskin bearing
the date Of February, 1866 1t reads In
Obliged by your letter and particularly
glad that you like that piece about hui
man nature. l shall speak more and
more strongly as l can get hearing
every word of truth spoken to the Eng
fish public at present is answered by
stone flung at you, and I can't take
CARLOAD at once"
The volume is handsomely edited with
clear bold type.
"Sngoalla" by Niktor Rydberg. The
Grafton Press. New York.
An artistic volume, with illustrations by
Carl Larson, the Swedish painter. is an
nounced by the Grafton Press, under the
title Of "Singoalla." The work is trans
lation of wel-known thirteenth cen
fury romance written by the greatest
writer that Sweden ever produced, viktor
Rydberg. The author of this translation
is Axel Josephson, who was born and
educated in Sweden and came to this