The San Francisco call., 1904-07-10
Dr.. DOYLE Dances III Public.
spec,al correspondenos.

GARDEN, LONDON, June PA Won
der II DR.. A. Conan Doyle's numerous
readers IN the United States have
heard that he gave a public exhibition
Of dancing the other day? The dance
done" by Dr. Doyle was reel, and
the spectacle Of its execution delighted
the hearts Of several thousand people
who probably never had hoped TO see
SO distinguished an author tripping the
light fantastic. Be il explained, now
ever. that Dr. Doyle danced, not as a
DISTINGUISHED author. but as political
candidate The attempt that is being
made by the creator Of Sherlock
Holmes to get into Parliament for Ha-
wick Burghes took him up to the Bor-
der country the other day. Finding in
fun blast the open-air festivities which
take place there every year. the liter
ary candidate felt il polite to partici-
pate in them-hence the reel Whether
Or. Doyle kissed any babies has not
been reported. but he did promise to
captain one Of the teams at forth
coming cricket match at Hawick. The
national game, however, is much more
in the burly authors line than dane
ing. I am told that DR.. DOyle's recent
visits TO the Border country have pro-
vided him with the material for
novel which he means to begin work
on soon after his political canvass is
ended-no matter how it results. In
this, his third attempt to get into Par
lament, Dr. Doyle is trying to Oust
Thomas Shaw, NJ. p, who now sits for
Hawick Burghes.
Doubtless mention has been made in
the cable dispatches Of the hard things
that Miss Marie Corelli-who has
new novel coming out sOon-has been
saying about the English clergy, which
she sugmatizes as pagan" This is a
strong term, though one that Miss CO.
relli probably would not have hesitated
70 use in any event. She borrowed ii.
however. from Archdeacon Sinclair,
who recently declared that London was
becoming a pagan city, because people
did not go to church. Writing with all
her customary restraint, Miss Corelli
says the trouble is with the preachers
When great dignitaries of the
church." she says in a pleasant para
graph which is characteristic Of her
entire screed, "sit wine-bibbing at
'swagger' dinner parties. relating ques-
tionable or spicy anecdotes unfit for
the ears Of decent women, they have
not only lost caste themselves but
have laid all the brethren Of their, or
der open to doubt"
The Rev. Edwards Q. Hawkins is
best known TO fame as the father Of
Anthony Hope, but, as most Americans
know he is also vicar Of the historic
old Church OF St Brides on Fleet
street. This Office, which he has held
for twenty-one years, the Rev. Mr..
Hawkins is now about to resign. He
is n and younger brother Of the
famous Lord Brampton, who before
his retirement was reckcned one Of the
most able judges on the English bench.
The question OF who was Petrarch's
Laura" has just been raised on the
Continent apropos Of the six hum
oredth anniversary OF the poets birth.
For many years It has been supposed
that she was Laura di iNoves-member
OF an old Provencal famiIy-who mar
ried Hugo de Sade Of Avignon. But
upon investigation IL seems there is no
reason whatever for believing this to
be the case except the word of a Ger
tain Abbe de Sade. who hourished in
the eighteenth century, and who IT Is
now suspected only wanted to fatter
his vanity with an interesting geneal-
ogy. Among those who have been dis
cussing the subject is II. Gebhert. the
distinguished French writer on the
Renaissance, who says all his re-
searches have confirmed him in the
opinion that the immortal mistress of
the poet is quite unidenuhable. but
was almost certainly Of no importance
and Of plebeian origin.
Evidently the researches which Eden
Philpotts made a year or so ago In
the Dartmoor country, with specfa,
reference to It's American associations.
were unusually productive of ma
terial." His novel. The American
Prisoner" which was the first res,,I,
OF those researches, contained enough
Of both plot and local color for two
ordinary romances, but 1t seems not to
have exhausted the matter IN hand
Mr.. Philpotts told an acquaintance tbe
other day that the new novel unor
which he is now putting the inisbtng
touches is also about Devonsbire st
the period OF the Revolution ana tba,
a va
Yankee. The romance, which is called
THE Farm OF the Dagger" probabl1,
viii be ready for publication in tbe
autumn.
Some Of the best prize contests, of
recent years have been started bv the
rival London penny weeklies. Tit-Rits
and Pearson's Weekly. and the "t1ve
pounds a year for life" schema ,n
vented by the latter periodical ana
closed not long ago was particularlv
alluring. Week by week the paner
published drawings Illustrating the
names Of railway stations throughou,
TIE United Kingdom. There were 24s
pictures in all and the person who
guessed the most Of them was prom
iced the above mentioned weekly in
c0n1s-t tz5-for the rest of his exist
sn1s. The winner. whose name has
tgef been announced, is a phrenologis,
81 y6suDRa. named Durham. He is q
family man OF AZ and says that the