The sun., 1908-05-31
THIRD SECTION.
A DULL SEASON In LONDON
SOCIAL PLEASURES AFFECTED
BY OUTDOOR SPORTS.


Blood-King Edwards. Health I'm.
usually Good-Pope's Eyes Of Different
Colqrs--Enslish Business Man Accused
Of Lacking Pluck-After the Gibson
Girl, the "sargent Neck'-Piante Made
to Grow Faster by Means OF Microbes.
LONDON. May 2o.-King Edward is said
TO be in better health at the present time
than hc has been for some years His
weight is not 30 great as it was short
time ago and, yielding to the urgent advice
Of his physicians. he is taking, for him,
quite lot Of walking exercise.
Every morning. wet or fine. no has q
sharp walk Of about an hour in the grounds
Of Buckingham Palace, accompanied by an
equerry and one or two OF his favorite
dogs. He is feeling 80 well that short
time ago. while making up his always
heavy list of engagements, he was seriously
considering giving up his usual visit to
Marienbad. Fortunately for Marienbad,
the Kings medical advisers strongly urged
him not to do so. as they consider few
weeks rest every autumn essential.
The season az yet has not wakened up
to the brilliancy for which every one has
been looking and still hopes. A lot Of small
dances Of no great distinction. q few political
receptions and not much else have 50 far
constituted tho main part OF the record.
OF really big balls there are not likely.
it is said, to be more than half dozen.
The Duchess Of Portland gives what will
probably be the ball Of the season.
Racing. the Kings favorite pastirne,
Is becoming more and moro fashionable
This is bad for London, as 1t takes people
away In the middle OF the week. while the
week end Of course, has long been q rccog-
nized institution. People now live in
London apparently only In order to get
out Of it as much as possible. The effect
Of this is to be seen in the $4,000 empty
houses Of London, hundreds Of them in
good residential neighborhoods. p
Whether it is to Be attributed TO the
week end habit. golf, tho motor car. bad
times, or a combination Of them all. the
fact is indisputable that many Of the good
West End clubs ara suffering badly for
want Of fresh blood. At the same time
women's clubs seem to increase. multiply
and generally prosper.
The oynio might suggest that In this
fact Is to be found the reason for the decay
Of the mans club. Now that the woman
has club Of her own and is no longer at
home, the reason for husbands seeking their
clubs in preference to the domestic freeide
hae disappeared.
One Of the features Of Beerbohm Trees
gorgeous production Of 'The Merchant Of
Venice has been his introduction Of
number of real Jews from the East End OF
London to form the crowd in the Ghetto
scene. When Tree interviewed his jewish
crowd for the first time assembled on the
stage Of his Majesty's Theatre he told
them that one Of the things that would
happen would be that the Christian per-
formers In the play would pretend to spit
upon them.
Understand said Tree, cit viii not be
real. but only pretence.'
He then went on to tell them how much
they were to be paid for each performance
and turned to 60. One old patriarch,
however, held him with wistful look and
after brief pause said:
II say, sir. couldn't you make It a little
moro and let them spit1"
Let it be recorded without comment that
Sgnor Koelticker, an Italian Eoologist.
states that by means Of a microphonograph
his hypothesis that fish have language
of their own has been fully confirmed.
He has heard them carry on "a sort OF
murmuring conversation" He does not,
however, pretend to have understood 1t.
Lord Rosebery is said to possess the
coetliest collection Of snuff boxes In the
world. Many Of them are of solid gold
and some are set with precious stones.
4 curiously inlaid enamel snuff box was
at one time the property Of Napoleon Bona
parte. small black box studded with
three diamonds belonged to the eminent
statesman Pitt. while another. plainly
nlsd with fine gold. was used by Fox.
Although there are only twenty-five
boxes in the collection its estimated value
is $l75,Ooo
Patrick Cahill Of Dublin. optician to the
Pope, recently visited Rome for the pur-
pose ofteeting the Pope's eyesight. In COM
memora.ion of the papal jubilee he PEE
sented the Pope with gold casket and a
white leather spectacle case,
According TO Mr.. Cahill the Pope's eye--
sight is remarkably good for man Of his
years. he only uses glasses Tor reading
One curious little fact Mr.. Cahill makes
public is that the Pope's eyes are OF
different colors. The iris of one is blue
and OF the other brown, although very few
people are said TO have noticed the pecu-
>arity.
There is only one occasion on which
members Of the House Of Commons are
obliged TO sit with their heads uncovered.
This is on the delivery to the Speaker Of a
written message under the royal sign
manual. The rule doee not even apply
when an address or speech from the Throne
is being read TO the House from the chair.
1t was therefore an unusual and all the
more impressive sight the other day when
the whols House sat with heads uncovered
while a proposal for the erection OF a me-
mortal to Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman
was being considered. The erection Of a
monument in Westminster Abbey was
unanimously agreed 10 in both houses.
bu. this will probably be the last statue
OF Prime Minister to be placed in the
Abbey. In the House Of Commons Mr..