Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-22
ONDON GOSSIP
Special Correspondence Of The Star.
nNnHA~ Y.A.> q

LONDON, February s, 1908.
TT has frequently been stated that
"Ouida'' had a great aversion to
Americans. But according to a writer
who within fortnight Of the death Of the
unfortunate authoress received letter
from her. In which she addressed him az
my oldest friend.'' she numbered many
Americans among her intimates. 1t was
in 1850 that he first made the acquaint-
ance Of Ouida and her mother, who were
then staying at the L.angham Hotel in
London.
1T Is scarcely correct to say he writes
that she disliked Americans The painter
Bierstadt was one of her earliest friends,
and many of his friends became hers also.
1t must. however, be borne in mind that
during a great part of the time when
Ouida lived at the Lansham Hotel II
| had for its manager an ex-colonel of the
Confederate army. and that consequently
| it was not much in favor with NORTH
erners Nevertheless, it was there that
Lonsfellow stayed. and l owe to Ouida
the plea sure of having once been In his
| company"
The Real ouida.
| OF the real Ouida as he knew her he
writes:
"Enough-perhaps more than enough
has been said OF the guise under which
Ouida appeared to the public; but to her
| intimate friends she displayed qualities
and feelings which bound them to her
Among such was the late Earl Of Lytton,
a man Of fastidious taste: and others
might be named whose appreciation OF
| her merits would be accepted without re-
serve. Ouida had none of the ordinary
, resources Of women. She tried her hand
! at painting but did not achieve much;
she was fond OF music but played no in
strument; i never saw her with a needle
in her fingers, and she detested cards
with such thOrouShness that ! connected
| this dislike with her mysterious. ma the
| NAUTICAL father: but may be wrong. She
| attracted men more than women. because
she liked to discuss that which interested
the former, and disliked talking on many
subjects which her own sex thought OF
paramount importance. IN the conduct OF
her own life imagination played SO great a
part that she was exposed to many dis
I illusions: and 1t Is not to be wondered al
| If toward its close she became embittered
against the world which had once seemed
so bright, but in the end became so gray. u
gray"
Originated Limericks.
I The recent anniversary Of the death OF
Edward Lear recalls the fact that he was
the originator Of 'limericks." though not
of course. Of limerick competitions. which
now beginning to wane here. are still IN
full swing in America.
The first patrons Of 'limericks' were
the members OF the noble house OF Stan
| ley, for il was to amuse the children
grandchildren and grcat-Srandchildren OF
the thirteenth Earl Of Derby that Lear
with their equally quaint drawings. Al
| one time runor attributed the actual
authorship Of the verses TO Lord Derby
and Lear relates with gusto how he dis
comfited an elderly gentleman in a rail-
way carriage. who had insisted that the
real author was Lord Derby. the name
Lear being merely earl transposed
and that there was mo such person at al
as Edward Lear" The reply Of the autho,
of the Book of Nonsense was to flash
upon his would-be extinguisher a num-
i Der Of personal articles all inscribed with
his name. together with several letter:
addressed to himself.
Not Lyrics But Learics.
Lear first attracted the interest OF LORD
Derby by his colored drawings, with the
result that his patron found him the
means 10 visit Italy and there foster his
art Thus was laid the founda ton Of ar
enduring friendship between the Knowsley
family and the author-painter The mon
sense verses were originally dubbed
"learics,' q happier designation. 1t wouid
appear. than '.limericks." But the latte,
word had already established itself as tho
generic name for a certain type Of sing.
song popular at river picnics. Of which q
favorite version was:
| Wont you up. come up, come up
Won't you come up TO Limerics.
| The name at first attached to this de
scription of nonsense chant became graft
ed later upon the more enduring nonsense
verse invented by Edward Lear. He dieo
at San Reno. January .9, 1855.