The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-12-03

of it's society with remarkable distinct
 ness.
 In one corner of the studio a hug,
 black velvet curtain falls almost iron the ceiling to the floor and presently
 one of the guests, the Baroness Le Vie I came and sang one of Puccini's ariai 1 from La Tosca." She stood against the l black velvet curtain dressed in a very i simple gown of dead white cloth with a ! broad black velvet collar falling heavily | over her shoulders, her white stockingec 1 feet were in black velvet shoes laced | with black velvet and she wore a baggy black velvet cap on her black hair. The erect of sharply outlined black and white was quite extraordinary and ! as the baroness is very pretty | black and white was quite evtraordinary
 and as the baroness is a very pretty | woman, with clearly cut features, large black eyes and perfectly white skin, the 1 result was altogether satisfactory.
 | In another corner of the room in 8 large crimson chair, across the back l or which was flung a leopard skin, sat the Russian painter, Princess 1 Crlstotf, wearing a black velvet gown and broad band of gold embroidery round her red hair. She was telling TWO or three people of the tragic end or the great Russian composer Scar laplne, to some of whose music we had been listening. He died only about 1 two years ago from blood poisoning ! brought on by a small scratch on his lace' put this was perhaps the least l IneianchoIy part of his story, for his | ire was very tragic one He was a | mystic and a man of extraordinarv | imaginative qualities. His one ambi- | tlon was to live in India, where in some lotus land of his own imagin- ihes he would build temple where | m he would construct a sort of para : l dlse' according to his own ideas "Tfe Was only A when he died" said the | princess, "but his soul and his mind had never been of the present day. they belonged entirely to the oriental l past Had he lived longer his music would have been recognized as being Tar beyond anything that Wagner ever created"
 AN INTERESTING PERSON Anotber interesting personality in i thls group of Is or 20 people was l MISS Wade, who is private secretary to Mrs. Asquith, and who probably | knows more of the inner history of | Lendon's political and social life than anyone else. Miss Wade is a charm ! lngly demure and attractive little | iauy whose manners are delightful and who is discretion itself. She is small and slim and has soft gray hair rarted above young and most ex- pressive face. She has plenty of hu- nor and diplomatic sense that en- ables her to say exactly the right thing to everybody and never to for get name or 8 face no matter how brief may be her intercourse with the hundreds of people with whom she comes in contact. Miss Wade engineers most successfully the majority of the entertainments and charitable affairs a rn o,,f1 | and her daughter, Miss Elizabeth As quith. She is a sort of social "re- m membrancer" to them both and it is recorded of her that she has never yet forgotten an engagement or failed to remind them of some appointme ent that might quite excusably escape their attention. She can judge to a nicety the moods and lenses of the prime minister's wife and his daugh- ter and very often it is a discreet word from her that will cause one or other of these ladies to become in terested in a hitherto unappreciated artist and so give the first impetus to unreco~nized talent
 CITY OF WONDERS
 London is always a city of wonder and novelty to me and it's interest never ceases to be fresh and new to those who know it's ever changing moods and its strange patches of humanity. Nearly every day during my walks abroad I pass by one Of the West End theatres where matinees occur practically every afternoon in the week. Many of these matinees are largely attended by wounded soldiers who arrive in their hospital uniforms. brave procession of pathetic, yet inspiring interest. At the door of the particular theatre I mention there has been stationed every day for many months past an elderly woman who Is well dressed and of a "comfortable' appearance She carries in her hand a square wooden box with tho Red Cross official sign upon 1t into which peo- pie drop their pennies as they pass. As the wounded men go by this lady raises her hand to her forehead each time in salute and they return the greeting bravely and as if they rec ognized the spirit in which it Is meant. It is only a small incident. but it strikes me as being 8 fine ex- ample of the right spirit. I should think this cultivated and we'll bred looking woman probably has sons or near relations who are fighting as well. and she just gives a certain portion of each day not only to the collection of funds for the benefit of the wounded but also gives of her homage to the fighting men who pass her by. .
 CLUBS ARE RAIDED
 I hear stories, more or less true, of the police raid that was made re- gently upon the most famous and lux urious lunch and supper club. in Lon don. The raid had nothing to do with the morals of the establishment which, as everyone realizes. are be- yond reproach, but it had to do with the evasion of the strict licensing laws regarding drink that are now being so stringently carried out in London. No liquid of an intoxicating nature can be served in any club or restaurant after 9:30 and when the police arrived at the club in question it was found that as many as 40 diff ferent tables were being supplied plentifully with "bubbly wine.' The result was that the names of all the members. both men and women, who had bought champagne after prohib- ited hours. were taken and they and the proprietor and manager of ahe court the following morning The re- members were fined $40 (s200) each, while the club proprietor had to "cough up'' sum equivalent to $4000 and this is not all. Several court martials have arisen out of the affair for more than one of the members fined were officers in his majesty's service who had overstayed their leave from the front.
 
 An Enlarging Class