The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04

ments of medical superintendent desr-
 ing efficiency in a "eombined' organist
 and nurse for mental disease
 And speaking of curious things reminds
 me of an entertainment at which I was
 present this week. It was a matinee
 concert given in aid of the wives and
 children of French cooks who are at pres
 ent fighting with the army in France.
 famous old hall called La Grand Sale
 du Cafe Monico" was taken for this
 entertainment, and I must say [ never
 before realized that London contained the
 wives and children of so many French
 cooks as mustered for this special war
 charity entertainment There must have
 been l2O0 or 1500 people present, and
 among them certainly not more than a
 dozen Englishmen and women.
 French soldiers abounded, many of
 them in their pale blue horizon" uni-
 forms, wearing their steel helmets, and
 most of them bearing upon their breasts
 brave tokens of the part they had taken
 during the past two years and more in
 France. The Metallic du Guerre, the
 Croix de Guerre and various other deco
 rations glimmered dimly upon many a
 manly chest, and there were two or three picturesque zouaves in the gather ing whose scarlet caps and long black
 tassels burned jaunty note of color into the volumes of grey smoke that made the atmosphere closely resemble Lon don fog with a tobacco flavor.
 One of the most interesting features of the afternoon was the fact that at ! long table placed in the center of the
 room there were seated 10 or 12 rubicund gentlemen, scrupulously well attired, all of whom were the chefs de cuisines of famous members of the English aristoc- l racy and ambassadorial supremacy. The doyen of the gathering was, of course, Mons Escoffier who has superin- tendended the meals of more crowned heads than possibly any other living cor- don bleu.
 Escoffier has served dinners for the late King Edward and the Emperor Will 1 liam, time and again, while whenever the King of Spain is in London, Escoffier is called from the dignity of his retire.
 ment to prepare such dishes as the vola- | tile Spanish monarch and his fair Eng fish consort most appreciate
 In appearance, Mons Escoffier sug- gests a venerable courier who has once | upon time been a soldier. but who now | In his later years prefers to suggest the serenity of official studiousness He is | a medium sized old gentleman with a white mustache. an eagle nose, and a
 keen pair of eyes, steely grey in color. l He is very slim and erect in figure and l dresses with the perfection of a noble- 1 man of the old regime. very interest ing man is Escoffier; he has a suite of | his own at the Carlton hotel, and gives occasionally petit dinner d'intimate," to l which distinguished people are only too | glad to be invited
 | Another great "chevalier de la cuisine''
 who was present was the chef of King
 Manuel of Portugal; also an old French
 man. He is very fat and round, with I merry brown eyes sunk in masses of dim- | pied red cheeks, and a smile that can | only be likened to that of the Cheshire ] Cat in Alice in Wonderland" To com
 pete triumvirate of distinguished ar- ! lists of the stew pan and the sauce bot l tie was the chef of the Duchess of Marl- borough, Mons. Coumeigs, of whom I have already spoken once or twice. Mons. Coumeigs made speech of most brilliant and flowery oratory in musical French and sang the first bars of La Marseillaise'' with tremendous spirit He is a patriot of the real French type, full or emotion. and intense admiration for all the deeds of the allied armies
 It was strange in prosaic twentieth cen tury London to be one of gathering so essentially and completely foreign such as this concert called together. Eng ! fish people have such a different way | of expressing their patriotic emotions. They cheer and sing very heartily, and 1 they think deeply, but they are not apt to puDbie over and slzzle with immense 1 excitement in the same way as do a similar gathering of patriotic French men and women. @S5 ess a 999 Mentioning the Duchess of Marlborough 1 brings to my mind that once more there are rumors afoot concerning her recon. ciliatfon with the duke. How true this may be do not know. It is certain however, that their eldest son. the Mar quis of Blandford. has recently had to undergo an operation for appendicitis at Sunderland house. He was brought back | from France Che is a subaltern in the guards) suffering very severely and was at once taken to his mothers house in Curzon street where he still lies rs- covering, but seriously ill It is said that the duke was sent for by the duchess before an operation was performed upon | their son. and that beside his bed the couple made up their minds to sink past differences. However that may be, Lord Slandford's health has given much anx- ety to both the duke and duchess, and is not likely that he will be permitted Q return to active service with his regi- nent in France after he recovers
 The Duchess of Marlborough, by the way. had an interesting luncheon party this week. General de Nvelle, comman- Ter in chief of the French armies on the western front has been in London onferring with the authorities at the War office. and took his midday meal on one day with her grace I am as 5ured that the Duke of Marlborough was ,'so present. and also member of tho English royal family. Such a quartet OrnS an interesting link in the historx,