Year: 1876

LlOn1H1mg In London.


The good people of England are no,
tOrious for their love of what is fire..
quently called ''lion"-while their
attachment lasts it is always at fever
heat. At one time Shah is the lion,
at another it is the Claimant. In the
month of June, 1914, there was a whole
menagerie of this description of animals
in the persons of the allied sovereigns
and their most distinguished Generals.
They had come over to pay a visit to
that ally whose powerful cooperation
had enabled them to hurl from the
throne the mightiest tyrant with which
the world has been afflicted in modern
times. formed one of the crowd that
assembled on Westminster Bridge to
witness the arrival of Field Marshal
Won Blucher, or "Blucher," as the
LondOners used to call him. We had
been waiting a good hour and half,
when we heard loud cheering from the
Surrey side, intermingled with cries of
"Blucher for ever" The object of this
ovation turned out to be u fat, greasy
butcher, mounted on a sorry nag, and
carrying meat tray on his shoulder.
Shortly afterward Marshal "Forwards"
appeared in a barOuche drawn by four
horses, which from the density of the
crowd were obliged to 60 at a foot's
pace. We gave him a most enthusiast
tic reception, and he returned our
greetings by holding out his hand to be
shaken by the men and kissed by the
women. The next great object of at
traction was Count Platoff, General of
COssacks. Our idea of the troops of
which he had command was derived
from prints of them in the shop win
dows-men of colossal forms, with red
lank bair, high cheek bones, and snub
noses. My mother took me with her to
Covent Garden, not so much to see the
performances as to have a sight of the
renowned Hetman. We were in the
Duke of Bedford's box, which was next
to the Prince Regents, and, forming an
obtuse angle with it, we could see with
out being seen. There was Count Pla-
toff, slipping his coffee, but instead of
a semi-barbarous giant, 1 beheld a little
narrow-chested man, with regular fea-
lures, an olive complexion, black hair,
eyes, and mustache, and teeth to match.
The Emperor of all the Russias paid
visit one morning to Deans Yard, and
preserved his incognito so well that he
was nearly going away without being
discovered by us Westminsters. Lean
ing on his arm was the lovely Grand
Duchess of Oldenburg, and it was her
big hat that gave us a clue to her Impe-
rial brother. At the time of the arrival
of the allied sovereigns, English ladies
wore straw bonnets fitting close to the
head somewhat in the shape of bee
hive cut in half, but the pretty Grand
Duchess had not been with us a week
before the ''beehive" disappeared, and
the "coal-scuttle" usurped its place.
l went one night to see Elliston in his
best Vdpid in the "Drama-
tist." When the curtain dropped Vdpid
seemed to be so busy making notes for
his new play as to be unaware that he
was left alone. After trying both stage
doors he declared that the ''rogues had
shut him OUT" and, advancing to the
front, Informed the audience that he
meant TO dramatize them all. He began
by addressing some clever verses to the
pit and gallery, and then pointed to a
very pretty woman sitting in the dress
circle and coffee a la Oldenburg. All
eyes followed the direction of his Fem
ell. The lady at first appeared uncch-
scious of being the object of such uni
versal observation, but suddenly arose
to escape, when Elliston called out:


"stopi Madam, stop. you lady in the bonnet.


I'll have you down. You may depend upon it,"


The whole affair was of course pre-
concerted coup de theatre.-Lord Abe
mdrle's Recollection's.