According to an official of the ImperialJapanese household, the poemscomposed by the late Dowager-Empressof Japan numbered 30,000. But thesewere never published, and the Empressdied universally respected.
A foolish hoax is said to have beenperpetrated on the authorities at DublinCastle. An anonymous communicationinformed them that a Dreadnought hadbeen purchased by the Ulster loyalists,and would shortly make her appearanceoff the coast of Ireland disguisedas an outrigger. Urgent instructionswere in consequence issued to thecoastguards not to be caught napping.
"I honestly hope," said GeneralVilla, "that the Americans will bottleup Vera Cruz so tight that one can'teven get water into it." But this surelywould place America's teetotal navyin a very awkward predicament.
His Majesty King Ferdinand ofBulgaria has, a Paris newspaper informsus, purchased four elephants aspets. We trust that this is the beginningof the end of the toy-dog craze.We have always considered elephantsmore interesting, and ladies no doubtwill not be slow to realise that there ismore effect to be got out of them.
The dogs which are to accompany hisexpedition are, Sir Ernest Shackletonstates, coming to London and willspend some little time here. It is to behoped that they will be given a goodtime and shown the sights, and thatno one will be so thoughtless as tomention emergency rations in theirpresence.
Says Mr. Filson Young in The PallMall Gazette:—"I began yesterday byswimming in a sunlit sea, continued itby motoring through a hundred milesof lilac and gorse, and ended it listeningto the most perfect concert programmeat Queen's Hall that I have everheard.... Was it not a happy day?"The answer, Filson, is in the affirmative.
Forty years ago, £1,000 a year wasspent on wines and spirits at theMedway (Chatham) Workhouse andInfirmary, while to-day the annualexpenditure is only £5. In these hardtimes even paupers have to economise.
St. Mark's Church, Tunbridge Wells,which has been troubled with a plagueof flies, has had to be closed for a weekfor the purpose of fumigation. Manymembers of the congregation had complainedof being kept awake by thesevivacious insects.
Apparently the modistes have resolvedthat this shall be a butcher's year, forwe are promised leg-of-mutton sleeves,ham-frill skirts, and pork-pie hats.
Although M. Jean Worth, thefamous creator of fashions, has declaredthat the mania of modernwomen for changing styles of dressamounts to a disease, it is not, weunderstand, the present intention ofany of the leading dressmaking firmsto offer a prize for a cure for thisailment.
M. Worth also stated that "Quality,not quantity," is the right motto forwomen in matters of dress. For allthat, we trust that the irreducibleminimum has now been reached.
According to the calculations of aM. Verronet, the earth has onlyanother two million years to live. Wehope that the effect of this statementmay not be to encourage jerry-building.