Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), Thursday 5 March 1914, page 8


LONDON GOSSIP.

INTERESTING ITEMS. LONDON, January 30. — Legion of Honour 'for Commander Evans.—

Frenchmen paid a TvoU-deserved compliment to Commander Evans.' the heroic companion of Capt. Scott in the aDtarctic, a; a reception given on Monday in the

Hotel de ViUe ? by * the I'aria .Municipal Council. Those present to' welcome him included Sir Francis Bertie, the British Ambassador,, Prince' Rolando Bonaparic, Dr. Charcot, the famous explorer, and Cul. Marchand. M. Chassaiene-Goyon, the President of the Council, recalled ttip giorious part the lieutenant had played, ia' one of the greatest exploits on wji'.c'a humanity could pride itself, ^fter p.ifiD^ an affecting tribute to the late_Capt. 'icnti; the President, handed to Commander Evans the gold medal of the City of L'aris. Commander 'Evans, trho spoke in Franca, credited to hi3 brave leader and dear cornrAnions the-praise that had been pa'.J'to him. The following night Commander Evans lectured at the Sorbonne. The spimii! inside and outside the- building was hkc a' great dress ' rehearsal night in 'a, laws theatre. Commander-Evans read his tecture, in French, from ??notes, and oo he recounted the fight against ?- cold and privation by Scott and 'his plucky -barid, and their quiet heroism and resignation wnfn' they could drag themselves no further, the emotion of the audience became interne, and manv of those present were- moved to tears. Enthusiasm reached- its olinu'C ?when at the end M. Doumereue. the Premier, rose and, in the name of. the FreDch 'ttepuolic, conferred the knighthood of the. Legion of Hononr on Commander -Evans in material token'' of the admiration of the French Government and- people. President Poincare himself pinned the decoration on the gallant officer's breast. , ' ' — Where 'Gordon Died.-- '?

? On tlie occasion of- the anniversary 01 General Gordon's death, on ? January ,26, 1885, and of 'the consecration of.lhe^cath^flral a!f 'Khartoum, jspecial; seyW»»;-wferii held on Sunday, the prexchera beinf^Profes3or Say«e in the morning,, and Bishop fiwynne in the evening. \ A memorial 'win-dow in the Gordon Chaoel to General Earle (who waa killed jn the relief expedition), presented by his widow, -was also dedicated. 'A -wreath of nowera -was placed '-over, the tablet - -which marks the spot ?where General Gordon met his death. —Paris Bachelors.— The midinettes of the famous dressmaking esbablishments of the Rue d« la Paix. Paris, have founded a 'mixed *lub called the Trente et Quarante (T-..rfey and Forty). It coTi'ustfl of ' 15 girU and 15 varnii; men, with 10 additional honorary members. The number of ' young men members ir strictly iimited to 15. The result has been fierce competition among many of the most eligible voun^ bachelors of Paris. A well-known barrister, a rising young author, «| famous sportsman, all men of considerable means, are already elected. This new and select club is strongly suspected to be a clever ruae for finding husbands. —Grandmother of Revolution.— The 'Grandmother of the Revolutionr' Hme: Breshkovsky. wqo was recaptured on December 9 soon after her escapa from her Dlace of exile in Northern Siberia. hn-* been taken, to Irknbk- for trial.' and , will probablj'' be sentenred to two years' imrrisonment (saye a Time3 message from St. Petersburg). -Mr. Silverier Horne,. M\P— ; Acting on the imperative .orders of bis medical adviser, -the Rev. C.' Silvester Home, Liberal M.P. for In«wich. after 10 years' successful work at VThitefieids, hns resigned the euperintendency of tbe mission. It is'his intention at a later date, if -health pe^niits. to take, up the work of the ministry again in some other lessexhausting snhere. The superintendencv of 'Whitefielns will now be in the hands of-the Rev, W. Charte'r Piggolt, .whose, work since h^s apnointment 'hss been bo successful'and eo highly anrjecinted. The P.SA. eatherinjts1 at' Wliitefielda during '3Ir. Silvester Home's tenure have been addressed, by many members- of Parliament and, we^lknown social workers.' —Baby Bonaparte.— : The week-old son o£ Prince Victor Bonaparte has already been the silbjec; of--?writien question by a Deputv . toAjthe French Minister of the Intercor.. M. Engearang asked ncliether or 'not 'French territory is forbidden the baby.. In his written question he described the infant as- 'Prince Napoleon,' but this description was refused by :he officials of the Chamber.flnd he had to be referred to aa Louis Napoleon. Therfe aDpears little doubt that a viffr 'by the babv to France would be forbidden, as tbe Act of 1886 covers all the chiefs of the family which has reigned in France and their heirs. ' —Governor of, the Panama Canal.— President Wilson has sent to the Washington Senate the nomination of 'Col. Goetbais to the Governorship of the Panama jLfenal Zone from April I. In the House of Representatives on Thursday a BiU was f-fesented rnakin? the salary oE the new ? Governor £3,000 per annnm during Col. Goethal's incumbency, which is the same as lie is now receiving aa Chairman or the Canal Comn-.cssi'on., . ?. .... ? ? —Women with Expedition'.— vProfe«or Felix Koenig, tie leader of tne 'Austrian antarciic expedition, , left Vienna on Monday via Berlin, Ham'burg, «nd Cophenhagen, for. ChrietraiKa. There he will settle all the preparations for the expedition. .He ha« purohased ISO Esqimiiux dogs. An Esqirnaux family and some 'bsqimaux women, who are 'the best skin sewers, are to accompany the crew. A .! -—A Great Painfer,— .The world of art has sustained a severe los^by the death, at the early age of.49, of llr. John H. F. Bacon, A.RA;, M-V.O.. who painted pictures of the Coronations of Iung_Edward 'VTI., and King George V. Mr. Bacon died at iia residence in Queen's Gate ' terrace, after an attack of acute bronchitis., .Son of a famous lithographer he waa born in 1865, and was one of the most precocious artists of modern times. Hi3 first tutor was Mr. Fred Brown, of the Westminster School of Art, and before the age of 17 he was making a creditable income as a black-and-white: artist for magazines. After a tour in India and the East, le settled in Worcestershire, where he began a series of pictures which were to establish . him in the art world.' In temperament very nervous and sensitive, and delicatp. in health'; he was, toe artist of pathos. His pictures have been accorded a place in -tBe Royar Acadamy each year since 1888. In the nineties he distinguished himself by* his religious canvases, 'Geth-Eem.-tne' and 'Peace Be Unto You,' while ia 1903 ha received the honour of

painting his first Coronation picture, 'Homage Giving, Westminster Abbey, August 9.' His later Coronation picture . (1911) was remarkable for .the number of ' portraits of royalty and peerage which he -, had depicted in the scene. His house m Queen's Gate terrace was then a necessary place of pilgrimage for the nobility of the land, and the King and Queen showed much solicitude at the time that be should not over-exert himself. Mr. Bacon 'executed also many portraits of well-known society ' and public men. —Princess's Protest.— Princess Sophia Duleep Singh. of'Fara-' day House, Hampton Court, saw her jewels seized under a distress warrant rather than pay fines and costs amounting to over £16 for keeping a groom, a carrage, and two dogs without licences. By order of the Justices of the Spelthorne Division of Mid-dlesex, the jewels were offered for sale by public auction at the Twickenham Town Hall on Monday. The auctioneer (Mr. Alaway) explained that the jewels seized by the police consisted of a necklace, with 131 pearls, and a gold bangle. with a heart- shaped pendant, with a diamond centre surrounded with pearls. He was proceed-ing with the sale when Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, who occupied a seat in the front of the hall, rose, and exciaimed:— "I protest against this sale, seeing it is most unjust to women that they should be compelled to pay unjust taxes, when they have no voice in the government of the country." The bidding started at £6, and when it had reached £10 the lot was knocked down to Miss Gertrude Eaton, a member of the Women's Tax Resistance League. Bidding for the gold bangle started at £5. and only two other bids being received, it was sold to the same lady for £7. . ' ,, . -iRoBsetti's 'Model.— j By the death of Mre. William Morris.' an- -nounced on Wednesday, at Bath. Lady ,' Burne-.Jonea becomes tbe sole survivor of * thfc famous erouj)— Rossetti, Burne-Jones, ' and. 'Xforris— who, with their wives, were ' so_ intimately associated in art and life. Miss Jauc Burden was born at Oxford in 1810, antl there Roseotti eaw her as a jtirV snd induced her to tit for him.' Her ?beauty ,nas of a vcrv ;nre ajid, distint^iislied type, and it was made familiar bv the pencil of Roisetti. i«]io diew and painted much from her for sonw 1J \ears after their firtic mectmE. Within a few months of that event she was enja^d to William Morris. Tbev w.pre mainci in 1S59. and for a time li\ed .it Red House Upton. ? In 1878 thev came to Kc'msrott House. Hammerranitii, which until Moivi-'r deatK in 1896 -\\ as remarimblc as a meeting place Tor all who were distinguished in art and literature and socialism. Mrs. Morns herself was an artist of great nbility, and- ? worked embroidery of exquisite beauty. She is survived bv her two daughters, tie vounRer of whom, Miss May Morrie, is well , known as a designer and executor of embroideries. '— — Couple Married at 85. — A large crowd gathered on Wednesday ofc the church at Meats. Countv Westmeath, Ireland, to witness a wedding dt which the bride and bridegroom were each 85 years old. Tlie bridegroom, a hale old uien. has been engaged all hia life at farming work, while the bride is an ardent .Iiish revivalist, and has danced with much, .activity at recent festivals.

'Did your husband have any luck on his. bunting trip?' 'Splendid! Didn't you , hear?' 'No, what was it?' 'He got back alive.' - _ _, '--...,' One Saturday afternoon, as he walked leisurely home from work, Kelly overtook O'Callighan canyinz a small parcel which obviously contained Tiis weekly washing. ''1 ' thought.' said Kelly, '4t was 'Mis. Murphy that did your washing' for you, but ih; lives the other-side of £he«town.' 'Mrs. Murphy. -iiEed to,' answered O'Cailighan, 'but I left her to-' go to Widow Malon'c. who is an obliging body, and doesn't object to sewing 'a button' on a man's shirt when she washes it.' On the following Monday O'Callighan it was who overtook Kelly on his way to the Widow Malone, but was surprised to see that he only carried a pillbox. 'And what/' asked h»»,\ ?'ia it you're after seeing the widow for? ? 'I've been thinking over -what yon said about her being an obliging body,' - an-, swered Kelly, and I'm taking her a outton -to.be washed and 'have a shirt sewn, on.' . ' .'