MISCELANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume IX, Issue 1386, 11 April 1884, Page 2

MISCELANEOUS.

The Queen is about to present a portrait of herself to the National Portrait Gallery. It is a copy, "by au amateur," of the portrait of Her Majesty, by Angeli, which hangs in the private-room at Windsor Castle. It has never been considered to be one of the best pictures of the Queen, although, it has always been much favoured by Her Majesty, who took » great fancy to Angeli's style, and he was employed by her to paint the picture of Lord Beacon sSeld, which hangs in the corridor at Windsor. "The amateur" who has copied the picture is said to be Princess Beatrice. I am fortunate enough to be able to give you some accurate information as to the reasons which induced Irving' and Mrs Langtry to abandon their tours of Australia and New Zealand. Irving, it is possible, never really in» tended to cany out the idea, but Mrs Langtry was quite in earnest up to the end of November last — in fact, had even gone so far as to arrange to give a performance at Honolulu on, her way to Auckland. What made her change all the plans were the evil stories told of colonial theatrical enterprise by American managers and . actors. They had none of them > single word to say for the Australias. • 4 The worst place in the world for a "big draw" like you to go to" people were always repeating. Oue actor absolutely went through a list of the principal theatres in Australia arid New Zealand with Mrs Langtry, and demonstrated to her that even if the most sanguiue expectations of the tour were realised, and the colonial public consented to pay double prices and come and see her in big crowds, she would still make less money than by staying and playing amongst friends in the United States. "This, perhaps, would not have influenced her if the fear of failure had not been coupled with it. She could, not (speaking as a " star") afford to play at ordinary prices in the colonies ; many really good judges feared that after the first flush of cufiosity was over the public would resent the extra charges as an imposition aud stay away. Altogether the p'ospect was so far from temptiug that it seemed wiser to turn "rightabout face" and accept the safe haven of a lucrative engagement in New York. I heard all this at a theatrical club the other night. The speaker was a Yankee actor of standing, so I think his word may be taken. Thanks to the efforts of the Charity Organisation Society, sufficient money has been raised to pay. the passages of George Lovegrove and his fiinily back to New Zealand. The claimant to the Derwentwater estates was shipped on board the Crusader last Saturday, and is now well on his way to Auckland, where accoi-ding to his own account, plenty of people are anxions to set him on his legs agaiu. I can't say I altogether believe in Mr Lovegrove. I didn't know much of him personally, but those who did were the reverse of impressed with his bearing under affliction. Instead of setting to work manfully at his trade in England, his sole idea seems to have bien to beg or borrow money to take him back to the Colony, and in attaining this end there was no limit to his or his wife's mendacity. Mrs Lovegrove absolutely suggested to me that I should ask my friends to subscribe £5 a-piece towaHi* paying the family's passages to the Colony, and when I burst out laughing at the notion she bounced out of the room declaring I had insulted her. Lovegrove himself made a similar proposition to Captain Ashby, who said "No." The captain, however, interested himself a good deal in the case. He offered to lend £100 towards paying the family's passages, and was in other ways kind to Lovegrove, though he got small thauks for his good-nature. With regard to the bona fides of the man's heirship to the Derwentwater estates, I learn that he is only one of several claimants who suppose themselves entitled to a slice of these fair lands. His whole claim was a myth founded on an old woman's craze, and the Auckland lawyers who recommended him to break up his home and his trade to follow such a wild goose chase must themselves be tit for Bedlam. However, " all's well that ends well,' and now Lovegrove has found his way back to New Zealand I fully expect that he will put his shoulder to the wheel again in earnest. The man has certainly suffered much, and deserves both sympathy and assistance. Mrtoifner Stephen, the " magnetic healer," returns to us onco more, heralded this tim^ by the report of a lively comedy transacted at his meeting in Invercargill last week. Dr Wardale, hospital surgeon, produced a crippled patent from the institution under his caie, and offered the magnetic Stephen ten guineas to heal him. Mr Stephen objected that it was not right to tempt him by the offer of filthy lucre. He had already referred to a scale of " fixed charges," and hinted that the mention of tea guineas had spoiled the " patient's chauces. Dr Wardale was willhig to waive the question of hbno--rarftira.^'He'wtfnred the man" healed anyhow : was Mr Stephen going to do it or not? Mr Stephen couldn't say ! just then, but he would take the opnortunity of reading a few testimonials. Testimonials read. Would the meeting i-efusp to belive these sworn statements? Dr Wardale intimated that seeing was believing, and that the meeting was waiting to see the present cripple healed. To Mr Stephen : *« Will you cure this stiff- knee ?"< Mr Stej^boU

would say when he had looked at it, butin the meantime would read another testimonial. What did the doctor think of that? The doctor, in reply, intimated that he didn't think anything of that ; and repeated his demand that the healer would "do something local" hereupon Mr Stephen rebuked him for Jus unbelief, and produced apliiaT containing some "roots of cancers "extracted by magnetic agency. Had the doctor ever seen such roots hefove ? The doctor said that he certainly never had, and what was move, was pre&pared to deny that a cancer had any roots at all. "No medical man on earth that knows his profession would say that a cancer has roots." Was Mr Stephen going to heal "this case? Hereupon Mr Stephen waxed indignant : " Am I to stand upon my defence bpfo c a board of doctors? God forbid! I should have a very short shrift." He was proceeding to " narrate pome farther experiences," arid probably to read more testimonials, when the 'audience dispersed, and the doctor carried his cripple back to the hospital Mr Milner Stephen is now in Dunerlin, wherft he purposes to v make early ar rangements for the public healing for the poor," apd in the meantime dispenses magnetised water and red flannel at the usual rate of charges. — Civis/ • A piir of knitted socks, 2000" yearß old, has been discovered in an Egyptian tomb. They are loosely knit of Hne sheep's wool and the foot is finished to two parts to allow the sandal strap to pas* between t&ero. Flxks and Bugs.— Beetles, insects, roaches^ anta, bed-bugs, rats, mice, gophers, jac^-ra'^bits, cleared out y " Rongh on Rats." The New Zealand. Drug. Co. .Sydney, General Agents.