December W i W o

NOTICE TO READERS.
Ttie Editonal, Advertising, and General Business Offices of Tke Daily Mifror are ; 13, WHITEFRIARS-STREET, LONDON, E,C. TELEPHONES: 6100 Holboni (three lines). TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS : "Refiexed," London.
PARIS OFFICE ; -36, Rue du Sentier. PROVINCIAL CALLS; 125T.S Loudon.

THE

DAILY

MIRROR

Page'7

THIS

MORNING'S
afternoon by applying to \ h e Chief Scottish Ofhce, WhitehaH." Messenger, The engagement is just announced of Sir Frederick Fowke, of Lowesby Hall] Leicester, and Miss' Edith Frauces Daubeney, second daughter of the Rev. Canon Kawdon, of T h e Hermitage, Stockton-on-Forest, York. Sir- Frederick Fowke is a well-known follower of the Quorn Hounds, and Lowesby Hali is a very interesting old place. ,
X*

GOSSIP.
weeks. Slie is accompanied by her daughters, Mrs. John Ford and Mrs. Walter Burns. Towards the end of January Mrs. Cavendish Bentinck is expecting Mr. and Mrs. Ogden Mills on a visit from America.
K.

O U R T mourning fov die late Kuig of the Belgians commences to-day, and will last mitil New Year's Day. This is a very brief period of mourniiig, and will affect very few people, as no Court functions are taking place for some tiine to coraC; Should, however, anyone have to meet a" member of the Royal- l'\imily between now and the beginning oE the new year he or she will have to appear in mournuig.
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MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1909.

THE

PRESENT

WEEK.

Mrs, John Jacob Astor lias taken up her resiR O M , t h i s m o r n i n g u n t i l F r i d a y evendence at 34, Hill-street, Berkeley-square, which * * i n g n o t a l k of Budget- o r election, n o Lady Londesboiough's theatricals and concert she has taken for a time from Lprd Sackvil^e. Mrs. r u m o m ' s of wars, n o news of d e a t h s , at Blankney Hall the other day were most success- Astor intends permanently residing in'this country. -^ * will h a v e t h e slightest power t o t u r n o u r ful. T h e entertainment was organised for the The his daughter. Lady benefit, of Blankney .Church. Baroness Eckhard- Hele!\ Duke of Richmond andinstalled at Gordon t h o u g h t s from t h e y e a r l y conflict in t h e shops. Gordon-Ivcnnox, -are T h e p r e s e n t w e e k , is t h e - w e e k of p r e s e n t s . L i g h t s wili flitter f a r into t h ^ e v e n i n g s . G o r A FEW CHRISTMAS MARTYRS. g e o u s windows, .stacked t o - d a y with g l i t t e r i n g t h i n g s , will by F r i d a y b e h a l f - d i s m a n t l e d a n d d i l a p i d a t e d , like h o u s e s after a city h a s b e e n sacked. A n d s s p k e c j i t really will h a v e b e e n , by t h e n ! T h e siege b e g i n s t h i s m o r n i n g . W i t h t h e wise i t b e g a n l o n g a g o , b u t t h e wise a r e few. Most p e o p l e fail t o realise t h a t C h r i s t m a s , is n e a r u n t i l a few d a y s b e f o r e C h r i s t m a s D a y . Besides, even if t h e y d i d , a n d even w h e n the'y d o realise it, t h e sense of t h a t fatal n e a r n e s s w o u l d not, a n d does n o t , afifect t h e m a s it o u g h t . F o r t h e y t h i n k , while C h r i s t m a s is yet f a r off, t h a t it w i l F n o t really b e necessary t o give a n y t h i n g i n . t h e way of p r e s e n t s t h i s year. T h e y s a y t o all they rfteet: " T h i s y e a r we a r e very, very poor. S i m p l y can't afford a n y t h i n g ! Now y o u a r e n ' t g o i n g to give us a n y t h i n g , a r e y o u ? No ; very well, t h e n , we won't give y o u a n y t h i n g cither." It is a b a r g a i n . F o r t h e m o m e n t , they rest in p e a c e . B u t t h e n it b e c o m e s clear in t i m e that other people a r e not going to keep their p a r t of t h e b a r g a i n . A n a g e d friend, w h o said s h e was g o i n g t o send n o t h i n g , s e n d s a k n i t t e d muffler, striped p i n k a n d b r o w n . A f o r g o t t e n r e l a t i v e comes forward with a c o p y of s o m e u n r e a d a b l e b o o k b o u n d in stuffed leather. I t would m a k e a n fexcellent pin^ c u s h i o n , a l t h o u g h it m a k e s a b a d book. B u t , a n y h o w , it i s . a p r e s e n t . N o w a d a y s we a r e m o r b i d l y sensitive o n t h e p o i n t . We- have given u p a n e y e for a n e y e a n d a tooth for

Considerable modifications were made as to Court mourning with the oomiiieucemcnt of the preseiit reign, and the order for men to wear their sword hilts swathed in crei^e at important functions has been done away with ; also the wearing of black gloves, unless specially ordered.

It is perhaps as well to point out lo members of the Roya! Horticultural Society that .no flower shov.- will be held to-morrow owing to the approach of Christmas, The next show will be held on January 11.
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Mr. and Mrs. Carnegie Phipps {the latter a sister of .T..ady Granard and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ogden Mills) have recently arrived from America, and have takeu a hunting-box at Melton for the season. Mr. and Mrs. Ogden Mills are also coming to Englami, and expect to arrive about the 19th of January.
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Lord and Tlady Derby do not expect to take up their residence at Stratford House, Str;itford-pIace, until next summer. The workpeople are still ii^ possession, and great alterations and improvements are being carried out and the house much enlarged. The Duke and Duches? of lio.vburghe occupied. Stratford House last year, and did a certain amount of entertaining (here.

THROUGH ' T H E MIRROR*

CRUELTY TO^.EANS.

Could it be gently intimated to the doubtless kinddiearted people who play aanies'with " j u m p ing beans " that they are unwittingly perpetrating a cruelty precisely similar "to that inflicted when teaching hears to dance by means of hot plates, Each of the " beans " contains a living insect which can hardly enjoy being made into an unwilling imitator of St. Laurence. BERTHA N . GuAHAi[. Lyceiuii Chib, Piccadilly. WRITERS AND READERS OF POETRY, Mr. Andrew Lang has recently stated that there are more persons who. write than who read verse, while a-more definite authority places the number of the former at 5,000 and of the latter at 500. We have reached the latter remnant, who retain, in the words of Mr. Lang, the faculty of a dead world, but the former army interest qs also, and as it has been shown, on a previous occasion, that most young poets are rea{lers of The Daily Mirror I hope this expression of regard for them, and the .intimation ,Uiat our official journal, " The Poetical Gazette," contains ^orae announcements which concern these 5,000, will cause them to get info communication with us. The " poetic renaissance" has not yet reached its zenith.
The Director {GALI.OWAY KYOC).

THE riAIN OF QUIET TASTES V M H O S E R A N C E E C N E S H i m A N IMPOSSIBLE VjAISTCOftT

-^iMiinn iwiii III! iiiiiMiii II i i i i w i i iiimi

THE. DYSPEPTIC ^OR. RELATION WHO DAR-ENT- R.&FUS& X M A S PUDDINQ

The Poetry Recital Society, Clun House, Surrey-street, Strand, W.C, RATIONAL DRESS. I have noticed lately a marked tendency amongst the fair sex towards the adoption of " rationiil dress." I refer lo ladies who have taken to riding astride without a skirt. Are the publjc altering in their opinion of this st5-le'of dress? 'When it was used by lady cyclists some years ago they were very much (liscouraged, and I remember on one occasion quite, recently, seeing a young.lady riding in rational costume who was the victim of some very ti'ncompHmeiitary remarhs, and I can assure you her attire was n picture of neatness, and" comfort, yet had she beenmonnted on horseback and riding astrideshe would have no doubt been allowed to go alOng with "scarcely more than a glance. Now why is this? Why is it looked upon with .favour as regards horse riding, and yet for cyclitig it is held to be disgraceful? Cuuious.' Honaud-road.

T H E MAN

\N1TH S C A N T Y H A I R VJHO H A S TD .'vWEA.R A., P A p e K . C R O W N

a tooth.. A present for a present is the maxim

to r e p l a c e it. It may, be t h e influence of tariff reform discussions ^ n d . a b r o o d i n g over i m p o r t s a n d e x p o r t s ; we c a n n o t s a y ; b u t c e r tainly, i n e x c h a n g e for t h e s t r i p e d mufHer a n d t h e stuffed b o o k we t h i n k i f i m m e d i a t e l y n e c e s s a r y t o g o a n d s e c u r e s o m e t h i n g , prob^ ably ciuite a s useless a n d g e n e r a l l y a i'.ood deal m o r e e x p e n s i v e for t h e givers of t h e s e good t h i n g s . ~ ' ' T h a t a c c o u n t s , in m a n y cases, ioi t h e h o r r o r s of p r e s e n t week. There h a s never really b e e n discovered a n y e a s y way of evadi n g it. L a s t y e a r a way was a l m o s t discovered. L a s t year, we could s i m p l y o r d e r several copies of Q u e e n A l e x a n d r a ' s c h a r m i n g b o o k , o r a few copies of Q u e e n V i c t o r i a ' s letters, a n d s e n d t h e m on, o r h a v e t h e m sent on from t h e b o o k s e l l e r s . B u t , t h e n , writers of b o o k s p r o tested g a i n s t this.. T h e y said t h a t v-lisn e v e r y b o d y could, g e t s u c h b o o k s a s . t h e y w a n t e d t h e Q u e e n ' s ' a n d .the V i c t o r i a n lettersnobody- wanted beoks b y struggling a u t h o r s . I t w a s t r u e ' ; n o b o d y does o r d i d w a n t t h e m . B u t t h e s t r u g g l i n g a u t h o r s considered t h e m s e l v e s injured.- K n o w i n g t h a t theii' own b o o k s would n o t sell a n y h o w , t h e y protested against any books going about that ivould sell. T h i s year,^ i n ' c o n s e q u e n c e , we h a v e n o such, b o o k s t o give away. T h e r e o n l y r e m a i n s o n e r e s o u r c e t o give m o n e y , which is a l w a y s e a s i e r t h a n b u y i n g p r e s e n t s , a n d i s c e r t a i n l y m u c h p l e a s a n t e r for t h e .recipients, I n t h e . c a s e of t h o s e t o w h o m we c a n n o t give m o n e y , we m i g h t cynically f^ce t h e s i t u a t i o n , a n d s e n d r o u n d a ' p r i n t e d notice, o r a v i s i t i n g - c a r d n e a t l y i n s c r i b e d ,

TO-DAY'S DINNER-TABIE TOPICS.

CHRISTMAS. The tendency, hceotiiiilg- commoner eveiy ye.ii, to spend Christmas abi-ciad: or, in other words, to escine .Christ-. mas. Ako the teiideiicy to avoid once iin.avoidablc family functions and meetings together of long-dissociated relatives round a ma.ssive t;ihle. Is it wrong to dine out on Christmas night? Some people ihink so, or say so, without thii>king it. Anyhow, tots of people do iC, and say iiotliing. What to. (lo after dinner, if^yotii-aiuiot cither go abroad or dine out. ,How to avoid games that involve erawling about on thfi floor in your best olothes, or weathrs false red nos^s, and maslis, and ijioti SI aches, and eyeglasses. What presents you arc giving ihis year, and wliat you arc receiving. POLITICAL. Various speeches here, -tliei-e, and everywhcrf; Mr. Balfour to-day at Edinhuvgh. Mr. I.loyd-George at Walworth. and Lord Curion oi> Mr. Lloyd-Oeorge, The peers' campaign in the country. Mr. Blatchford's v/ainjngs about Gerinaiiy. Your own experience of Germany aod the Gevm^an.s. Nothing, please, about (heir eating and beet-(!r!nking eapaciiyall (hat we have heard, many times, before, More about King Leopold. Pronoiinced a great king and compared to Rielielteil, Peter the Great, Bismarck, and Cavoiir by the Paris feuifs. Was his ambition l^or Beigitim or for himsetf? His wtMey and the fitic linic comiiig for Bctgian lawyers: QRUMBLES. The presenis you have lo givn, aiid the poverty you have to give lUem with.

T H E MAN VilTH A NW ORfeS^.CMTWHO ' HAS HOLLY TriR-UST INTO THE BTTQPfHOta

F A T ! * e o P t E WHO A l ^ e MADE To DANCE StRROGER-PECOVERLeY / ,

Ever-y yeari a t , Christmas, I t is tho oame t h i n g . The Chriatmas martyrs shown above have t o do things they hate doing antj to do t h e m , if possibte, w i t h agrood Si'ace. I t is t h e season f o r e a t i n g thingrs t h a t don't agfi'ee w i t h us, for a c c e p t i n g things w e don't w a n t , a n d f o r making-fools o f ourselves when w e don't feel irt t h e least like being foolish. stein lent her orchestra, and the first item on the programme was a performance of Eden PhillpOtts' amusing little play, " A Breezy M o r n i n g / ' in which Lady Irene Denison and Captain A, G. Weigall took part. A concert followed, - and Mr. H . Tennent, Mr. Hugh Brodie, M-rs. Arthur Knowies, and other elever amateurs greatly distinguished themselves. The programme, conehided with a performance of " A Mutual Mistake," and Mrs. Arthur Knowies, Mr, Hugh Brodie, and Miss Tretfry were in the cast. MrS.'WilliaiSi James is organising a grand concert at the Dome, .Brighton, in i ebruary, for the Church Army Wiiiter D.str-i^s Works and to help the <leserving unemployed. Amongst those who have already consented to take part are Ladv Tree, Miss Lena AshweU, Lady Maiad Warrender, Lady Speyer, Mrs. Sluatt Anderson, Mrs. V alter Rubens, Mme. Conti, Mr, Lewis Waller, "and Mi. Nigel Ptayfair.CasUe, Fochabers, .for a few weeks, and will receive a small family party for Christmas, including the Duke's sister. L a d y Caroline Gordon-Lennox, who has already arrived at the casUe.

* *- A MAN'S DOTY.'

I wouldila gie & Coppei* Dlacl; Foi otiy man diat tiiftis his back On' duty clear : I wouldtia talc his worii or tlote, 1 wouldna trust Jiiin for a gi'oat. Nor lift an oar in any hofit Which he iiiiglu steer. I wouldna gie an ka\A tawbe? For oiiy.i-rtau that I could see Whft ttidna hold Tile sweetness o' his inithet's name, The klisdiicss oyiis brolher's claim, .The hoiioiir n' a ^'Oman's farae, - For niaiK ihaii ^o'd.

with good wishes and these words:-Mr. much regrets that owing to the Budget anA tlie land taxes he feels compelled this year t.o refrain from sending those gifts which he usually purchases, and he offers his best wishes instead. _P e r h a p s o n e m i g h t a d d a few lines a b o u t which way to vote i n t h e c o m i n g c o n t e s t . T h a t d e p e n d s o n y o u r k e e n n e s s a b o u t politics. Y o u r k e e n n e s s a b q u t n o t g i v i n g p r e s e n t s will in a n y case probably.:be. g r e a t e r . .' . W.. M . A THOUGHT FOR tO-DAY.

IN MV GARDKN.
DECfiJiliKiJ 19,--There is not very much work to he done in the 'garden nowthat is, if if has been made tidy, Lawns should not be cut again, but during mild weather weeds can be cnt out. The grass should be well raked and brushed ; rolling, however, must not be attempted unless the ground is in a fairly dry fcondition. Bare patches should be dug up and fresh pieces of--turf, let in. Do not, however, place rich soil wncler the new turf, or the grass will grow too strongly next year and he noffceablc. Lawns that are not in a healthy cAndifion may now be treated with lime or basic slag. The latter is not expensive, and does a yreat amount of good to grass land. i ) . F . T^

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" ~ A memoriaWervice forfclielate Mr. Archie GorMARY A. BAKU. don, wilt take place this after.Koon at the Temple * -XChiirch at three o'clock. A portion of the church will'be reserved for, personal frieiids, and tickets for . Mrs. George, Cavendish .Bentitick left London these' si^ats caii be obtained up to two o'clock this for Paris .on' Saturday, .and will be away for several Voliime 11^ Of " ' D a i l y M i r r o r * Reflections" i s ' n o w on sale a t a l l bookstaTis a n d ^newsajgen'ts a t t h e pHce 4f one shilling; post free, i s . S^d. It contains over 100 pages of t h e best of Mr. Haselden's cartoons, and is easily t h e funniest publication of t h e day, It would make a n ideal arid inexpensive Christmas present f o r younsf oidi or middle-aged.

In matters of conscience,.first thoughts are b e s t ; in matters of piudence, last thoughts are best. Rol^erl Hall.