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-, 'TEA TABLE TALK.

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TEA TABLE TALK. Mme. Emmy Destinn, the world-famous Soprano, is the possessor of an extraordinary Baascot in the shape of a" matrimonial boot." Reading that a Belgrade lawyer's clerk named Handritch met his bride through picking up in a tram-car an eighteen-but- toned boot, for the owner of which he adver- tised, Mme. Destinn cabled her agent in Vienna, to obtain this Cinderella, "slipper" &t any price. The eighteen-buttoned boot is now suspended by ribbons over the mirror in- Mme. Destinn's dressing-room. ° r The Chinese -send three invitations to the guests whom they desire to see at their great' feafts. The first is dispatched two days be- fore the feast; the second on the day itself, in order to remind those they have invited of their engagement; and the third just before' the hour has arrived, so as to show how im- patient they are to see their friends. The following are some of the "prefer- ences of Queen Alexandra, as recorded in a scrap-book at Belvoir Castle. Her favourite King and Queen are Queen Dagmar and- Richard Coeur de Lion. Her favourite hero, poet, and artist are Wellington, Byron, and, Sir Joshua Reynolds. Her favourite author* Charles Dickens. Her favourite virtue, Charity. Her favourite colour, Blue. Her favourite dish, a French tart. Her favourite flower, the Rose. Her favourite name, Mary. Her favourite occupation, Reading aloud. Her favourite amusement, "Driving my ponies.1" Her favourite motto, "Dieu et Mon Droit." Her favourite locality, Home. Madame Patti has had many remarkable ovations in her time; but, the most startling, and the prettiest of them all was at Rioj when, on her, appearance, thousands of hum- ining-birds were released on the stage, and, -in the words of one who was present, "enve- loped the diva in a rainbow cloud of flutter- ing wings.3' The talking postal card is the intention of a French engineer, and has become very (popular in France. The person wishing to ,send a talking postcard to a friend enter- the booth and talks into a machine that re- cords the words on the specially prepared. .postal card. When the recipient receives the -card, a hundred or a thousand miles away, lie or she takes the card to the nearest postal, ibooth, and inserts it in a machine which talks, the message it contains. The. record, on the postal card is indestructible, aid the exact voice of the sender is heard. A rug said to be worth more than CIO,000 -and the finest in the world has been pre- sented, to the White House at Washington by a wealthy Armenian merchant of New, York, ,This precious rug is of imperial silk, heavily, jewelled with rich pearls, turquoises, rubies, and other precious stones- It has been sframed as a screen for the adornment of the Presi- dent's parlour. Queen Helena of Italy is an accomplished linguist, and she spoke and wrote French fluently even before she was perfect in Italian. At one time there seemed to be some likelihood that she would be married to the Czar, and at twelve years of age she went to St. Petersburg to learn the Russian, langu- age. Her Majesty also speaks Servian, and under the pen-name of "Ferfalla Azzurra" she has written beautiful poems in French, Russian, and Servian. Very fond alike of travelling and of science, Queen Helena is :also a clever artist and a keen sportswoman. Miss Billee Burke, the well-known actress, once had a very trying experience while on the stage. One night, prior to the perform- ance, she received a letter from a msln who gaid that be intended to make a drawing of tber while she was acting', and asked her; to stand m near the footlights as possible. This letter made Miss Burke very nervous, and when she went on the stage she saw the 'Writer of the letter sitting in a box, with a large piece of paper and a pencil before him, and directly she appeared he set to work to sketch her. The knowledge that the man's eyes were upon her wherever she went made &er feel absolutly unstrung, "and at last," she says, "I got so upset-that it was with the jgreatest difficulty that I refrained from ask- ing him to leave the theatre. I never played so badly before or since; and indeed, at one aafoment I thought I should have to walk off the stage." Miss Leonore O'Reilly, who is perhaps the anost powerful orator among the American uffragists, was complimented recently on iher eloquence. "It is my splendid subject," said Miss O'Reilly modestly, "that makes me -seem to speak well. My subject affords me tmany telling things to say, and I say them simply. That is all." And perhaps the fol- lowing story which she relates helps her to keep to that resolve: One night J saW a (working man whom I knew lounging at the doorway of a public hall, and 'from inside came a continuous and earnest bellowing. ,C Do you know who's speaking?' I asked my friend. 'Or haven't you been in?' 'Oh, yes, I've been in,' said he. 'Blaggs is speak- ing.' 'What about? I inquired. My friend sighed and shook his head. 'He hasn't said yet,' he answered." < The presents exhibited at fashionable jWeddings are not always legitimate gifts. A lady of title, recently married, borrowed goods to the value of Z500 to decorate the twedding present table, and I know that much "of the furniture used on the morn of festivity jWa-s loaned. Some years ago a statue of Hercules in solid silver, worth £ 250 at least, iWas lent to a lady whose daughter was to, be married shortly afterwards. Of course, the lovely figure posed as a wedding present. ■Willingly the borrower gave El Is. for the three days' possession. Many as were the gifts bestowed on a recent bride, her august papa deemed them insufficient, and elaborate jewellery was borrowed from every respect- ,able silversmith. Salvers, cabinets, toilet ;arhcles, etc., all of solid silver, diamonds, trinkets, huge bronze figures, marble IJttekeepers, etc., were obtained, and, ac- Ol'ding to the Press, the wedding was a suc- 10'068. A list of presents (?) was given. Mrs. Hetty Green, the richest woman in America—and possibly in the world—main- tains that it is a mistake for American women to seek titled husbands abroad. "Let American girls stay at home, and marry ■sober, honest, hard-working young Ameri- cans. Why go aroad for husbands and fare orse? she says. She is a great believer in Ibonest dealing, and attributes her own suc- cess to her rigid adherence to "straight" principles. Mrs. Green is no advocate for votes for women. She once remarked: "I 1a111 not saying I want a vote—but if you are a woman with money you are just as powerful as a man with money. Money is the real power in the political situation to-day." Every guest at a Norwegian wedding brings the bride a, present. In many parts a keg of butter is the usual gift, and, if the marriage takes place in winter, salted or frozen meat is offered. < When Queen Wilhelmina was a child hei governess, an Englishwoman, once set her to draw a map of Europe. The map came out ivith Holland an enormous country, sprawl- ing over the whole continent, and the British Isles invisible. "But where is Eng- la.nd?" the governess asked. "That dot there the corner," was the disdainful reply. '.But I can't see it at all," the governess per- Siste,d. "No, you can't," admitted Wilhel- ftiina. "You see it's always hidden by fog!"

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--THE POULTRY YARD.

, WHO'S WHO-AND WHY

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IFUN AND FANCY.