Among The Bohemians.

Poor Bro . James Albery died too soon , for he should have given us his views upon " The Battle of Life . " His answer to the question , " Is life worth living ? " would have been highly instructive . He had written one or two successful plays in his time , but he was ever the friend of misfortune , and the past two years he had been forgotten . He died within the sound of those beautiful bells of St . Martin's , and many who had known him best covered his "rave with ivy and his coffin with flowers . Poor old fellow ! I wonder if a hud of his favourite rose was with him when he died . I am afraid not .

* * * If you want to interest Bro . Darmstatter at all , ask him to partake of a bottle of lager , and how Wiesbaden was looking when he was last there . * # # The great bread king is dead . Mr . Neville early in life hit upon a certain mode of mixing dough that , combined with careful baking , produced a loaf

better in quality than is turned out by the ordinary baker . His estate is nominally worth considerably over a million , but he had lost in quite recent years enormous sums in building speculations . Four daughters survive him . One is married to Mr . Brinley Richards , son of the composer of " God bless the Prince of Wales , " and who is a somewhat passive member of an eminent firm of auctioneers in the city . Mr . Richards is not a Mason , but he possesses

all the attributes that should suggest him becoming one . He is a well-known man of Bohemia , however , and some of his little dinners , I am told , are very much enjoyed . # #

* A certain blackguard named Raymond , a guest of her Majesty at Holloway Castle , boasts of defrauding Bro . Henry Irving of . £ 100 by pretending to be the nephew of an American gentleman well known to the great actor . Commenting upon his case , an evening contemporary says : •—"There is no public man out of whom the begging-letter writer makes such

an annual haul . But the most astonishing case is that of an American playwright , who was commissioned by Mr . Irving to write a drama . He was a promising young man , about to be married , and to encourage him the tragedian advanced , £ 500 as an instalment . That was several years ago , and Mr . Irving has never seen a line of the play . "

¦ si-Mr . Irving is one of the kindest men living , and will leave his calling far more illustrious than when he entered it . 1 know that many playgoers—some of them judges—are divided in their opinions as to the effect his manner upon the stage will have with the younger school of tragedians . Personally , I see in him a genius , and that is enough for me . He has a knack—and it does not

seem to be a cultivated one—of happily surmounting any difficulty that gets in his way . His popularity with the public is very interesting , and his tact in retaining it a masterpiece of common-sense . He is a primary light in the Actors' Benevolent Fund , a member of all sorts of societies and institutions , and was elected some time back to the Athenaeum , which is an honor indeed . He is a member of the Savage Club Lodge , in which he has held the post of Treasurer .

* •* I saw him on one occasion walking through Covent Garden Market , when a little urchin , pursued by some of his fellows , cannoned up against the legs of " Louis XI . " and fell headlong into the mud . His Majesty stopped to raise the little chap , and , taking his handkerchief from his own pocket , proceeded to wipe the mud from the urchin's face , smiling and talking the while words

of kindness and advice . Ascertaining that " something to eat" would not be unacceptable at that particular moment to his young friend and mates who were lurking in the rear , he divided some silver among them , and went on his way rejoicing . I saw him look back once and smile as he caught sight of the youngsters making their way to the ham and beef shop at the corner of Bowstreet as fast as their astonishment would allow them .

* * * The sale of Sir John Bennett ' s effects at " Glen Druid " is a puzzle to most people . It is but a few months ago he converted his Cheapside business into a Limited Company , with a capital of £ qo , ooo , which was subscribed for twice over . His place at Chislehurst was but small , but it had three or four acres of beautiful gardens , and possessed a very decent collection of books , of

which , curiously to relate , the Cheapside watchmaker was passionately fond . His wife is " pious , " so he told me once , inferring , I presume , that he was not . His daughter is married to a fashionable doctor with a large practice in the West-end .

* * I lunched one day at the round table at the City Liberal Club . There was Lumley—fresh from the Langworthy case , Smith—of Morden pen fame , Sir John , and two astute bill-brokers from Throgmorton-street . The conversation turned upon the watchmakers own " works , " —not his watch works . * * *

" I suppose you have read my little book upon ? " queried Sir John of the great solicitor . "Yes , I think I have , but may have forgotten in what was its point ! " " Point ! sir ! point 1 " bellowed the offended author . " Why , it ' s like the back of the porcupine , sir—it ' s all points !"

Among The Bohemians.

After lunch Sir John was anxious 1 should show him the pictures at the Academy . His velveteen coat , light bowler , and caulifiowery locks , simply staggered the company at Burlington House . Those who happened to know him said " How d ' ye do ? " or whispered , with a suppressed laugh , " That's Sir John Bennett ! " Those who didn't , stared in blank amazement , and made way for him , until I am afraid I blushed with embarrassment , to the roots of my hair . " Now that ' s what I call a nice gal—don't you ? "he said very loud , stopping in front of one of Long's canvasses . " She looks as if she wanted to be kissed ! " That settled me . I have never " shown the Academy " since .

* * * This suggests my asking if any one has heard during the past two years of a young artist , J . E . Homerville Hague . He had a couple of landscapes at Piccadilly two seasons back , and used to live in the Holland-road , Kensington . Perhaps Mr . Solomon J . Solomons has heard of him . 1 should like to hear if any one has .

* * * The history of the early days of Miss Florence St . John , published in an evening paper , is romance , or gammon and spinach , as a distinguished relative of mine used to say . The coffee-stall and the fur-cloak episode is very touching , but very silly . Madame Marius would never have been known but for her voice ; therefore by her voice let us know her . This raking about the dust-holes of people's early life is a highly reprehensible trait of modern journalism . But who can be worse than the scavenger ?

* As an evidence of our Parisian inclination , witness the Savoy Hotel and Restaurant . Anything more in the way of luxury and comfort ( as the prospectus says ) has certainly never been attempted in this mundane metropolis . The whole building is a perfect dream of beauty , and in my opinion is wisely situate where the clash and rattle of busy traffic cannot

disturb one ' s peace of mind . One may question the beauty of the River Thames ; but the foreground of well-kept gardens , and that beautiful promenade which is so little appreciated by us Londoners , help to make up a view which is certainly the best the big village can show . As for the cooking , has it not been chronicled in the chronicles of Bohemia that King Frangois has risen to the throne ! and is not the name of D'Oyly Carte sufficient to

pronounce a perfect administration of the resources of such an enterprise ? My own advice to those who want good food well cooked , and a proper habitation at a reasonable expense , is go to the Savoy and see what Mr . W . Hardwicke , the manager , can do for you .

* One little fact in the lighting arrangement pleased me much . A portable electric lamp is in each bedroom , so that weary brain-workers who find it necessary to coax themselves to sleep by the aid of reading in bed , may do so without the attendant danger of candles or lamps . What a clever woman Mrs . D . C . must be .

* # * " The Middleman , " at the Shaftesbury , is a very healthy play , and it is splendidly acted . Its superiority to " Wealth " is not apparent to me ; but then I am not a grumbling pit or a dissatisfied gallery . I am tired of writing notices in its favor , so go and see it . * * *

Like most other people , I may have something to say about the Maybrick case ; but my say is simply this , that the horrible photographs of that unfortunate woman in mourning , which fill the windows of all the West-end shops , are not copies of a photograph taken from life , but from the wax figure at Madame Tussaud's . Ars est cclare artcm . KING MOB .

Gathered Chips.

Gathered Chips .

This , then , is held to be the duty of the man of wealth : First , to set an example of modest , unostentatious living , shunning display or extravagance ; to provide moderately for the legitimate wants of those dependent upon him ; and after doing so to consider all surplus revenues which come to him simply as trust funds , which he is called upon to administer , and strictly bound as a matter of duty to administer in the manner which , in his judgment , is best calculated to produce the most beneficial results for the

community- —the man of wealth thus becoming the mere agent and trustee for his poorer brethren , bringing to their service his superior wisdom , experience , and ability to administer , doing for them better than they would or could do for themselves . In bestowing charity , the main consideration should be to help those who will help themselves ; to provide part of the means by which those who desire

to improve may do so ; to give those who desire to rise the aids by which they may rise ; to assist , but rarely or never to do all . Neither the individual nor the race is improved by almsgiving . Those worthy of assistance , except in rare cases , seldom require assistance . The really valuable men of the race never do , except in case of accident or sudden change . Every one has , of