When a young couple discover that life passed in each other's company is insupportable and separation or mayhap divorce is the only solution of their difficulties one always pities the children, if there chance to be any, of such a union, xs their future is usually treated with scant con-sideration, When, sume two years ago, the unhappy differences which existe! between the reigning Gland Duke of Hesse and his wife, formerly Princess Victoria Melits of "Saxe-Coburg Gotha, were disclosed to the world and resulted in a divorce of the Royal couple, I think everyone felt sorry for poor little Princess Elizabeth, the one daughter of the marriage, who it was decreed should pass six months of each year with either parent. One felt that as yours passed by and her judgment matured her sympathies must xo out to one parent with the consequent lessening of affection for the other.
Now, however, the poor little maid's difficulties and perplexities are over, as, after a very lief illness she passed away last. Monday whilst ea a visit (accom-anied by her father) to the Czir of russia at Skierniewice in Russian Poland, The house of Hesse always seems an unlucky one, but for this poor little Princess death may be but the truest blessing in disguise, "The Story of a Soldier's Life," as told by Lord Wolseley in his re—miniscences, published this week, is full of most interesting reading. The great matter for regret is that both the volumes deal with events which happened prior to the Ashantee war, with an account of which campaign he closes his narrative. The horrors of the Crimea and Indian mutiny are graphically described and our home methods and general unpreparedness for war most unsparingly dealt with. He affirms that we are never ready for war and yet we never have a Cabinet that would dare to tell the people this truth. Speaking of the Chinese he says: "To me they are the most remarkable race upon earth, and I have always. thought, and still believe them to be the great coming rulers of the world." And of the grent Napoleon he says: Surely impar-tal men will ever put Napoleon by himself and in front of all human betngs-Lord Wolseley's successor in the office of Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, Lord Roberts, has been very seriously. ili just lately, suffering from an attack of pneumonia, but fortunately the latest accounts of his condition are satisfactory and it is hoped that he will soon be quite con-
Libel ina Novel.
Mr. Justice Grantham was occupied a few days ago trying a most singular case. The trouble arose out of a novel written by Major Woodgate; the defendant, called "The Unwritten Commandment." In it the plaintiff affirmed that he had libelled her. It came out in evidence that Major Woudsate and Mrs. Wallis, the ylintith first became acquainted some eight or ning years ago when he was a eubidtern, and they resided together for a time in a flat off Tottenhan: Court Road. Later. cliff ences arose and they separated; he went to Egypt with his regiment. In the novel the heroine is called Constance Winter, Constince being Mrs. Wallis's Christian name, and "Winter" a name she adopted for a time in India where she lived with her husband who became insane. Constance Winter is described as the wickedest woman in England," a woman who decoys young men into her fist and plays cards with them in order to swindle them. The fit, with its drawing-room, which contsiued an alive where the card-playing wear on, is also described with great fidelity and several vitricsses proved that it could be easily recognised from the description as Mrs. Wallis's room. The jury seemed to agree and gave her the verdict and the Judge awarded her £25 damages, which seems somewhat little in face of the evidence, more especially as Mrs. Wallis stated on oath that she never played cards herself nor had them played in her far.
Death of an Interesting Novelist.
In this morning's papers there is an an nouncement of the death of Henry Seton Merriman, the novelist, one of the most charming of our present-day writers. Mr. Blerriman had been in bad health for some years, but his death, which was very sudden and quite unexpected, was caused by appendicitis, a complaint which we sre learning to dread almost as much as pneumonia and diphtheria. Of "li Mr. Merriman's works, I think "The Sowers" has always appealed to me most. " With Edged Tools " was very charming and "The Vultures" wonderfully clever, but to my mind nothing over equalled the descriptions of Russo-Polish life and the horrors of Siberian exile as portrayed in **The Sowers it was just, aunting. I see that' Mr. Merriman's last work, *Barlxsch of the Guard," has just gone into its second edition. ' It appears to be generally liked, but will never, in my estimation, rank with former works of this gifted and deeply regretted writer.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.