Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1861-01-26
THE IRON DUKE IN TWO CHARACTERS

In a work just issued in London, entitled,
Traits of Character being twenty-five Years
Literary and Personal Recollections, by aContem-
%porary," there is the following interesting sketch
Of the late Duke of Wellington. The writer is a
lady
THE DUKE IN A BAD TEMPER.
My friend, when so unusual and important an
event was to take place as a visit to the worlds
greatest living hero, had taken especial pains
with her .oilette-which ON this occasion, was in
faultless taste and of costly material. Sue really
looked so bewitching, that l told her, as we drove
along that l was sure the Iron Duke would find
her irresistible, and surrender a ready accordance
to her petition.
We arrived at his well-known residence at the
exact moment Observation-Disclosures nine in the
morning-and we're shown into a large, Of course
handsomly-furniehed room, into which. as it was
the depth Of winter, sundry domestics were con-
stantly entering to attend to and replenlsh the
fire. Every time the door opened was a trial of
nerve to my poor young friend. as she imagined
il ushered in the Duke. After We had waited
what seemed to our impatience a considerable
time, unannOunced, unattended, the Hero Of Wat
erloo suddenly stood before US.
The abrupsness of his entrance completely
threw me off my guard, and l exclaimed aloud
very ~stupidly, now, I think, at is the Duke
himself"
He was dressed in full uniform, rs ho was abou'
to proceed to some court or military ceremonial
forget which, held that day. 1t cannot surely
t be necessary that l should enter into a description
e of his appearance and features, which counties,
8 PORTRAITS have made familiar to every man, wo
n man and child in the British Empire. In all t,ht
0 in6nity of pictures and busts taken Of him sufi
! cient likeness is perpetuated to transmit an aeon
b rate idea of him to posterity, and the unborn will
e see the type and fashion of him whose glory will
last whilst England herself survives. The only
u thing that struck me, when brought into persona
contact with him, was that he seemed much short
d er than l had fancied, and than be looked OF
horseback, whore alone ! had seen him before
NY friend, who ordinarily was remarkable for th
ease and gracefulpess of her manner, on this ur
fortunate occasion completely lost all self-possei
sion, and, in fact, was spe~echless-unable I
stammer out one articulate word. The DIXIE r.
garded her for a while with cold and pitilsss gaz,
Is nor sought in the remOtest degree to remove c
e dissipate the confusion which so overpoweringl
~ ana T6dhJ uleiSseibBy O'SiSomo
Finding she did not speak, he said, in q voic
of exceeding ssernness, what paper is that 20
d hold in your hand 2" She f~altered out that it en-
bodied the petition she came to request of her r
/ ~latiye. 'tGive it mel" be said. He took it fro
D. her and read it attentively over and then.
ID tones tie most curt, most harsh, most L~opelessI
le and inexorably decisive, said, 81 am not the pro
as er person to apply to about this. could not q
r it if wished-dO not know that / should if
,p could"
In conveying this cruel negative, not one soitel
n ing tone of manner-not one transient look
ns sympathy or admiration in anywise mingled wi
Is or mitiga.ed the pain he inflicted on his besutif
III supplians. l vas %petri6ed that a man could be
IN ungentle and uncourteousto any woman, much le
I'd to such a one as then stood before him. Nor Gu
Mt now account for his severe, l may almost ad
be uugen,lenanly, reception Of her, except by Il
20 supposition that he was annoyed at her exceedin
ie nervousness-a phase Of feeling alike to him ri
Of known perl APPS incomprehensible and pOssibl
Sc he thought it was assumed for effect, which it ce
G. tainIy was not and as be was known to detel
Anything approximatiDg to nfecsatlon or %unreaiit.
resolved, it might be, to punish what ne iancie
an exhibition Of it,