New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-01-07
INC :. IRON pulko !, III ryvo ohnraoters.


and Personal Reoollections by Contemporary
there is the following interesting sketch of the
late Duke of Wellington. The writer is lady:
TnE DUKE IN A BAD TGMpER.-My friend when
so unusual and important an event was to take
place as visit to the worlds greatest living hero,
had taken especial pains with her toetto-which,
on this OCCASION was in fnutless taste and of costly
material. She really looked so bowitchug, that l
was sure the Iron Duke would find her irresistible,
and surrender ready accordance to her petition
| We arrived at his we'll known residence at the
exact moment intimated-94 o'clock in the morn
iug-and were shown into large, of course hand
s0mely furnished room, into which, as it the
depth of winter sundry domcstics were constantly
entering to attend to and ropenish the fire. Every
time the door opened was trial of nerve to my
poor young friend as she imagined it usherGd in
the Duke. After we had waited what seemed to
our Impotence q considerable time, unannouncod
unattended, the Hero of Waterloo suddenly stood
before us.
The abruptness of his entrance completely threw
me eli my guard, and exclaimed aloud, very stu
pidly, now ! think, g 1t is the Duke himself!''
Hc was dressed in full uniform, as he was about
to proceed to some court or military ceremonial,
forget which, held that day. 1t cannot surely be
necessary that should enter into description of
his appearance and features, which countless pOr-
traits have made familiar to every man, woman
and child in the British Empire. In n the infnity
of pictures and busts taken of him sufficient like
ness is perpetuated to transmit accurate idea of
him to posterlty, and the unborn will see the type
England herself survives The only thing that
struck me when brought into personal con-
tact with him, was that he seemed much shorter
than had fancied, and than he looked horse
back, where alone l had seen him before. My
friend, who ordinarily was remarkable for the ease
and gracetulnes8 of her manner, on this unfortu-
nate occasion completely lost all self-possesson;
and, in fact, was speechless-unable to stammer
out one articulate word. The Duke regarded her
for while with cold and pittiless gaze, nor sought
i'll the remotest degree to remove or dissipate the
confusion which so oyerpoweriugy and really dis
tressngly Oyercame her.
Finding she did not speak, he sGid in voice of
exceeding sternness, ''What paper is that you
hold IN your hand?n She faltered out that it en-
bodied the petition she to request of her rela
tive. " Give it to me !" he said. He took it from
her and read tatentiyely over: and then, III tones
the most curt most harsh, most hopeless aud mex
orably decisive, said, @ am not the proper person
to apply to about this. | could not do it if l
wished-do not know that l should if l could,'
In conveying this cruel negative, not one soften
ing tone of manner-not one transient look of
sympathy or admiration in anywise mingled with
Or mitigaed the pain he inflicted on his beautiful
suppiiant. | was petrifed that q man could be SO
ungentle and uncourteous to any woman, much
less TO such one as then stood before him. Nor
can now account Tor his seve9e, ] may almost
add ungentiemanly reception other, except by the
supposton that he was annoyed at her exceeding
nervousness phase of feeling alike to him un-
known-perhaps incOmprehensible: and possibly
he thought it was assumed for effect, which it Ger
talnly was not; and as he was known to detest
anything approXimating to a1ectation or unreality,
resolved, it might be- to punish what he fancied
exhibition of it,
But if I was astonshed at his treatment of Mrs.
=, was yet more UNNECESSARILY so when, as I
have never opened my lips except to utter the ex-
clamation as he entered the room, he came up to
me- took hold OF both my hands, and said in the
gentlest and bandest of tones, Is there anything
l can do for yon?h No thank your Grace--I
merely came as this lady's friend ;" was my reply.
Il I'd nd from
the moment we entered the carriage that awaited
US to the period when we arrived at my friends
house, was entertained with nothing but the most
vehement anathemas uttered by her against the
brutality of the Duke, as she called it, and
wondering Amusement at the cause of his eXtraOr-
binary urbanity to me.
THE DUKE IN A Coon misunderstanding a
subsequent interview in which she herself waited |
upon the Duke, requesting permission to dedicate
to him new work, the writer Gays: He received |
me most courteou8ly and kindly, himself rising to
place a chair for me- He looked at me with in
tense scrutiny, and then reverted TO the subject
which had led me to seek the interview, asking, |
"Tel me-haye not seen you before? am sure
have" 1t was said he never forgot any one he
had once spoken to. then recounted my former
interview when | accompanied Mrs. ooh
remember it perfecty--the little woman that was
SO frightened at me. i did not like her; thought
her artificial I take liking5 aud dslikings in a
moment. l thought after you had gone, of your
refusal when offered to do anything for yon. II
Is not often this occurs TO me; | assure yOu it is
much more frequently have to say ''No"-laug1l-
ing heartily as he said it. But, come now, tell
me all about yourself. Are your parents living
are you a widow? have you any children? and
what made you literary" These nterrogatories
were spoken somewhat rapidly.
then gave him short biography of my then
brief but too egentful life, to the details of which
he listened with the deepest interest-going into
the nlinutest facts commenting with singular
shrcwdness and sagacity some of the events
narrated. He showed al extraordinary aptitude
in discerning truth. A casual word or expression
sufiiced for him at once to comprehend meaning
not expressed. When, in the course Of my brief
history, had to tell him OF sorrow suffered, wrong
inflicted, nothing could e,1caed the kindly might
say tcnder-sympathY he GVinced. OF my father
he inquired much. When I told him he had been
identified greatly with Wilbertorce and Others in
writing pamphlets, etc., towards the achievement
Of that great and noble work, the abolition of the
not an English woman"
'9our Grace, I am SCotchwoman.n
Wal', you may be, though you are not the
least like one; but am certain of]tlis--you lave
Italian blood in your veiHs-yCu are the image of
an Italian lady once took great interest in e
wonder who it wasp " | thought 90 the Instant |
saw you some years since"
Lad he been a friend of years--one connected by
ties OF long eompanionship and ihtimeCy-he could
not have entered with more anxious, eager inter
est into my plans and projects, nor furnished me
with wiser, safer counsel for my future career.
Whilst talking with him could scarcely imagine
that in the simple, unaffected man before ne, the
warm and kind sympatlizer with woman's griefs,
the familiar adviser in the minor occurrences Of a
life so different from his. irritable Duke of yelling.
ton was conversiug with, the greatest warrior Of
the age, the profound statesman and legislator-hc
too, who, as rumor asserted, was entitled to his
sObFquet of the Iron Duke, from his stern inyuner-
ability to pity, compassion or sympathy. Never in
my experience Of life had met with a man more
gracious in manner. was as perfectly at my ease
whilst talking to him as if he had been one of my
Oldest, most familiar friends.
OLD MARCO, TIE TAME BEAR.-A noblcman in
France had an old bear named Marco, which he