The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-07-08


whenever he chose to JOIN them at dinner. This
he would do now and then, when less excited,
especially when n certain neighbonng lord,
reputed hard drinker. was expected. Lord
Byron, who had been living like an anchorite
perhaps for a month past or even longer, would
then lay wager TO drink Lord c. under the
table. feat which he invariably accomplished.
Coolly walking off to bed, he then LETT to the
servants the task of conveying the drunken man
to his room-no easy task, his lordshiD getting,
as n rule so helplessly drunk as still to reel
about next morning when following the hounds.
TUE CARLTON HOUSE SCANDAL.
When the scandal about Carlton House was
freely commented on, the young Countess of
Jersey refused TO appear any more at a court
presided over by George the Fourth. Resenting
this slight, the Prince Regent thought of inhict-
ing terrible punishment on her by sending
back her portrait which had belonged to his
gallery OF beauties" This ungallant act in
d9ced o, Lord Byron to write in Lady Jerseys
album some well-known verses. Strictly ad-
herring TO her resolution of retirement, the young
Countess held her court during that time at
Middleton Park; the Lady Jersey whose name
appears so conspicuously among the visitors at
Carlton House was the Countess Frances, who
had been q widow since 1906. Middleton Park
bad beea originally her country seat; but she,
being Of saving dspensation, and the Earl far
from ricb, the house is said to have been q mean
structure when their son married Lady Sarah
Fame in 1904. On his inheriting the title and
estate, the old house was demolished and rebuilt
under the Countess SaTah's direction in the pre-
sent style, which for more than half century
has been considered the perfection of elegance
and comfort.
DOMESTIC LIFE.
Before misfortune visited the family-the
time from which my personal observation dates
the " bole estate was a real Eden, owing TO
Lady Jerseys pIlncely liberality. The usual
staff OF servants for the house, incuding those
ier dairy, laundry, gardens, and stables,
amounted to more than seventy and at festive
seasons extra hands were engaged from the vii.
lage. Lady Jersey was radiant when there hap
pened to be among her guests a sprink king of
royalty, for whom she had great penchdnt
though their suite and the company invited to
meet them used to swell the original number of
her establishment to sixteen hundred week,
At least the returns in the cooks, stewards and
bousekeepers room all agree in this respect.
The Countess own lie being like an open
book, she never harbored the least suspicion
against others; consequently, while priding
herself on the capital management OF her
household, she ltlle dreamt that her health
was nightly drunk in champagne, hook, and
tokay by the ladies and gentlemen in the Stew
ards room, and that her maids when being
handed into dinner by these gentlemen, were
dressed out in her hnery. 1t was only when
being informed that her old housekeeper had
been measured for riding habit, and was talk
ing OF having one OF Lord JERSEYS left-off
dismissing the unfaithiul steWardess, she re-
placed her with one more discreet in language
1t had been Lady jerseys custom to stay at
Middleton Park from August until the end of
"
visitors arrived and departed as at Court.
VISITORS.
There, in her maturer years, a second genera
tion of politicians visited her, and valued her
friendship as much as their predecessors had
done: They were cosmopolitans, having the
old though not venerable-looking Talleyrand at
their head, whose sardonic features, chin buried
In formidable cravat, and high wooden shoe,
gave him the appearance of te didbte boiteur
Another welcome visitor was Prince Pozzo di
Boreo, by birth a Oorsican, who, in spite of
being described by one OF his colleagues as un
i'm nldtott became silly as little child at the
end OF MS career, and was said to have, child
like. played with doll. The Russian Count
Pahlen, SIR Robert Peel, theDuke of Wellington,
and long string of Esterhazys, with their chief
the ambassador Prince Paul, were also frequent
guests. The latter, one OF Lady JERSEYS Oldest
friends. was said TO have taught her to waltz
before this dance was known in England. There
must be some truth in this statement; for one
night these two diplomatsts distinguished them
selves In waltz in such manner as only
master and pupil could have done.
Some one was playing march, when the
Prince, mistaking it for his favorite dance, gal
lantly engaged Lady Jersey. While everybody
in the room was smiling, the two politicians
whirled round steadily and gracefully until the
last cord had been struck, when both exclaimed,
"Que!le jolie uaSe"
The Countess did not excel in music; nor, if
the truth must be told, did she excel in any
accomplishment. Hers was an active but rest
less mind, which did not incline towards study.
Independently of politics. she was feminine in
her occupations; and after the evening papers
were read, was as rule employed about som
Berlin woodwork, which, however, seemed
never to get finished on account of the nu-
merous mistakes made during an animated con-
Versation.
Besides her mother tongue she spoke only
French, which she spoke duently and habtually
even to her children. This custom, though no
doubt well meant, gave to their daily inter-
course an air of restraint none of them being
on the same familiar footing with her as with
their father, who always talked to them in
English. and to whom they clung with truly
flial affection.
LADY JERSEYS DAUGHTERS.
Although the Countess was devotedly attached
to all her children her solicitude was chiefly di-
rected towards her daughters, regarding whose
health she was in constant communication with
Sir Henry Halford, the Alsculapius of the time.
While young the Ladies Villiers had their own
establishment In distant part of the house at
Middleton Park, and went TO their mother only
at stated times to say their catechism and to re-
celVe instructions respecting their daily eXer-
else and their evening toilet They only saw
her at dessert, and stayed with her while she
read evening prayers TO the servants, on which
occasions her maids would come into the room
very demurelY, working the Countess delicate
laces, her stockings at four guineas the pair,
and even hourishing her own gold-embroldered
Observation-Disclosures, with q crown in the
corner, under her very nose. Her thoughts
being in the work before her, they were quite
safe from her scrutiny.
The education of the Ladies Villiers was
chiefly entrusted to foreigners; in addition to
whom they had also some English masters, both
laymen and dvines. So anxious was Lady Jer-
sey about her daughters spiritual welfare, that
when instTucting new goVerness In her duties
sne said, alluding to their religious training,