The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-01-20
CHAT ABoUT THE DUKE OF
WELLINGTON:
BY JAMES PARTON.

I had the pleasure more than once
of seeing and saluting this famous
English hero. Every one took off his
hat to the Duke IN those days, and if
he were cantering along in one Of the
London parks, you could trace his
progress by the hats that were lifted
to hitr.
Orc day, in London, When I hap
pened to stroll into ST. James park, l
observed that great number of car
riages and gentlemen on horseback
were going toward one of the en-
frances of buckingham Palace, the
London residence Of Queen Victoria.
These carriages stopped but a few mo-
ments at the Palace door, and then
rolled away. A great crowd of people
had gathered to witness this spectacle,
and I, being very young and strang-
er in the palace, joined them, and
stood there long time admiring the
beautiful equipages, the excellent
horses, and snowy lveries. Dukes
and Duchesses, Earls and Countnes-
ses, Barons, Baronets, knights, and
Commmoners, many of them dis
tinguished for more than rank and
wealth, passed in review before the
crowd, without elfcting from them
any mark of respect or recogrftion.
But, at length, an elderly. looking
gentleman came upon horseback, at
tended by single servant, whom ev-
cry one INSTANTLY recognized, by his
large ana peculiar nose,. to be the
Duke of Wellington. There was no
indication of the military man about
him, except the stripes down his trous-
ers, which on that day, as the Court
was in mourning, were black. The
moment he appeared, every hat was
removed, and Il, acknowledged the
salutation of the crowd by raising his
fore finger to the brim of his hat, and
holding it there as he passed along,
[ saw him afterwards, when but a
single individual took off his hat to
him, no one else being present at the
| moment, but whether one did SO, or
a multitude, the Duke always lifted
his finger .iN the same courteous, mill
tary fashion;
A Princess had been born tie day
before, and all these distinguished
people were going to the Palace to in
quire respecting the health of the
Queen and the little stranger. They
| merely alighted, and entering an ante
room, made the inquiry Of some offici-
al person, wrote their names in book,
and retired. The Duke was seventy
foiu1hff years cf age then, but while he
remained on his horse he sat erect
and firm, and might have passed for
a well-preserved man of sixty-fve.
1t was only VIXEN he was getting off
his hdrse,aIid getting on again, that
he showed some signs of decreptitude.
1.-THE young stranger could not help
thinking that, when the Duke of
Wellington mounted in hot haste"
for the field of Waterloo, there must
have been more spring in his back
bone than there was on this occasion.
However, he required no assistance,
and when he had given bis bride to
his servant, he stepped lightly enough
toward the door of the Palace.
There was something touching and
romantic IN tie, spectacle of this aged
warrior, whose life must forever be an
essential part of the history of his
country, paying homage to' youthful
Queen. He was a warm friend both
of the Queen and the, throne, and
there was said to be in his aemeanor
toward her a beautiful bsendfng of re-
spect and affection. The Queen, on
her part, cherished for him an. an-
bounded veneration.
En-. a few minutes the Duke reap
pcared.: Every heard was again uncov-
cred, and many remained so until he
had remounted and turdd to 60.
1 could not but think Of scene Rheil
T read the other day, in Queen Vic
toria's Highland Dfary,, Ss sentences
which the Queen wfote. Oh the day
when thenews feachgdl for her that the
Iron Duke was dead. She residing
then in her Scottish retreat, Septem-
bei 18th, 1852, she began her diariz.
i1g for the day With the followinix para
graph:
Seven O'clock by letter from Colonel
Phipps, inclosing a telegraphic dis
patch with the report, fron' the si9al
edition Of the San, of the Duke of
Wellington's death the day before yes
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