Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-06-09
viscOnntess BeaeOnsneId,
INFLUENCE or A NOBLE WIFE.

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Much remark was made in England, at the
time of Mr.. Disraelis retirement from the
premiership, upon the honor which he paid to
his wife in creating her peercss II may
not be forgotten that when Disraeli, while still
prime minister, received the freedom OF the
city Of Edinburgh, aud delivered one Of the
most brilliant Of his many eloquent orations,
he touched the hearts Of all his vast audi
ence by an afcctionate allusion to Mrs. Dis
raeli, and the comfort and help she had given
him throughout his turbulent political ca
reer. To her he owed it, he nobly declared,
that he had not fatered by the way, that he
had not covered before obstacles from her
he had ever derived new courage to fight his
cause, and had caught new ygor aud en-
thusiasm after defeat.
Such a tribute was as graceful as it was /
rare and whatever we may think Of Dis |
raeli as a statesman and politician, it is certain
that there is noble stuff in one who could so |
touchingly attribute success to the loving |
support of a wife. Instead Of himself reap !
ing the reward of his long service in Parla- /
ment--a reward which was gratefully offered /
to him by his sovereign by taking his place
among the hereditary aristocracy and ASSUME
ing the title Of earl, he declined It, with
the intimation that were any such reward
! thought to be deserved, he would es-
TEEN it yet greater boon were 1t conferred
on his consort. So it was that on the very
day that her husband retired from power,
| Mrs Disrael took her place among the noble
ladies of England, by the title Of Niseountess
Beaconsfed. This event set the gossipers to
recalling her early life and that Of her lord.
/ The old story how, while still the wife Of
distinguished general she was strongly at
/ tracted to the as yet unknown author Of Wv
/ ian Grey how like an honest woman, she
/ told her husband that she must see and know
him; how the young jew was invited to her
house, and the general indulging her whlm,
received him Hospitality, trusting her fully,
and not seemingly Jealous that his wife should
have so enthusiastic an admiration for the
young novelist and NJ. P.i how, after the gen
erals death, that admiration ripened into an
affection which nearly forty years have not
sufhced to impair but on the contrary have
seemed to strengthen and cement this was
the iayorite topic in the London drawing
rooms. Viscountess Beaconsield IS some ten
years older than the ex-Prime Minister and
striking is the contrast between the two as
you see them slowly walking down the street
/ together. He, young-looking, JauDty, fash
ionably dressed, with light, vigorous Eng
lish step-his glossy black hair curling in
ringlets, and shading his unwrlnkledi swarthy
face and falling over his collar-stlll the ro-
mantic-looking novelist rather than the expert
enced and hardworn statesman-his sixty-two
years sitting as lightly on him as forty OF
them do on most men his manner calm al
most gay, as if not dissatisfied with this bel
lgerent world-his features as Enthusiastically
Hebrew as are those OF our little friend
Moses who sells secondhand clothing round
the corner She tall, thin, wrinkled, gray,
venerable ; seemingly quite old enough to be
his mother ; sickly-looking and iran, looking
quite seventy with mild, gentle face, ex-
pressive of the kindliest home virtues, and
not less Of true feminine courage and force
of character. As they pass along she leans
upon his arm, and seems by her manner
to be both fond and proud OF HIM while he
listens attentiyely to what she says, is as gal
liant in his manner to her as young beau to
= his blushing sweetheart, and seems IN his
turn morally to lean on her, and to crave ana
follow her counsel. story is told OF Lady
Beaconsfeld's devotion to her lord and his
t ambition, which, if true, is a touching COM
mentary on the unselfshness Of womanly af-
fection. On one occasion, when Disraeli was
5 chancellor of the exchequer, his wife accom-
p panied him to the Parliament house. 1t was
+" Budget night-the most momentous oil all
d sessions to the chancellor of the exchequer,
d for he had TO unfold his financial plans for
y the ensuing year to a critical and not too