Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-07-09
THE PRINCE OF WALES.
Letter to His Brother Alfred.


London correspondence Of the Boston satur-
day Evening Gazette.I
1t is hard to conceive how the follow
ing letter should have fallen from the
hands for which it was intended, or how
any person with the sentiments OF gen.
tleman could have given it publicity.
AS it is going the rounds of the news
papers, | think | should give it place
here. 1t is addressed to the Duke of
Edinburg, now in India. | insert in
brackets such explanations as seem de-
sirable: ,o-o
My DEAR ALFRED: Your long letter,
dated Calcutta, has delighted us. 1t
seems most strange to us to be receiving
letters from you dated India. l myself
did not care much about going to India,
but since you have been there, and are
SO much pleased with it, | hope to go
there one of these days, If Ia mere lthe
, Queen) approves it. 3 am delighted to
hear that Mayo Earl Mayo, Governor
General of India) received you so we'll
He dined with us occasionally, and Ber-
thus (the Prince of Wales eldest son
Albert was very fond of him. l did
not see much of him.
1t is out of the question to hope to
know everybody well. The Countess
(Mayo) is quite small; she does not talk
much, but is very amiable. Alex (the
Princess Alexandria was quite intimate
with her. The Mordaunt business an
moved US extremely, as you may well
Imagine. Bat as ! had donenothlng for
/ which I had reason to blush, / felt l
should not be gagged. La mere ex-
pressed wish that my name should not
appear in the business. Mordaunt re-
fused to consent to this, and after all
am not sorry he did not, because all sorts
| of stories were a6oat about me, which |
had hard work to get from Harris tone OF
the Prince of Wales equerries). So |
told Gladstone | wished to be heard as
witness when the trial came on. lie
consul, ed with the other Ministers, went
several times to Windsor, and at last ii
was decided that we should take the pub
lie into 0nr, confidence. nr teFs
| NV appearance in court was an exces-
siveiy disagreeable trial to me; but, after
all things went off better than | had
hoped. for Peuzance (the Judge of the
Divorce Court and the lawyers were
extremely courteous. / told the whole
truth but bore in mind Hatherley S
(the Lord Chancellor) advice to be brief
and to 90 straight to thepoint. VI course
the newspapers fell foul of me, and the
Times gave me a lecture. But am get
ting accustomed to this sort Of thing, and
| if the newspapers take pleasure in it,
they are welcome. Alex don't like this,
4 but she is as unable az L am to suggest
I a remedy for this nuisance If go fox
hunting or pigecn-shooting, | am called
a butcher or fool, and if | exert the
I least influence in public affairs, l am
told have no right to do so.
Again, | am continually reminded OF
/, nv poor fathers memory, and am bid
den to follow his example-as if my po--
siti,,n was the same he occupied. !
shouid not do this; | should do that; !
sbould always be good | wonder II
other persons think constantly of their
fathers who are long since dead and
hurled / know more than one young
man who does not seem exactly to be
aware whether he ever had father,
while as for me, although our poor father
has been dead these nine years must
continually sit in sackcloth and ashes to
honor his memory. OF truth, this is a
little too strong, and | am beginning to
get thoroughly tired of it, and so is
Alex. You often said TO me you should
like to change places with me, but you
would very soon regret it, old fellow, II
YOU could persuade our frlends7-and our
enemies-in Westminster Palaceto make
this little arrangement. g9ff
/ assure you when l pass in the rail
way the comfortable houses of private
citizens in the neighborhood of London,
and observe how happy they seem, |
often think they have no reason to envy
my fate. Neither have you; for as
,,prightly Thyra princess of Wales SIS
teri says: ALFRED is too good to be
lingr' You came near being one once,
and George king of Greecel fastened
to 90 where yOu we're afraid to reign.
p oor Georgel The Greeks are hard to
please. and never know when they are
well of. There is nothing new We 70
often to the theater, and | hunt now and
then. We may visit Ireland next au-
tumn, but Alex is not exactly crazy 70
make the excursion, and says we should
not court the chance of being shot at;
Ireland isuin bad predicament, and
Gladstone.is very much concerned atthis
state Of affairs suppose the Irish
know what they want. but really do not.
1t is deplorable that they should be so
diseontented; their way of shooting at
landowners from behind hedges is really
too bad. Despite all this, | should
willingly spend the summer or autumn
in Ireland, visit the country, and run all
risks, this could do any good, And If
there are Irishmen who wish to kill me,
why do they not try to do so in London,
instead of waiting until visit their
country2 do not mean to say should
like them to fire on me; am too good a
lover of whale-bones But nowadays
one must put up with great many
things. Moreover, ] am getting tired OF
the life lead here, and ! should be de
lighted to do something TO make myself
friends in Ireland. The Irish have ex-
cellent hearts, and are the best soldiers