The sun., 1878-12-30
OUR LONDON LETTER.
The Death or the Princes. AIice--Hard Times
RenchinG the Great Land Owners-Ran-
cor In nPolIttes-HypocrtticaI Huneounhe.


Princess Alice. is being Inferred at Dnrmstndt.
The blinds OF nll the clubs are down. and the
town wears m aspect Of profound mourning.
1t IL long since any evont has occurred which
has 40 deeply touched the heart OF tho nation
as the death Of tho Queens second daughter.
Although tho latter half OF her life had boen
principally spent In the seclusion OF small
German Court she had. when only II. achieved
popularity in her own country OF n very spo-
cial kind. The painful illness OF the Prince
Consort developed N her traits pccuifarly cal
culated 10 commend themselves to the people.
for II became we'll known that during that try
ing period the young girl had given evidence
OF sclf-restrnlnt. horoism. and skill In nursing
far beyond her years She was the head and
hands Of the sick room. and honceforward be-
came the Queens favorlte daughter. and ono To
whom all the family ilooked for wise counsel
and efficient aid in NIL family troubles. En-
dowed with admirable tact and with extraordi-
nary executive power. she was n woman OF
whom one OF tho greatost statesmen living has
said that she was horn an Empress: and yct 81
great was her modcsty that while her eXcep-
tiona talent could not fail 10 DO recognized by
those brought into daily contact with her, few
beyond that circle were aware OF her abilities.
Among her personal friends wore some Of ths
profoundest of German thinkers and the terms
dcath afford some evidence OF the high esteem
In which she was held.
Her domestic life was one Of unmlxcd happl.
ness. Her husband man OF mos; amiable and
nfTcctionnte disposition. leaned upon her M his
wisest counsellor and friend. and no more on
oyable family circle was to be found than that
OF the Grand Ducal palace OF Dnrmstndt
When her brother tho Prince Of Wales. was III
TO the point of death. sho Il was who hurried
over TO nurse him: and she has literally fallen
n victim al last TO her devotion to her own fam
lily. Tho circumstances which were alluded to
by Lord Beaconsfcld In his speech last night
were peculiarly touching. II II we'll known
that the malady Is ono specially liable tn bo con-
veyed by contact. and tho Princess had rcccived
strict iniunctions from tho medical men to
| avoid embracing her children while nursing
them. To this rulo she had vigorously adhered.
but when 1t became necessary TO break the In
teligence Of the death OF her little girl aged 4.
| to her brother. who was only two or three years
| older. the boy. himself weakened by the Illness
| from which he wns slowly recovering. was so
| overcome by paroxysm Of grief that the
| mother could not refrain from consoling him
| with caresses; and thus she imbibed the poison
which proved fatal 10 hcr
| As matter Of taste Lord Beaconsned's al
| lusion TO this incident last night in the House
| Of Lords has been criticised. The lines which
limit pathos are indeed delicate and difIicult to
define: yet the picture which the Premier sug-
| gests to the artists. IL It might have been more
appropriately presented on another occasion.
ia in itself emincnty pathetic-this agitated
| mother. casping her son In her arms 10 soothe
| the misery by which he was overcome. and re-
cevng from him tho kiss II death. Tho crlti-
clsm seems hypercriucal. and as It comes from n
-
whether the dlscordant noto il not rather TO be
found in turning the occasion into one OF party
attack. than in Lord Beaconsneld's allusion to
| art in connection with the Princess's death.
| II is strange that while not a single member
| OF the Grand Ducal family escaped the disease
| not single domestic or attendant in the palace
| was in the smallest degree attacked by H.. This
| somewhat upseis the theory Of simple malaria,
| aud seems 20 imply some hereditary tendency
| in addition. a few hours before she was taken
III. the Princess went to meet her sister-in law
the Duchess Of Edinburgh mt the railway sta.
tion. and kissed her and her children. The
| consequence II that some apprehension was
felt lest the infection might have been eommuni.
Gated. Ten days. however. have elapsed since
the meeting and 1t is hoped that Us 1t has moi
declared itself in the Duke OF EdinburRh's 3 fam.
ily the danger is past. Tho Prince Of Wales
Prince Christian. Prince Leopold tho Crown
| Prince Of Prussia aud other mcmbers OF tho
| royal family have gone to Darmstadt L
attend the funeral but II will be accompanie,
by circumstances OF unusual distress. They
will not be allowed TO communicate with tn,
| Grand Duke. or with any members Of the family
| or 10 enter the palace
In this country a general mourning fol
the nation has been ordered. and all gayeties
and festivities have been postponed. Tho grea
sympathy for the suferings of others which th'
Queen invariably maniiests has doubtless con
tributcd largely to evoke tho popular sentiments
in her behalf; and this is increased by the fac
that she clings with peculiar intensity. in certair
cases at all events TO her closest domestic ties
That these expressions Of sympathy will not m
confined TO her own subjects but that, ms nn es
! timable woman and devoted wife and mother
her grief will touch the hearts Of the people o
other lands is not doubted: and il Is remark
able how many allusions have already appeare,
in the public prints to the we-known estimR
tion in which she is held in America. and TO th
kindly expression OF feelings which this afiiic
ton Ia sure TO evoke on the other side of the At
lantic.
While the gloom OF this event hangs over tn
nation. a depression from n very different cnus
is daily increasing in intensity. Its nature ma
hc gathered from the following question whicl
Mr.. Hubbard. Conservative member OF tn
House OF Commons. put to the Home Secretar,
last night. He asked whether tho Home See
rotary could correct or corroborate tho rcpor
that we were almost face 10 face with such
crisis of distress as this generation had ncve
known distress affecting even the metropolis
but operating with greater intensity in the cot
ton. coal, and iron districts" The Home Sec
Rotary in reply, deprecated questions whic
were likely to create alarm; and he read toe
grams Of reassurinR character from tn
Mayors OF some Of tho principal cities. But III
fact of an Unprecedented distress is none til
less true. Nor is it confined TO tho cotton. Goa
and iron districts. The most serious feature I
the pressure on the rural population. and thi
| Is beginning TO be felt by n class that has neve
felt pressure before, 10 wit. the landed arls
tocracy of the country. II ia n novel thin
TO hear OF men Of immense territorial pos
sessions complaining OF hard times bu
only yesterday friend told me this
he had had dispute with ono Of hi
principal tenant farmers in regard TO riRl
the latter claimed OF inviting n friend to flsi