New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-18
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

ALICE. GRAND DUCHESS OF HEssE, PRINCESS OF
GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND BlogrsP11iS"'
sketch and letters; with portraits A|mo'' PIP 'i'
Alice, the third child of Queen Victoria, was a
woman of fine character and of good nind' run
sfunselGshness. generosity and kindness, she was
n friend TO be loved; while her strong common
sense her liberality of thought and her capacity
for looking at both sides of thing won for her n
personal respect as great that paid to her rank
She had many accomplishments and much knowl-
edee of and affection 70 all tho arts that refine.
This volume chiefly made mp from her letters
testles to the sweetness of her disposition and the
strength of her family affections The letters deal
with little else than her love for her mother her
husband. her children and her devotion to
the memory of her father, of whom she
speaks in hyperbolc which would be 'x'rayagant
and unpeasing IN any on but 50 tender daush-
ter. Domestic details Administration too mucn'
for they cause the volume 10 grlcyousy smack ne'o
and there of bread and butter The letters nave
evidently been too vigorously edited. ana III r"t"y
eases the rcsiduum of family details is somewhSt
twaddlng. There is little in the volume that can
be Of value to the historian or TO tho student o'
manners-a strange thing 70 say concerning the
iettets OF mn exceptionally clever woman written
during n period filed with wars, with diplomacy
with triumphs of science aud OF literature
Tho Princesss biorraphcr and her sister clhim
for her great political sagacity but this is not re-
,ealcd in these letters which represent her ~ look-
ing upor the changes Of European politics merely
with the eves of loving woman concerned Tor Tue
safety aud happiness Of her own family and OF her
relatives IN other couttH
during most of hci welded life tho Princess was
moor. Thsto was no suitable house fof tho young
mir Ia pa,mHtadL and tho erection of palace
took most Of tho money that tho Grand Duke
The Princess had to endure many pfiVa'
lions and sho met them with an hdhihtlo
courage aud oheerluness. Her industry ana ACTIVITY
Mere unfailing of hor children she took "a personal
charge, such as fow women of society would essay
ehe taught them, she sewed Tor them sho trained
them in simplicity, she washed and dressed her
plump German babies Sho writes to her mother
about her little girls that she strives TO bring them
ap totally free from pride of their position which
s nothng save what their personal worth can make
H." and she adds "lfeel so entirely you do the
difference of rank and how all important 1t Is Tor
princes and prnccsses to know that they are moth
NC better or above Others save through
their own merit; and that they have only the
ioube duty of living for others and of being ex
,mple-good and modest" Her motherly wisdom
was of the most wholesome sort. She gave TO her
little ones tastes that were pure and high All
nv children" she writes to the QueOn " are great
lovers of nature and develop this as much as l
.an."
1t makes life so rich and they never feel
Gull anywhere, If they know how to seek and
Ind around them the thousand beauties, and
wonders of nature. They are very happy
and contented. and always SEQ the less. peo-
pie have the less they want and the greater is the
Enjoyment of that which they have. bring my
children up as simply aud with as few wants rs |
IAN, and above all, teach them to help themselves
lnd Others so as to become independent
They very unspOilt in their tastes, and sprlo
md quiet children, which think Of the greatest
importance.
bring up their dauglte with the main object OF
marrying them. want to strive TO bring |
lp the girls without seeking this the sole OBJ !
ect for the futuIe-tO feel that they can fll |
up their lives SO well otherwise. A marriage |
or the sake of marriage is surely the creates, ms
JAKE woman can make
There is as You say, nothing more Injurious for |
children than that they should be made tuhs |
about. | want to make them unselnsh, unsDOlled |
take greater place in my life than Is often the |
sase in our families, comes from my not being able
take charge of them always; certain things !
remain undone from that reason, II DO !
pot do them, and thoy would bo the !
To- ers. l certainly do not belong by nature |
mnstauces havo forced me TO be the mother in the
zeal sense as in a private family, aud had 70 |
school myself TO it, | assure vCu, for many small |
leli-denials have bSen necessary.
In good sense and in wom9uly unselGshness the |
Princess was a model for her sex and those letters
which reveal these qualities were empently worth |
printing II is pity, however, that the collection
lhoud have been made 80 voluninous, and that |
here should not have been incorporated more let
ers showing the intellectual side of this wise and
accomplished lady.