The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-08
LORD coLERIDGE,s DAUGHTER.

The Household of England's Chief-Justice
as Revealed in Court.
Edmund Yates, in London World.
There appeared in the Morning Post May 6,
1884, the following advertisements:
nAII4Y GOVERNESS.-The Hon. Mildred Cole
~ ridge. 80 Abingdon Road Kensington gives in
struction in music Theory and practce), German.
Italian and French: and rudimentary Greek and
Latin. Literature class on Wednesday afternoons
The appeal to English parents for their
patronage 10y the only daughter of the Lord
Chief-justice of England excited thu astonish-
ment not unmixed with indignation, of the pub
bic. The record of the action for libel brought
by Mr.. Adams against the Lord Chief Justices
son supplies the explanation and constitutes the
requisite commentary upon the eccentric text
Miss Coleridge was driven to become daily
governess, living in small house or lodging in
a cheap suburb, because her home, the home
from which her mother had six years ago been
removed by death, and which was
controlled by the father who was there
fore morally charged with the responsibilities
of both parents, had ceased to be for
her habitabie place. This deplorable and hui
milia ting condition Of things may have been
directly brought about by her ill-starred engage
neut- But to admit this is only to compel us
to go back one stage further Is it conceivable
J1dS any young woman OF ordinary SelI-reSpecC,
brought up with the notions of deiicacy and
breeding which one is bound to believe that. at
least during the life time of her mother. Miss
Coleridge had an opportunity of acquiring, would
have accepted offer of marriage as cold con-
ventional and one might almost say as com
pulsory as, according to Mr.. Adams, was that
which he was constrained to makes The infer
ence which all sensible, all humane parents, all
daughters who have any knowledge of decent
homes will draw is that Miss Coleridge deliber-
ately preferred frigid and joyless marriage to
the domestic misery she had endured for years
And this young woman was nurtured in an at
moSphere where from her infancy she must have
listened to the pious precepts and devotional
platitudes Of q SNUG religionism. The mind of
the Lord Chief justice, if an idea can be formed
of it from the glimpses which in his
ure-house of copy -book headings, all of them
limiting at the union and identify in the person
of Lord Coleridge of legal infalliblity and moral
excellence. Lord Coleridge is more than mere
Judge He is far above the weaknesses of any
of his predecessors, and poses in all respects as
the ethical superior of the late Sir Alexander
Cock burn. Yet so benefcent was the influence
which he exercised in his own household, so
eminently adapted was he to be taken model
for the father of family, that while he was sit
ting in Judgment posing as the visible embodi-
ment Of civil and divine authority, his daughter
was being driven out of doors and compelled to
ply the trade of daily governess.
That is at the best, a precarious and pitiable
calling. But it is clear that it can have offered
Miss Coeridge few fresh hardships. She at
least had nothing to anticipate in her struggles
to gain her own bread which could deter her
from quitting her fathers roof 1t is an edify-
ing glance into the private life of the Lord
Chief-justce of England which the testimony
of MIR. Adams affords. Seldom even On the
threadbare levels of shabby genteel existence,
never certainly in such social position as that
of Lord Coleridge has the curtain been lifted in
q court of justice upon domestic interior
50, graceless and SO squalid. Mr.
Adams appears to have acted with wis
dom in not allowing himself to partake
Of the greatly grudged hospitality of the
Coleridge family. He appears also to have very
correctly understood the entire femily position.
When, therefore, the small sole and the bread
and butter made their appearance, the afianeed
husband of the lady declined to partake of tine
preferred refreshment except so far as to consume
q fragment of bread and butter, and this only in
order not to wound the feelings of. his hostess.
Even thus he would not apparently laye been pre-
vailed upon, without hearing that Miss Coeridgr,
like the servants in the establishment, was On
board wages. What pictured The only AMI
motherless daughter Of that upright and eloquent
judge to whose lips the finest and hottest of en-
timents are always springing from gulleiess
and chivalrous heart, treated in her fathers
house upon exactly the same footing as a soul
lery wenchl But there is no need 70 dwell upon
all the details of this distressing tale Of parsi
mony meanness and cruelty in the household
of Judge The Lord Chief justice owes it en-
tirely to himself and to the wrong-headed and
dlScourteouS ooStlnaey OF MS son, VINO entlfely
ignored Mr.. Adamss Offer to disprove the
charges brought against Kim to Mr.. Bernard
Coleridge's satisfaction IN private, that the pub
lie is now acquainted with the shocking and
sckening story.
One word more Months ago. on the 9th of
April, when Lord Coeridge denounced this
journal for prying into the private doings of
others, chroniclins their lives and generally
pandering TO unhealthy appetite. all the facts
on which this action was based. and which have
been now dragged into the light of day were
known to us. We were fully and particularly
informed as to the quality and the amount of
the dirty linen which has now been washed in
public. Had we stopped to the cheap sensation
mongering with which we were then charged.
we could not have wished more attractive
teral. But not the slightest mention of or
aliusion TO the matter was made in these col
umns. Tho silence which we maintained then
would not have been broken now unless of
the most despicable scandals ever enacted in an
English household had become public property.
The Coleridge family alone are responsible for
having published to the world those details of
their relations which. in Difference to their feel
ings, suppressed