Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-06-05
Queen yic's Private Secretary.


Sir Henry Ponsonby is always ap-
peariDg by command of the Queen,
sending off kilograms to presidents and
monarchs, and filling big place in the
worlds eye. l have just had the plea
sure of talking with Sir Henry. In
the popular mind Sir Henry is the i'm
personation of dignity and physical and
mental perfection. He is associated in
the mental vision Of the nation with
everything closely allied to majesty
and power, and is supposed to have
been selected from the flower of
the race Of superb presence, daz-
cling air, and in every word
and action breathing conscious SUI
periority. That is the Queens pri-
vate secretary painted in fancy colors;
the Sir Henry Of real life is very dsi-
ferent person. have usually seen him
on duty, in regimentals, but have occa-
sionally met him at Mr.. Gladstone's in
mutt, with all the advantages OF care
full dressing. The first thing that
strikes the behoder is Sir Henry's rcd
nose. One cannot help feeling that, on
man so high as the private secretary
of the Queen of Great Britain and En-
press Of India, red nose is singularly
out Of place. The rest of his counte-
nance is in keeping with the nose {;
watery eyes, pimply face, and
general appearance Of i'll health. His
body is bent, and even in his tightly
buttoned and much-padded military
tunic with stiff stock and too obvious
stays, his stoop is Slinfully out of
keeping with the gay trappings of a
warrior. In manner Sir Henry is
querulous. never saw him or spoke
TO him without pictures of half
forgotten scolding old women rising in
my mind. He looks like an old man
maid who passes the greater part
Of his life in submitting to seedlings
and inilicting seedlings on others.
The Queen is fully aware of the I'M
dignified appearance of her right
hand man, and would gladly replace
him by a younger secretary, but long
years Of intimacy with every public
transaction of the sovereign have rem
dered him almost indispensable. |
know an individual who would fill the
position splendidly-Lord Rowton, for
merly Montague Lorry, the fayorite
private secretary Of Lord Beaconsfeld.
"Monty " is in the prime of life, per-
feet model Of manly strength and cool
intellectual power. lie was in all
Beaconsfeld's secrets, his confdant in
every intrigue, social, political, and
diplomatic is familiar with every
statesman in Europe, from Gladstone
to Bismarck, and so self-possessed,
resolute, daring, and at the same time
deliberate, probably, as any living hui
man being. When Beaconsdeld saw
his enjoyment Of the premiership was
about coming TO an end in 1879 he made
Monty full-blown baron, and he is now
Lord Rowton. Before Beaconsfeld died
he bequeathed TO Rowton all the letters
he had received from the Queen,
con6ding to him the task Of pre-
pairing them, together with all his State
and historical documents, after consult
ing her Majesty. This has brought
Rowton into constant contact with the
| Queen, and he is now, under the royal
direction, preparing thesepriceless doe
uments for publication. l, for one,
should not be surprised TO find Rowton
becoming private secretary to the
Queen, rice Red Nose, superannuated,
ore Of these days.