Morning journal and courier., 1885-07-11
MAX O'RELL'S LETTER.

1 l and the Peerage-Gerdon's Diaries An Interesting Love Story-Anec- dotes.
 Especial Correspondence of the JOURNAL AND CoUR- | TER. All Rights Reservedl
 LONDON, June 27. ! To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 A little prediction of mine will be realized sooner than I expected. But of course you will say that man who is not in his own l country can safely indulge in little prophe- cies. Lord Salisbury, while leader of Her Majestys opposition, called Russia ''swin- dler and bankrupt" and I said that, before the year was over, he would have, on taking l office, to send his apologies to St. Petersburg, as MT. Gladstone had to send his to Vienna, in 1880, for a similar insult to Austria Che | had called that country Ca rotten country'D which he blurted out at public meeting in 1879. Lord Salisbury's apologies will have
 to be made immediately, for the Russian ambassador in London has received instruc- tions from the Czar to exact explanations from the new prime minister of England and
 Lord Randolph Churchill, the new Indian secretary. Of course the answer will be that I it was all mistake, that in fact there never
 
 friendly relations with Russia as the new ad-
 visers of the Queen. Besides we had to
 please the mob, you know, the electors; but at heart we never meant it." To start off cial life with slice of humble pie is incon- venient, but it is good practice and Lord Salisbury's patriotism will be up to it hope, for it was only out of patriotism that he con sented to take office. When the Conserva- tives come to Downing street it is, in the eyes of their partisans, out of abnegation to serve
 the1r country and get it out of mess; in the eyes of the same persons, when the Liberal
 leader undertakes the task of forming a min
 istry, it is out of ambition to serve his own
 interests. And vice versa of course. One
 thing is quite certain about this Russian af- fair and that is that, whereas the opposition was all for war under the late government,
 the opposition to Lord Salisbury's ministry
 will stump the country throughout it's length and breadth if the noble marquis moves single step in the direction of war This of
 course is a great gain.
 MT. Gladstone on retiring from office has
 been offered and has refused a peerage and
 the Garter. The grand old man understood
 that he would gain no lustre by exchanging
 his illustrious name for that of some un-
 known town, by hearing himself called ''my
 lord" at the end of his long and glorious
 reer and by wearing bit of blue ribbon.
 When Pitt was made Earl of Chatham he
 was congratulated by MT. Pulteney "upon
 having been kicked up stairs" The same MT. Pulteney was 8 little while after made peer himself ''to sink into insignifcance and earldom," according to Lord Stanhope. As Truth remarks, Gladstone is not made of
 the vulgar clay out of which earls and bar
 ons are manufactured and his admirers will
 be pleased to hear that he has declined to sink into insignihcInce and an earldom. Sir
 Stafford Northcote, the new first Lord of the
 Treasury, has not the same sentiments as MT.
 Gladstone on the subject of earldoms. He
 is to become Earl of Iddesleigh and, if you
 please, Viscount of Saint Cyres. It serves
 him right.
 "Gordons Diaries at Khartoum' has just
 come out. I have only had time 10 skim
 through this most interesting volume. I
 find in it this most suggestive passage: ''We
 are wonderful people; it was never our
 government which made us a great nation;
 our government has ever been the drag on our wheels. England was made by adven turers, not by it's government, and I believe it will only hold it's place by adventures" :" Speaking of the expeditionary force sent to deliver him. he adds: "f Khartoum falls then go quickly back to Cairo; for you will only lose men and spend money uselessly in carrying on the campaign" It is true that
 they were adventurers, those Englishmen
 who first set foot on the rich lands that have
 been added one after another to the list of
 England's possessions. But if England is
 great she owes her greatness to such noble
 deeds as thine, poor, poor Gordon!
 It is seldom that one reads in 8 novel
 more interesting story than one that was un-
 folded at trial which took place in Italy at
 the beginning of the week. A young sub
 lieutenant, bearing the illustrious name of
 Poma. was in garrison at Brescia, when he
 made the acquaintance of beautiful young seamst1ess and fell madly in love with her. He resolved to make her his wife, but, un- fortunately for the lovers, his family would not hear of such mesalliance Meanwhile the regiment left Brescia to go to Piedmont. The lovers were greatly distressed, but after arriving at the new destination of the regi- ment our Romeo soon obtained two months leave and fled back to his beloved. Having failed to obtain his parents consent and be- ing under twenty-five, he could not get civ il marriage performed and had to content himself with the religious ceremony. Hold ing the young girl to be his legitimate wife, he took her back with him to Piedmont. But the troubles of the young pair had only just begun. For small breach of military dis cipline young Poma was put under arrest for a fortnight. At the end of week great was the poor fellows longing to see his wife that he ran away from the barracks to join her, which escapade cost him two months \ Here the story grows thrilling. Exilles is situated high in the Alps and for eight months of the year Is buried in snow. The young woman resolved to rejoin her hus- | band. She went to the nearest village, and, ! by making inquiries as to what communica- tions there were with the fortress, learned that when a message arrived for any of it's inmates young shepherd was em- ployed to carry it through the seven ! miles of snow. She immediately procured telegram form, wrote on it the name and address of Lieutenant Poma, and, disguised as shepherd set, out for the fortress She passed the sentry with out hindrance, and the lovers were soon in each others arms. But after the first joy of meeting, they bethought themselves that, as shepherd had come into the fortress, 8 shepherd must go out, and the devoted wife was resolved not not to leave her newly found husband. However, the difficulty was sur ! mounted by putting the shepherds disguise on young soldier and the dark cell became paradise by lovers radiance. But, alas! the course of true love never did run smooth. Suspicious were aroused and one fine morn ing steps were heard near the door. The young signora quickly disappeared under the bed. The governor of ths prison enter ed, and, having made thorough inspection of the place, abruptly said to Poma: "Lieu- tenant, there is a woman here somewhere; give me your word of honor that such is not ' the case, and I will believe you" ''It is 1 true, sir, there is woman here," said Poma, ''but the woman is my wife" Out came the pretty lodger from her hidingplace, and threw ! herself sobbing at the feet Of the governor. ''Be not afraid, signora, no harm will be done | to you, only you cannot stay here," said he, raising her courteously. q authorize Lieu tenant Poma to take you to Ivrea, where his chiefs will deal with him." The young couple got to Ivrea on the 23rd of August, 1884, but \ the young officer was immediately put under ! arrest in room situated on second floor Seeing there was no hope of peaceful settle ment, Poma had not been few hours in his [ new quarters when he jumped from the window, protected, suppose, by the god of lovers, went to fetch his wife and fled with her to France, from whence he soon sent in ! his resignation. After residing few months \ in Lyons, they went to Geneva. ca the 22d ' of April last, Poma, having attained his | twenty-ffth year, remarked his wife imme- ! diately (this time civilly). Thinking that \ all was now perfectly regular, and that no ! more breakers were ahead, the young couple ! returned to Italy. Unhappily his resigna- l tion was not accepted, and the poor young | lieutenant was tried at the beginning of this week as deserter, and condemned to thir 1 teen months, Imprisonment. I should not be | surprised.if the brave and beautiful young