Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-25

Mrs. Southworth's Memorable Visit
to the Poets Widow
INTHELAsTYEAR OTHER LIFE
simple Lunch and Tete-a-Tetc-A Last
Visit-Sympathy With "a Rod y i'm ii''-
a Big Box sor JOHN Browns Widow
Lass Farewell
Written expressly for The EVENING STAR

a
was one from Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe
" TO Lady Byron. Now. the prospect of a
sFt presentation to Queen Victoria or to the
Impress Eugenie would no: have interested
me nearly much the anticipation of a
meeting with the poets widow. Queen and
empress were realities Of the world worldly;
but ANNE Isabella. Lady NoeH Byron" (for
such was the inscription under the picture of
the beautiful woman that formed the frontls-
piece of the first volume of Byron's poems /
had ever seem belonged to the realm OF poetry,
the world of soul in which had met Dante 8
Beatrice, Petrach's Laura. Tasso's LeoDora and
all the cloves of the poets"
/ felt like one in a dream when / found my
self before St Georges Terrace. row ofthree-
story brick houses Regents Park. The
door opened by a trim young man, not in
livery but neatly dressed in black like a stu
dent of divinity, who in answer to my question
said that Lady Byron was at home, opened the
door on the right, showed me into small re-
ception room, took my card and letter and dis
appeared / had scarcely time to observe that
the room was shady and simply fitted up when
the footman returned and asked me to walk up.
/ followed the clerical-loOking young man up
stairs and into front drawing room COM
fortably but not elegantly furnished. 1t was
vacant had no sight or thought, however
TO give to surroundings. was watching for
thinking Other only whom had come to see.
,
tall, stately, queenly, richly arrayed.
HOW LADY BYRON LOOKED.
/ had but Just seated myself when door
leading from the rear room opened and Lady
Byron entered-a small woman, plump, fair
blue-eyed, silver-haired. simply dressed in a
black silk gown plainly made, shawl of black
China Grape and a widows cap of fine black
and white lace resting lightly above the little
sIlvery curls that frightened rather than
shaded her smooth forehead. She came for
ward slowly. feebly, but holding out her hand
small. fair hand-snd smiling she greeted
me, and said something about her dear friend,
Mrs. Beecher Stowe, and how pleased she was
to see friend of hers.
Any betrayal of emotion is considered very
"bsd form" in good society, SO hope and trust
did not show what felt when clasped the
hand Lord Byron had SO often pressed Past
and present, material and spiritual seemed to
meet and mingle there. as the poets widow sat
down with ME on the sofa. We talked of Mrs
Stowe. Uncle Toms Cabin" American poll
tics and the rising storm cloud that was soon
TO break over our land. In the midst of this the
communicating doors between the two rooms
opened and a grave. Misunderstanding man
appeared and said in a low voice:
My lady is served"
Lady Byron turned to me-. smiled and SAID
You will lunch with meg
1t seemed like being asked to lunch with
Leonora d'Este! But l was younger then.
MISIsTERIAL-LooKINs DoMEsTICs.
Lady Byron rose and drew nv hand under
her arm and led me into the next room to a
small, round table dsntily laid for two. We
sat down opposite each other. The ministerial
looking man whom l took to be the butler
stood at the back of her ladvship's chair. The
young man who looked like a student of divin-
ity was also in attendance Both Of these serv-
ants were clothed in black without q sign of
livery, which Il almost solitary instance
among the servants of the upper classes in
N nm
Lady Byron told me that she never required
her domestics to wear any badge of seryItude.
i mention this a characteristic of Lady
Byron's delicacy of feeling. To return:
A clear white soup was the first dish 1t was
SET before the hostess and she herself served
il. filling plate handed it to the footman.
who placed ii before me. When the soup was
removed the reyerend-loOking butler solemnly
filled our glasses from decanter of pale sherry
and then placed a dish with boiled fowl before
his mistress. She carved It and the young
footman passed the plate as before.
1t was just then my hostess smiled and said:
This is really my dinner. My physician
directs me to take my principal meal in the
middle of the day. so dine at ?"
The dessert consisted of delicate syllabus,
vhipt creams. jellles, fresh Strawberries,
dainty cakes and coffee.
These, said my hostess, smiling and in
dicatng the fruits and cream. come from my
little place in the country. They are brought
up fresh from the garden and dairy every
morning"
DISCUSSING SLAVERY.
After We had returned TO the drawing room
and resumed our seats on the sofa our CONVEX
sa;ion reverted to the subjects that had been
discussed before dinner. Lady Byron put
some questions to me in regard to negro slavery
IN the United States and inquired whether I
could give her any information on that subject
When / told her that had been familiar with
the institution from infancy, my forefathers
fpr Unf. had b..
grew more interested and begged that would
tell all that might tell with discretion
IreplIed that while no one could deny the
essential wrong OF slavery even where the ma
terial condition OF the slave was improved by
II. yet justice constrained me to declare that
protection and affection between master and
slave was the general rule, and cruelty and
hatred the rare exception. cruel master was
evil III every relation III life. A bal master
was bad son, brother. husband. father neigh
Dor. Christian. A good master Oh the other
hand would be found 10 be good IN every rela-
tiOr IN life. II was not the position of the
owner, 1t was the nature OF the man, tina. made
the good or bad master.
LADY BYRoS's KINDNESS TO HER MAID
We were here interrupted by the entrance OF
plessant-loOking matrOn, neatly clothed IN a
hight calico gown and wearing a widows-not a
servants-cap.
We'll. WaIsOn?" Lady Byron said kindly.
III you please. my lady, would like to go
out Tor an nOLr said Inc woman IN the low,
soft tone IN which every one IN the house
seemed TO speak.
Take the whole afternoon, Watson I shall
not require any attention until eyeLIng" said
the mistress And IL was not the kindness SO
much as the courtesy with which she spoke to
her domestic that Impressed me-
When the woman had Withdrawn Lady Byron
said:
Il have . deep affection for Watson have
cause TO be very grateful TO her. She was my
daughters maid. devoted to her during her
long. trying illness. She shall stay with me as
long a. live"
Lady Byrons daughter and only child, Ada,
Countess of Loyelace, after q painful and
tedious Illness, had died few years before)
Presently she took up book from q stand
near by and inquired If 1 had read Miss
Auloch's "A Life for Life?'
/ had read II and told her so.
But not the Last edition, probably for 10 il
Just OUT" she said.
inquired II there was any material diff
ference.
she replied that she thought there was an
essential one.
HOW SHE INFLUENCED MISS MULocH.
IAN improvement that / suggested to Miss
Muloch, though to be just" she added with q
Smils- II only eounseled her to be true to her