The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-20

bsgman asked of his remaining fellow
traveller. whoever can he De? HE Is
Lord John Russell. /" was the quiet answer.
Lord John RUSSELL" exclaimed the m an
"What-'imi 'O'od a. thought of IS 5ein
so blarsted haffsbie to two little snobs ike
me and you'll" The other laughed heartily
and changed the subject, and the bagman
pushing sales of groceries IN country
towns. In the course of time, however,
the train stopped again, and the little
man, wishing the bagnan pleasant good-
bye" gathered MS wraps and got out he
was received by two footmen and bevy
OF grooms and glllies, and made his way
to carriage and four. The oagrnan was
simply bewildered. 100 was that wo'
got hout Of ere Just now ," he shouted u
the station master. The Duke OF Argyll,
was the crushing reply. Where do you
come from that YOU don't know the duke
of Argyii?"
The story is very likely true There IS
no reason why II should not oe. Bat Il II
Is, the Dagman thought the duke "a little
snoo" solely because he vas little snoo
himself and did not know a gentleman
when he met one Nothing could be more
eharar ieristic Of the duke than FOR him 20
travei ali day with 0aEman 20 get all the
information and all the human nature he
could out Of him and never once disclose
his own condition IN life. He Is too sensl-
bic TO re particular, and too proud 10 oe
superciiious.
The duke married when only just Of age
the daughter Of the second duke of Suth-
erland, and had four sons and daughter.
Il was family match, and Il the duke
had not had abundant resources outside OF
his domestic circle MS life would not nave
been a very bright one. He vas good nus
band and an Indulgent father, but be has
had q great deal OF trouble with his sons.
Not one OF them has f1laIled the expecta-
tons that he had right 10 form OF them,
The eldest, the Marquis OF Lorne, gave
considerable promise and has had credit
able public career, but the very event
which was TO have added luster 10 the
family proved great disappointment and
actually marred their prospects. Lord
Lorne's marriage with the Princess Louise
proved chil6less. Her health broke down,
and his relations with the roya! family
were for a time, al all events, extremely
unpleasant.
Then came the deplorable matrimonial
scandal of the second son. He sued for
divorce on the ground of his wife's mis-
conduct. and she brought counter action
on the ground of immortality ana cruelty.
The court decided that neither charge was
proved, and it looked very much as If
there were nothing on either side worse
than jealousy and vlndictlveneSs. But
the trial ruined both husband and wife.
and the duke generously paid $4,000 for
his sons costs. Another son got into terri
bic difficu ties IN business, of which he had
not the most elementary knowledge. and
died abroad after taxing ms fathers re-
sources very severely. The dukes equaole
temperament and abiding common sense,
however have tided him over all these sor-
rows. and some years ago he made
a second marriage which has brought
him q great deal OF quiet happiness.
Not word Of blame has ever
rested on him, but on the contrary,
he has earned universal respect and sym
pathy by the way he has stood oy his sons
in their troubles and strained his own re-
sources TO save the good name OF the
family. He Is a poor man, for q duke.
Though he has enormous estates, his rent
roll IS low and precarious. and his ex-
penses are very heavy indeed. He Is q
patriarchal landlord. regarding his an
cestraI territory more as means of sup
porting mis- people than OF providing him
self with an income TO be spent elsewhere;
and though he has strict ideas as 10 the
fuIhIlment of contracts between landlord
and tenant, he is willing enough that the
contract should be favorable 10 the tenant.
He IS now 6S, and has been in very bad
health OF late years. He Will probably not
be an important factor IN party politics
much longer, but as long as he has any
strength left he is bound 10 have some
thing 20 do with all that is going on, to
make his intellect felt, and TO exercise an
appreciable weight not less ov his strong
individuality than by his singular heritage
OF tribal chieftainship.
EDWARD WAKEFIELD.