New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-03

Stanlcv's but they were not the majority. fash-
ion was not what she cared for, or not NANNY
She liked people about her who had IDEAS ana
conversation; not those bent on the name eN-
change OF trivial gossip which sometimes-py no
means always-does duty for conversation IN eN-
allied and exclusive regions OF society Lazy
stanley moreover interested in move
ments" Of many kinds-educatonal, chartahle
and other She used to :: SIX to her parties the
people whom she met in this way; earnest peo-
pie Earnestnees social qualihcatl"h ~ oI
uncertain value. sometimes reducing It's pos'esso'
10 silence amid the chatter Of which earnestness
IL not n characteristic. Her parties. In "ord'
were mixed, and therefore the more entertaining
TO those who like to study character
Lady staney's list Of personal friends among
mo, and ,romen of real distinction was long
one Among those who were constant 10 her
wor, Mr. Harvard Lord Houghton. browning
Matthew Arnold Knglake Mr.. Henry Reeve
Lord Kimberley and NJ Gladstone. could
name many more Mr.. Gladstone used 10 90 To
her parties and still more often to see hor alone
I once heard her say that he never "nl'''' !"
come soon after his return To town "' inc ne
ginning ~ the Parliamentary f'as'n' !" "''
times they used to be political ~ wen w per
sonnl friends After 1856 they no longer agreed
about politics. the spectre of HON" KUN "'o"'
between them II was never MI '"au''"n'
way f. care much for discussion win 'n"S'
whom he knew to be- hlr opponents ana p'S"hu
hone Of conversion. ns Lady Stin"y WIZ J"
TINT circumstance he preferred taking 81 "'h'i
subjects. "Thc Times" to-day prints this nn'c-
dotc:
I'm ono If the LAST visits paid her 10y Mr. Glad
,,. u.hon mo cx Premier cndcaVorcl u turn
the subject Of conversation from me danE',"u5
one OF politics to recent novel she Is reported
10 have said: Don't lets talk ol novels ''"N'
them for your old age. ms 40
# is too good a story to spoil by sccpiical criu-
cism but doubt whether either to Lady Stanley
or 20 Mr. Gladstone any subject ever came amiss
or any book Of note remained long unknown
wbother novel or another But may give You an
anecdote which | know to be true IN when MT
Gladstone has no share, but an American mas
c,ntain Mahan When that distinguished officer
came To London and London bowed down before
him Lady Stanley wanted 10 see NM li'i
methods were ever direct She wrote 10 captain
Mahan, explaining who she was telling MN t'at
she had read his books on "Tho influence Ga
Sea Power" wanted to know the writer o' 'hem
and would he come 10 see an old woman of eighty
eevan who otherwise would probably never see
him at all? There nothing novel IN Lazy
Stanley's wish to- make the acquainian.' 81
man whom all London was wanting i' KNOW
What was peculiar t. her WAS the way IN when
she accomplished her object. Captain Mahan, Of
course went
Mr. Lowell was one Of her friends. She -
angerod him one evening at one II hcr parties,
when he said goodby to her that a We walked
downstairs together he declared h. never again
would enter her house. But Lowell was incapa-
be Of rancor and before We were outside the front
door was already making excuses for his hostess.
What he resented was remark about his own
country T. which nevertheless. LAZY stanley was
n good friend But she could not be- conventional
Dining once with her. took IN a Lady whom !
knew To be fanatic about Temperance. ana
said rather heedlcssly Il wonder At your din
ing here. when YOU know there Will Doe wn".'
My hostess heard this remark, and. leaning across
her neghbor. said o. me. II you mink You can
Joke with ----- on that subject yuu VIII hnd ont
your mistake" Thus reduced to order. / sought
another subject. she herself was So uaelmpro-
missing that she tolerated a similar spirit in
others. Not always. however Few can have fIr-
auented her house without Witnessing sofa" c1--
lisions But there was never a spark II il feel
ing on her side She gave and took blows with
equal frankness.
Her Sunday afternoons were moro interesting
than the great assemblies in The evening. She al
WAYS sat I'm her own armchair with her bach -
municated directly with her bedroom on M same
floor table crowded with books WAS on her
righi-some book or other in her hand or lap. az
lying open on the table or perhaps with a ptper-
knife insertel-where she had left IF reading.
There were a certain number OF men whom she
called her "attentifs." one % whom was pretty
sure to be there. Her visitors or most - them.
were men Of mark and the conversation 81 the
most animated kind. No usc In going there un-
less you had something to contribute To the conn
mon stock Of talk. Mere opinions would not 90.
you must know the facts ami be able % state
them. and no excuse for want u knowledg" was
acceptable or accepted. The manner. too was
sometimes abrupt. the lighter Rraces not so as
siduously cultivated as the substantial virtues ~
accuracy and Of energetic statement; and above
all Of that conviction which led YOU 10 maintain
your own view. Concessions were thrown away
You were there to stand your ground lmperious
a. this admirable lady was. she never liked You 10
give way before hcr-unless, perhaps. in matters
not Of opinion; practical schemes which her
heart was set | had been with her once To an
afternoon meeting at Willis's rooms in the object
OF which,; related TO Greecc-she deeply in
teresed Before It over she asked TO be put
into her carriage: there was committee meeting
she must attend When she gone asked an
other friend who had come with her why she went
"Oh don't You understand? She always likes 60
ing TO a committee where she will get her own
way"
There have been few women-or men either
so perfectly certain they were right Lady
Stanley. That Is one form Of permanent enjoy
mont OF life. Mr. Gladstone was In that par
ticuar, one Of her few rivals. Her political creed
never changcd-it was Mr.. Gladstone who
changed. She was Liberal and ardent In
the Liberal cause. Her house was long polti-
cal centre. Her husband. who died in 1863
sometimes known as Old Ben-had long official
career ending as Postmaster-General. He, too
was Of a positive type of character. Lady Stan
ley had been nearly seventy years in kind of