The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-25
ONE OF, THE QUEER
SONS OF GENIUS
The Curious Character Of B:njamin Dis.
raeli, Lord Beaconsfield.
SEEMINGLY WITHOUT AFFECTIONS
Some Anecdotes Which Illustrate the
Peculiar Traits Of This Most Re.
markublc Of Modern Politicians.
His Sinsularitics of Department
and Drcss..Other Peculiaritics.

His Sing ularitiCs OF DepOrtmcht
and Drcss..Other PecuIiaritics.
Frederick Greenwood in The Cornh!ll.
1t is a charge against Disraeli that
he had no affections, and, was either
born without or had conveniently sup
pressed them. And. indeed, of grand
passions, SO much to be expected or
genius, no one has traced any indul-
gence.
That the range of Disraeli's affections
was limited is true; but for that there
are obvious explanations. apart from
defect of sympathy in himself or the
policy of maintaining an impenetraple
character. Within their narrow bound.
his affections were deep and tender; all
that is know. of his domestic relations
testilies TO that. AS for his friendships,
no doubt they were what they are
generally imagincd-very few, indeed.
Many and intimate friendships would
have been fatal to his scheme of life.
though 1t need not be supposed that
he thought them any sacrifice. In all
likelihood, the only idea that such in
timacies ever presented to his mind was
that of intC!erable invasion. Yet, If his
life is ever written as it might be-the
material is ut hand and the scribe
above ground-the world will earn. l
think, that Dsraclis few friendships
We're most warm and most atfCctionate.
But there will be no complete portrait
of Disraeli yet awhile. All thought Of
publishing his life or any of his papers
in this century vas abandoned long
ago by him who, with most authority
for the task, Is by far the most COM
petcnt to it's performance. The enor-
nous mass of Lord Beaconstield's pa
pers, and the finished state of confu-
sion in which they were left. may have
had something to do with decision
taken on higher grounds. | have heard
that he seems to have destroyed moth
ing like a letter, nothing i'm the least
documentary, that ever came into his
hands.
HOW DISRAELI WEPT.
Where so much is in doubt and so lit
tie known, 1t may be useful to take
from my own recollections scene
quite uncontirmatory Cf the notion that
Disraeli was without personal affec-
ton There Is some historical interest
in the story, too.
Colonel Home. though little known
to the public, was an engineer officer of
great distinction. 1t was he, who, go
ing before Lord WOlseley in Ashantee-
land to cut jungle paths, bridge tor
iehts' anu pe iost sometimes LOT uays
IN situations Oh extreme peril diu Inuch
more LOT the success OF the expedition
than was ever acknowledged, except
by some whose voices We're weak and
did not carry far enough. But Mr..
Disraeli knew his worth, rating 1t none
the less highly, perhaps, because 1t was
an independent discovery, of his own.
At some time during the RussoTurk
ish war. when it seemed not unlikely
,iut ac,iuent or oo'lcg wouiu Sl,oW
iiS.unu ... ili.o 'ne colil''ct, tle priliie
rrl,'l'S.eI m.,l ssnt ior loIne anu MS Iiaps.
,n..,i, eNp'a,ns i'ss',, ~ Vas
'n"i aC ,ei 'ss'c u D's'a "
.,.ahe in.H uuiet stuuy oi wnat couiu ne
uUs, ,r,,;s p'.S l''',.icI, ul;ue' sM,,lu' I,,
i,' Su'a,,H aasi,, no. 'oo m'si..! placeu. w ma.
NE ,'i,h Gereh Twas was 'Iee .InIe o' INJURY.
tha " sa,tIna Sio,n -. ne" Tits anu no'
snnayes ,,hinh oo,,ia ua ia p
| ti,na on , shaa, nf toa,. 10y
| c,me. toaothnr ,,,, So. go. .t,,
mans. ara soia N. n,snna,, ~, ,ho
| occn a;on an ahont 20 tn,, ~ 1T san,,
| found th,t hoa ~, ho,I - 49,
| trnnrdinary char,ntnr nna nanon;,,, M ;,
CoInted hy vaars ~ c"mia nat 49,,
bccn lony oftcr tbis tbot Coiono, IInr,a
died
| II hammond that revt dow y u,,s 70
ha tod Intt
| No 10 Downiuc strent M ad,r;s;,"n
| to hin, ~ w,s , vor,, on ,,,,, ,,,onni,,n.
| coIO. I found him hordin| nvor tha
| Times wbjrb wa, snroc Il 49,, ,ha
| table where he stood and 7 th;nL nod
| that ,nomept Neon ononad W,ithn,t
| looking IN b;s t-st word y.,s w
| have sren tho bod nowsw, Tho ,,a;on
| was So arit.tad-.bis Mr. Disr,o
| that I wonderad for nm i,stnnt uh,t
| national cnI.mity 7 b,I ovar,nni,oI ,,d
| vo. NOW tn bn,y nf w., ,,,,',,, ,hn
| Uomc is oocno, bo o1aod ond ,hnn
In thn cow ,,ra,no,.ai ',,;an 49,
into many exnrnssinns ~, ofrartinnoto o
admiration Tbe wnrd that strucl, me-
most was "J do.tired him IN gra.t
| comm,nd,,, Go cna,il;,,r ha 80, -
ny, Ty .lie n'eslue' us IL Nui,e overcome
| was such that for a time I did not
| like to look I'm his direction Whom I
| did so saw that the hands oytended
on his knees were llappin- up and down
| from the wrist in n well-known mbvp
| ment of distress. and that tears wore
! rolling down the nwful ruin which
| even in those davs his r,c. had bc
come. Yet il was an ahsolutelv impas
| siye face nt fhat mnment siiil HI,
tears were the only sirnus of nmotinn
on it. rain mon t,,c gray def,rcd font
ures of the Snhinx
| There orc those who maintain that
DisraeU was ulw,vq an actor. n,d an
actor he certainly wns in one Wv ~
another in nearly every sitpation VT
the most invaterato dntrociinn viii
stumhI, a, tba fanrv that at h,If-roat
| 10 o'c,ock in tba norninv bn cnnid mt
| himself in tbn no.,,Ira .,hovn ,Insrrihod
for tho sa,a ~ in,',si,," an a ,.,.,,,,a .mL(
| observer. o,d ,bo+ too , ,,aYsnr 80
inconsidaroijn nc III. ,,isitor 7 smoo,,
nf Rut # H., uos no. ae,i,.,a.;''r ., :,
bnro we n,nnot ba,ia,o ,b., nt'rnli;
| ,,,n, hn,,,, TEL, ..,,, 80, :.'., o'V,