The San Francisco call., 1896-11-28
STORIES ABOUT WELLINGTON.
How the Great Soldier Admitted
Piece of Inj justice.

STORIES ABOUT WELLINGTON.
How the Great Soldier Admitted a
Piece of Inj ustice.
In a paper on Assye and Wellington
contributor to The CornhlI tells these
stories about the Iron Duke:
During the last few weeks of the life of
the second Duke of Wellington. up 10
within a few days of his very sudden
death, l, happening to be living in the
ighborhood of Strathfieldsaye. spent
almost every day and many hours in long
talks chiefly in the grounds of the park.
with the Duke. He, knowing that the
one subject on which l wanted to get him
10 talk was his father, most kindly in
dulged me by devoting his conversation
to him. L think L may say that 1t was
relief to him to do so.
For the fact was that he was burdened
by a sense of responsibility. He was fulI
of stories and anecdotes of the great man
whose heir he was. He had been con-
tinually pressed by many, by LORD
Wolseley, and by me perhaps more than
by any one else, to give to the world all
neither altogether make up his mind to
go to his grave burying all record OF the
past, nor yet, as he appealed 10 me again
and again 10 agree with him, could he
feel that the stories OF domestic life which
he had to tell were altogether such as
son would willingly give TO the world OF
great father. In fact he felt, think, that
Some day or other they ought to be
known, but he wanted to leave to some
one else the responsibility of telling them,
In reality do not think that they much
alter ones impression of the man, But
perhaps the fact that DR.. Gleig went to his
grave knowing all such stories well and
twelve years since l first heard them, and
that, though often pressed to do so, have
never used the freedom which was entirely
left to me in regard 10 them, will indicate
that they have seemed to many out of
tune with the sort OF conception of the
man which one knows to be popular and
half hesiiates to disturb, lest in dispensing
the cloudy vision one should blur the true
grandeur of the face. In fact, they are all
stories of strong, hard man-harder on
himself than on any one else-and, being
chiefly OF his later life, apply to q time
when these characteristics had become set
and rigid. Here, at all events, are a few
specimens, for good or bad:
During his campaigns the Duke had
acquired a peculiar habit in regard to
sleep. No noise, not the discharge of the
loudest cannonade or an explosion, would
wake him; but the most delicate touch
even on his clothes, reused him instantly
When reused there was no moment of
semi-somnolence, of eye-rubbing or blurred
consciousness as to where he was or what
had happened. Out of the deadesr sleep
he was instantly in the possession of all
his faculties. Now. whether it was de-
termination not to yield to advancing
years or merely the habit of a lifetime it
would be difficult to say; but during all
the time when was living as country
gentleman at Strathfeldsaye there was
nothing that he resented so much as the
attempt OF any one in his household or out
of it to do him any personal service.
Numbers OF the anecdotes turn on this
peculiarity.
He had made for him a specially con-
structed tandem. 1t had two seats at the
back and was completely covered in, the
whole, front being OF glass. The reins
In this way the Duke himself drove two
very fine horses. One day his second son,
Lord Charles Wellesley, was sitting with
HIM in this carriage. The Duke, as in
later life he often on various occasions
did, fell fast asleep, still holding the reins.
The spirited horses soon felt the loss of
control. Before long Lord Charles. anx-
iously Watching the situation, saw that in
another moment the leader would dash
up a steep bank and that his fathers life
and his own would be in imminent dam
ger. The risk was too great to run.
though he knew his father too well not to
be aware that any interference with him
as the driver of the horses would be bit.
terly resented.
As quietly as he could do SO, he slipped
his hand over the rein, drew down the
leader from the bank, and saved them
both from a Ca astrophe, anxiousiy en-
deavoring not to wake bis father in doing
so. 1t was useless. however. Light as
his touch had been the great Duke wa.
instantly awake, and fully alive to ali that
had happened.
what are you doing. Charles?''
~ only turned off tue leader, sir, from
the bank. He was just running up it, and
we should have been upset."
Mind your own business, Charles
mind your own businessP' was all the
thanks he ever received.
The same son, Lord Charles, had been
on leave in either Spain or Italy. He had
met with a series of accidents on his re-
turn journey. had been in very serious
danger, and, though he had made the ut
most effort 10 do so, had failed to get back
in time.
His father asked for no explanation and
would hear none. He treated him as a
convicted culprit, refused to have any
intercourse with him, and in various ways
made him feel his displeasure. One dav
a visitor to Strath fieldsaye drew out from
Lord Charles an account OF his journey.
The Duke listened, and when the story
came TO an end he went up to his son:
$50, Charles, you met with an acci.
dent?''
"Yes, father" M
"And you did all you could to be back
in timer
Eyes, father
"Well, I'll give you a horse, Charles: |:
I'll give you horse"
1t was the only form in which he admit
ted the injustice of which he was clearly
conscious.
A Curious Story.