The age-herald., 1900-01-23
THE YOUNG DUKE
 CONE TO THE WAR
BY LUoIEN JULIEN WALKER.

BY LUCIEE JULIEN WALKER.
 The departure of the young Duke of Marlborough for the scene of war in South Afnica is as proudly heralded as the move ments of an emperor. The scene at the Waterloo railway station in London when the duke departed was as fully and even more graphically described in the press eablegrams than was tLhe departure of Lord Roberts from that same station.
 Historic old Waterloo statiou From its vast, wtndswept spaces almost evefy sub ject of the queen who has won fame in war during the past forty years or longer has gone to the great world outside. More incidents of joy, of sorrow, of splendid pageantry. have been enacted there than at any other place upon the earth Crowned men and women and princes of the earth have said goodbye there; heroes have spoken the tender parting from their tear eyed beloved; humble persons have kissed their poor but noble farewealsl Millions of hearts have acned and millions more have rejoiced within that railway station called Waterloo, near by the Thames in London town.
 One Sunday in years gone there was a party of four persons gathered upon the platform whence went Roberts, whence departed Marlborough. There were three men and "a woman--a woman in white, in the unequalled splendor of a July day in England. One of the men was bound to this great western world. He received in full his leave-taking, the woman weeping a trihe, as if in duty bound. as women most often weep and the two men laugh ing it away, as they might pass by the tickling of a fly. When the train had passed out to meet the perils of Clapham the question arose as to what was to be dcne with the day. The time was Il o'clock forenoon, and the two men and the woman in white determined to go to Hampton Court; and there in the famous mage they got lost That has got nothing to do with the departure of the Duke of Marl- borough from the Waterloo station, ex- cept that one little romance like the woman in white and the men with her constitute Jointly something of index to the poetry, romance paUnos of what is perhaps the most famous railway station in the world.
 The extraordinary interest aroused by the departure of the Duke of Marlborough for the war in South Africa is due to some salient facts: He is tine descendant and bears the title of one of the most famous soldiers of the world he is the youngest but one of the dukes of England. and is by birth illustrious; he is not a soldier by education he is broad-minded and liberal: and the beautiful romance of his marriage stlll appeals to all men and all women. and will so appeal as long as there is beauty and romance in the world.
 In the sunlit harbor of a far sunlit sea 6rcgt I I,a
 Marlborough. She did not dream then of coming to bear the proudest title not royal now in the world. She was child, with her blue skirts falling short of her tanned shoes; her sailors cap keeping down her frowsy hair, her pink lips parted, and eyes glorious in all light or any darkness-the iSttle Vanderbilt seemed the incarnation of maidenly beauty and well-bred reserve! Many time l think reverenty of her as she walked the decks of the ship in the sunlit harioor of the far winds mept sea; and 1t has forced itself upon me alway that one so gentle so fair, so true, so open-eyed in the sincerity of a sincere soul would re- ceive the blessing of God. It cannot be otherwise; for God is good!
 In the afterwhile, when looked respect fully upon the little Duchess of Marlbor- ough, glorious in her lovenness, an Ameri- can girl, going to pay her tribute to her elected sovereign in Buckingham palace. I thought of Sarah Jennings, first Duchess of Marlborough, celebrated for her beauty and talent, and it occurred to me that the little American woman was full worthy of the place held by the famous wife of John churchill first Duke of Marlborough who, when Sarah Jennings married him, was a mere lieutenant of the Guards. That mar riage of the first duke took place more than three hundred and twenty-five years ago.