The age-herald., 1901-01-25
So Declares Mrs. Geo. Cornwall
 IiS-WeSt
A PERSONAL REMlNISCENCE
She Was Miss Jennie Jerome of New YorE-Pays a Beautiful Tribute to the Memory of the
 Dead Queen.

London January A-At the request of a representative of the Associated Press, deed by which he lost his eyesight as he Lady Randolph Churchill and previous to her marriage Miss Jennie Jerome of New York city), who had several unusual op- portunities of meeting Queen Victoria, has written the following personal reminis- cences of the Queen:
 T cannot refrain from saying that the great theme of all was her knowledge of and sympathy with human nature. When Colonel Tows recently went to Windsor to receive the Victoria cross for a valorous Mrs. George Cornwalls-West (who was advanced led by his wife, toward the Queen, tears poured down her aged cheeks and it was in broken voice that she spoke to him. Few at eighty-one could forget their own dim and failing eyes for the blind ones of others.
 'The Queen may be counted on as one of the victims of the war. Every defeat, ev- cry unsuccessful skirmsh, the loss or the wounding of any brave soldier was per- sonal to her. When I had the honor of sec ing Her Majesty at Windsor in December, 1899, before leaving for South Africa in the American hospital ship Maine she evinced the greatest interest in all the details and fittings of the ship, and particularly as to the history of the hospital staff, doctors and nurses, whom she had received a few days previously. Several times she repeated to me:
 N It is very good of the American people to subscribe for this ship, and I am most grateful to them for coming over and help ing to take care of my sick and wounded
 T had not seen her for some years, and the melody of her wonderful voice and the fascination of her marvellous smile again came as a revelation to me. The most commanding presence and regal beauty could not have had more thrilling effect upon one than this small figure bowed down with sorrows and age,
 Some years ago I was bdden to Wind sor to receive from the Queen the order of the Crown of India. It was a memora- ble day. The Queen with one of the prin- cesses and lady in waiting, received me in a small room She addressed few kind words to me- to which in my embar- rassment, I made some inaudible answer and then she proceeded to pin the order on my left shoulder. I remember that my dress being thickly embroidered with jet, the pin could find no hold and at last she stuck it straight into me. I could not hide what l felt and the Queen was much con- cerned. But eventually the pin was put right and l courtesied myself out. As 1 reached the door she called out You . have forgotten the case," and held it out to me. 1 afterward said to the lady in waiting that 1 was afraid l had not com ported myself properly and she answered. You need not be troubled. l know the Queen felt more shy than you did"
 T remember the Queen at her first jubilee, sitting alone in the great nave at Vest minister Abbey, small, pathetic figure, surrounded by a vast assemblage, their gaze riyited on her, while silent tears dropped one by one on her folded hands. What must have been the weight of her memory, high and low rich and poor, the whole Eng lish speaking race realize that they have lost in Queen Victoria the greatest of their sovereigns and the best of friends.
 (signed)
 JENNIE CORNWALLIS-W WEST"