Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-12-14
overta1es Herself Looking After the Wants
Of the Poor on the Island.
HAS HAD A MOST ROMANTIC CAREER
Succeeds in Making Model Husband 0u'
of Dissolute Youth.
EARL IS FRUSTRATED BY HER ILLNESS
Belief He would Resign the Vice
royalty, which Promises So Much
for Ireland, in Case She
Should Die.
SUDDEN ILLNESS is CAUSING CONCERN

Copyright, 1902 by Press Publishing Coz
LONDON, Dec. 13.-(New York World
Cablegram-special Telegram.)-The seri-
Gus illness OF the countess Of Dudley, the
wife Of lIelands present viceroy, causes
widespread concern, especially in Ireland,
where she has manifested the kindliest dis
position toward the poor.
During her recent motor tour with the
earl OF Dudley through the poverty stricken
districts OF Connaught she entered the
lowliest cottages and made personal in
quiries into the wants Of the occupants.
She sat by turf fires nursing cottagers'
children. She has a very sweet voice and
gave great delight to the children by the
wayslde and in schools by singing to them.
The wives Of two men who have been in
prison twenty-five years under life SEN
tences for completely in the Maamtrasno
murder personally appealed to the countess
for their husbands release and two days
later the men were set free.
The history OF the countess childhood
and early life is romantic and somewhat
mysterious. She had always been under
the care of Adeline. duchess of Bedford, a
sister of Lady Henry Somerset. who. like
her, having made an unhappy marriage de-
voted her life to phllanthropic works. The
Bedford family and was a very beautiful
woman. She married Charles Guerney, who
lived apart from her for twenty years
before his death in New York a few years
ago.
Mrs. Guerney kept a bonnet shop in Lon
don and the prince Of Wales is credited
with having had a strong admiration for
her. On the death OF her husband she
very soon married Colonel stracey Of the
Coldstream Guards. She is still living,
though she never is heard of in society
and was not present at her daughters we'd
ding in 1891.
Reforms Her Husband.
The earl OF Dudley was in fair way to
squander his fortune and spoil his career
when he met and fell in love with Rachel
Gaerney, a peaniless protege of the duchess
OF Bedford. She completely reformed him.
One Of the conditions on which she married
him was that he should give up gambling
and horse racing. He was greatly addicted
to both. and was himself, though slightly
lame, a noted steeplechase rider. Since his
marriage he has forsworn the turf, and un-
til he went to South Africa in 1900 he never
had been separated from his wife for a
| day. They were and are the most de-
voted couple. They have a son years old
and two beautiful daughters.
The earl was taken into Lord Salisbury s
1896 government as under secretary Of the
Board of Trade. He showed some talent
as well as industry in the work of the de-
partment.
When the king threw his weight into the
balance in favor Of the new regime, con-
cession to Irish demands, which now is
barely inaugurated, his influence was exer-
cised to get the viceroyalty for
Lord Dudley as against the duke oi
Marlborough, whose connection with
the Hamilton family, which is most un-
popular in ireland, as we'll as his own un-
sympathetic temperament, rendered him
undesirable.
The earl OF Dudley is prostrated by the
countess Illness. He never leaves the
viceregal lodge in Phoenix park, where she
was stricken. It is believed that her recent
exertions proved too much for her con.
stitution, which is not robust inducing the
attack Of appendicitis, which manifested
itself suddenly in a virulent form.
It is believed that Lord Dudley would re-
tire from The viceroyalty II the countess
illness should terminate fatally.