The Savannah morning news., 1903-05-31

A few months ago Lord Salisbury
swayed the destinies of the British
Empire. To-day he is practically for
gotten even by the people of his own
country The long accounts of his
career which were published when he
resigned the premiership read for all
the world like obituary notices. and
are remembered as such.
Lord Salisbury has always Stunned
notoriety, and now that he has retired
cent about his private life. Few peo-
pie know how he is spending the even
ing of life devoted to the service of
his monarch and his country.
In politics the late premier was re-
garded as a bitter-tongued cynic-"the
master of the art of jeers and fiouts
and sneers," Disraeli called him. In
society he was the aristocrat par ex-
cellence, haughtily scorning the new
rich" and the smart set Many of
his supporters in the House of Lords
and the House of Commons were Bit
terly incensed because he failed to
recognize them in the street or the
club, although they had been intro
duced to him and had spoken to him
frequently. Not only is Lord Salisbury
near-sighted and absent-minded, but
he has bad memory for faces-a rare
defect in a public man. 1t is said that
ne once asked Mr.. Balfour when Wis
iting the House of Commons, who is
that man who spoke so intelligentlv
just now?" That man was Mr.. Walter
Long, the Minister of Agriculture, a
member of Lord Salisbury's own cab
met
The Real Lord Salisbury.
This absence of mind is partly as
sumed in order to ward off intrusive
intimacies. Similarly, Lord Salisbury S
apparent cynicism and hauteur are ONLY
a mask covering his real nature. Go
to Hatfield, in Hertfordshire, where his
favorite ancestral home is situated, and
ask the people there about him. They
will tell you of new Lord Salisbury
of the real Lord Salisbury of whom
the world never dreams.
The great statesman might forget
one of his own ministers, but he never
fails to recognize the country people
who live round his stately home at
Hatfield. He knows them all, from the
Oldest grandfather to the youngest
child, and he takes the keenest inter-
est In their humble lives He NAV
be cold and distant to a foreign prince
of doubtful character or a new peer
of the realm, who has made his money
out of beer and bought a coronet with
his spare cash, but he never holds
aloof from the poorest of his neighbors
at Hatfield.
When the writer was staying at that
place as a boy in July, 1891. he saw
Lord Salisbury-then Prime Minister
of England--sitting down on box in
a blacksmiths shop in the village, and
helping the blacksmth's little girl to
mend a broken toy. Next week he en-
tertained the German Emperor at Hat
field House.
A Villagers Appreciation.
Ten years afterwards. on revisiting
| Hatfield. the writer asked an old viii
lager what he thought of Lord Sails
bury.
Think of him, sir?" was the reply.
why, he's the finest gentleman God
ever made. l don't know what we
should do without him. do believe
ne knows every soul in the place by
name, and he has never been too busy
to help any of us when we have need
ed help.
"And Lady Salisbury was a rare
good woman. Her death was a terri
BILE blow to the poor old man. Rare
lovers they were all their lives.
grumbled to his Lordship once about
times being hard in my business. He
laughed in his CHEEKY way and said:
Hard times don't matter much,
johnson, when man has a good wife
like yours and mine. You may hardly
credit 1t, but l was hard up myself
when l was young man, just after
my marriage. l only had a small al
lowance as a younger son, and had to
exc ii out by writing articles for the
newspapers and reviews. But we were
never worried by our shortness OF
money. 1t depends on a mans wife
whether poverty is irksome or not
II remember once" the old villager
went on. "a young girl here was lifted
by her lover after they had gone to-
gether for years. Lady Salisbury, who
liked the girl, was much upset, and
told her husband about Il. His Lord
ship went straight 10 the young man
and told him he had done wrong and
ought to marry the girl. The young
fellow said he'd like to. but he was
only earning twelve shillings a week
and couldn't support a family. His
Lordship got him a good job that very
day. and they were married before the
week was out. They are as happy now
as any husband and wife could be. and
you may be sure that woman doesn't
forget LORD Salisbury when she Fays
her prayers.
Ills s0Iieltude for old People.
f'That'6 only an example. air. OF whaA