The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-04-17
In The
OD0O

| EeI SUI, New YORK.
One of the most charming books of the
year is Letters From England by Mrs.
George Bancroft These interesting let
tiers are from Mrs. Bancroft to her two
sens and other relatives in America were
written between 1916 and 1S49, while MI.
Bancroft was Minister to Great Britain.
Mrs. Bancroft was Miss Elizabeth
Davis, born at Plymouth and was the
descendant OF Pilgrim ancestors, OF which
fact she never ceased to be proud.
| Brief though her stay III England, she
was there long enough to know many
OF the celebrities of the Georgian period,
and not few who had adorned various
stations in public life during the Vic
toIian period. To those who are not in
different to the people and events of
nearly sixty years ago, Mrs. Bancroft S
vlVacious little paragraphs, first Jotted
down in her journal and then sent in
narrative form to her New England cor
respondents, furnish very pleasant read
| ing. Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, the
Duke of Wellington, Lord Asnburton,
Macready, MacaUlay, Carlyle, Disraeli,
Hallam, the poet Rogers, Lord Brougham,
ST" Robert Peel, are but lew OF the
| famous ones she met. And she passed a
soon to be Emperor of the French. but
| then giving no promise OF any future
whatever. There are some excellent por-
traits OF many of the most notable and
| handsome men and women whom it was
her good fortune to know, and several
| of herself and Mr.. Bancroft, the latter
taken at a date long preceding his wear
| ing of the full heard that made him
so venerable a figure when he exercised
his privilege OF the floor Of the Sen
ate.
The Great Western, then a pioneer
liner, took the Minister and his wife to
Liverpool in seventeen days, and the
voyage was to Mrs. Bancroft "ot all hor-
rcrs, of all physical miseries, fortunes.
ana distresses, the greatest" The never
coasing motion led her to wish that it
had pleased God to plant some little
islands as resting places in the great
waste OF waters, some resting station.
Put the promptness and warmth with
which she was greeted on her arrival
in Liverpool, and invited 10 dinner be-
fore she had removed her bonnet, and
the good opinion she at once formed OF
tha Liverpool people, led her quickly to
forget her seasickness, and prepared her
for the London welcome, where, at Longs
Hotel, Lady Palmerston, waving the ETH
quette that required the first call to be
made by the newcomer, called first and
invited her to dinner. Then the Queen
asked Mr.. Bancroft to Windsor 20 din
ner, and she met famous people every
day. being greatly impressed with Rus
sell! her lady's maid, who dresses hair
beautifully, but is rather too great a
at Lord Morpeth's. where there were
many notables, she enjoyed pleasant
SURPRISE
During dinner one gentleman was so
livery agreeable that l wondered VINO he
could be. but as Lord Palmerston had
tolG me that Mr.. Macaulay was in Eden
buIgh, did not think OF him. After the
ladies left the gentlemen, my first ques-
ton of Mrs Holland was the name of
her next neighbor. why, Mr.. Macaulay.'
was her answer and I was pleased not to
have been disappointed in a person of
whom l had heard SO much. When the
gentlemen came in. I was introduced to
him and heard him talk not little"
Mr.. Bancroft was not exempt from the
common interest in1royal persons and the
glamour that attaches in many minds
to all that royal persons do. When he
went to Windsor ne brought back g
souvenir of his visit:
Mr. Bancroft sends you a pack of
cards, one of the identical two packs with
which the Queen played Patience the
ey ening he was at Windsor. They were
the perquiste of page, who brought
them to him. He was much pleased with
the Queen and thought her much prettler
than any representation of her which we
have seen, and with a very sweet express
sion"
And Mr.. Bancroft, in letter on the
same subject, says:
81 shall send you some newspapers and
| u pack OF cards which l saw IN the
| Queens hands. The American Minister
and Mrs. Bancroft have since played
game of piquet with them. The Queens
hands were as clean as her smile was
gracious
| All of her letters are most interesting
ard her description of great gatherings
are most vivid.
Soon after New Year, 1S47, she wrote a
lglowng account Of the opening OF Parlla-
mtnt by the Queen In preparation Tor
social occasions she had surrendered hef-
self to the Queens dressnaker, Mrs. MUIR
ray, who had provided her with TWO
dresses, lone of black velvet, very low,
with short sleeves and another OF very
rich black watered silk, with drapery Oh
| black tulle on the corsage and sleeves.
Miss Murray, one of the Queens maids
OF honor, went with her to see Faf!ianent
opened, stayed constantly by her side.
| IL troduced all her noble relatives assem-
| bjed in the prominent POSITION on TIE
| floor set apart for the wives OF dlpiomatlc
| officers, and helped to make Tie event
prodigiously interesting. she wrote ten
printed pages about it, OF when TINS e1-
tract is sample OF her power OF de-
scription:
"Eut tie trumpets sound! The Queen
approaches! The trumpet continues, ana
| first enter at a side door Close at my
elbow the college of heralds rlchiy dress
| ed, slowly, two and two; theh the Grea,
officers OF the. household, then the Lore
Chancellor bearing the purse se"l anu
speech of the Queen, with the maceoear-
ecs before him Then Lore i-aISoo"]t-
with the crown; the Earl oil Aetlan ~ WIN
the cap of maintenance. ana the Duhe OF
Wellington. with the sword OF state. men
D,,;uo AZ II lod;n0 the queen, 10l-