New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-02

second
dealt chiefly. as the reader may remember. with
the career of Sir Francis Bernard, that most
unpopular British Governor of Massachusetts
who tried to enforce the Stamp Act The can
Guiding volumes tell in more or less prolix
fashion the story of his descendants. They did
not figure greatly in the world, but they were
excellent and women and they did mucn
good: and their experiences and surroundings
serve to illustrate various interesting phases
OF the social life of England in the late eighteenth
and early nineteenth centuries. The author
great granddaughter of Sir Francis, is naturally
prone to magnify all matters ,elating to the
family. This is only to be expected in books of
the sort books which generally include much
twaddle as well as most valuable and illumi-
mating material The twaddle must be condoned.
for the social historian of the future could i'll
afford to do without these personal records.
Sir John Bernard. the eldest son of the royalst
Governor. is disposed of in a single chapter. His
life was largely one of futile effort and exasper
ating disappointment. His fathers will left him
a great landed property in America. but the
Revolution swept away every acre and stranded
him. incompetent settler in the Maine woods
Sabine says that the Massachusetts legislature
afterward restored to him half of the confiscated
island OF Mount Desert, but the family has no
knowledge of this. Sir John. at any rate
turned to England crushed and broken down
man., condition presently relieved by a COM
pensation grant of 100000 from the British
eminent and an appointment to an official posi-
ton in the West Indies. Wrath still flames in
the soul of Mrs Napier Higgins over the woes
of her great-uncle and of the other American
ioyalists. and the very of America is ir
resistible fuel Refined cruelty" is the least of
her accusations against forefathers.
Scrope Bernard the second son, had success
full career at Oxford. and aided by his friend.
Grenvie. acquired political offices The most
important of these was that of Under Secretary
Of State. Granville being his immediate superior.
He was moreover, long in service as a member
Of Parliament. He married an heress became
a partner in his father-in-law's bank, bought
divers country estates, and led in most respects
a prosperous and commonplace life. A far more
interesting parsonage his brother Thomas,
who. after twenty years at the bar, retired with
a comfortable fortune and devoted the rest OF
his life to lettering the condition of the poor
in England. The English upper classes writes
Mrs Higgins. were that time, body,
singularly callous the sufferings of those be-
meath them To big heart Sir Thomas Ber-
nard Joined persistent energy, a talent for or
ganization and unconventional foresight
and the relation of his struggles with hide
bound prejudice and sordid self interest is an
enchanting Cruel indeed were some of the
evils with which he contended-cruelest of all
the terrible suffering of the children in the cot
ton mills and the practical slaughter of the
wretched little sweeps all England. The
char piers dealing with these abuses of the
nightmare sort.
One curious phase of the ameliorations en-
couraged by Thomas Bernard concerned a GER
tain rural NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. because its Won
derfu transformation from misery to well-belng
was wrought by female overseer a hundred
years ago. This woman, a prosperous widow,
moved by a true philanthropy, brought cleanl-
ness health and employment into a noisome den,
and Cid it with tenderness and humor as well
as with vigorous wisdom Who but a clever
woman could have conceived the idea of bribing
to industry Il little boy in petticoats by making
him earn his first trousers at the spinning
wheel? No wonder he was working very dill
gently indeed,'' The story of this Mrs Seedlings
enterprise is marked testimony in support of
the doctrine that no red tape organization can
take the place of personal observation and sym
patty and individual effort
Much of the material in this work is drawn
from the letters and diaries of Sir Francis Ber-
nards daughters warm hearted, well educated
women who married clergymen, brought their
children up well, cultivated their minds and
travelled whenever they had a chance. Fanny
Mrs King. was lucky in making a journey to
Journal many entertaining notes. Her first ex-
periences in Calais inn amazed her 1t was
the old Desseins (yvhere Sterne once lodged. and
s.s suites of rooms were furnished with silks
and satin brocades-her sitting room III
white satin brocaded with flowers. In this
luxurious nest she says. they dined on hVe
little elegant Dishes" which, with wine, dessert
and coffee, cost only about 81 % mat was III
1902 France then only just recovering
from the effects Of her Revolution. and there
was novertv-and chea pness-everywhere, except
with her ruler. In Paris they witnessed mag
nifcent fetes, given by Bonaparte. and MRS.
King opened wide eyes over Josephlnes splehdlu
apartments in the Tuileries, Paris was full OF
stories Of the First Consul and of the FIRST Con-
surs wife. and many of them are set down in
.he Enplishwoman's journal Here is one in
which Josephine does not appear in an attractive
light:
Ihe WE i 11 france in embarrassed circumstances
Induced 70 part with her Tqised to- pur
sns them Previous TO offering them to her
she sent them 10 lapdary to vaqe Wne s "a the
,TuiIerfes and request that the money Tor them
might ne eed The messenger however, dis
missed empty handed without either money or
jews messenger again with The same request,
who was again told there was no answer - No
90 Tsn Madame would rot acknowledge the re
IN ~ the Jewels or that any such debt existed
The lady. after years suspense was au:IsF" ~
friend to put memorial on the subject INTO , ame
hands of the First Consul. ana 10 ind an oPPot-
tunity OF delivering it personally she 10
on the DAY of the Grand Parade and put into his
hands paper stating the waited on the
lady with the money making naRy apct HoIgf he
was extremely ashamed