The San Mateo item. (San Mateo City, Putnam County, Fla) 189?-19??, 1909-02-27
ABTaVG American
Woman.
How Mrs. Stevenson Up.
held Her Opinions
Against Those Of the
Queens Uncle.
etEt yYAtEeyl! lttEayF1yltyi lsk lslfsYa.K

There begins in the January Cen
fury" publication OF some delightful
ly written letters by Mrs. Sahi'
Coles Stevenson, wife OF the Ameri
can minister I'm London, 1851 The
letters have been arranged by VII
liam l.. Royal, who says in his In
Productions:
In the year 1886 President Andrew
Jackson appointed Andrew Stevenson
a distinguished Virginian, as American
minister TO England, and this post
ne occupied until 1871. Mr.. Steven
son had been speaker OF the House
Of Delegates sof Virginia, member OF
Congress from that State, and Tor
several terms speaker OF the United
States House OF representatives lio
married for his second wife Miss
Sallie Coles, OF Green Mountain, Al
bemarle County, Virginia, who was
a member OF one OF the Oldest AMI
most prominent Virginia families.
The position and personal attrac-
tons OF the minister and his wife
soon gained them admission to the
most exclusive English society In
town and country, and Mrs. Steven
sons letters present an interesting
and attractive picture of English
homes and the inner life OF the arts
tocracy. She was deeply religious,
and tone Of devout piety runs
through her letters. The following,
taken from one of them written in
October, 1899 from the country
house of Lord Durham, describes a
Sunday evening:
"A large party to dinner. After
the gentlemen Joined us, when the
Duke Of Sussex, Lady Durham and
myself were sitting together and
forming social trio, Lord Durham
came In with his imperial air and
said, L do not know whether your
royal highness objects to cards on
Sunday evening; for myself ] think
there is no greater harm in playing
on that night than any other Nor
I, said the duke. III 1t Is wrong to
play on Sunday, II is equally wrong
to play on Monday or any other
night l felt distressed. Thinks l
TO myself What shall | doY At
that moment the duke appealed to
Lady Durham, who gave a faint as
sent to what he had said. ], OF
course, was silent when his roya,
highness, suddenly leaning forward
from the immense armchair in which,
he was half buried, addressed me-:
4 think, my dear madam, II Is colt
sidered sin TO play any game on
Sunday in your country ! replied
instantly in a calm, earnest and en-
phatic manner so that, although a
little deaf, he did not lose a word:
Your royal highness is right. We
think It q violation OF that command
ment which bids us to keep holy the
Sabbath day. and we also think It Is
setting a bad example 70 our de-
pendents, who cannot 80 well discern
between right and wrong. The old
gentleman drew himself back In his
chair and remained silent for sew
eral minutes. A solemn pause en-
sued, and ] felt almost frightened
at what had done Still. did not
regret Il. In the meantime the SER
wants had set out the tables, but no
one approached them, nor was the
slightest alluslon made TO the sub
feet again. The duke did not retire
until his usual hour, and continued
I'm pleasant conversation all the even
ing, every now and then speaking
with his usual kindness TO me; and
when he rose to retire he called out
for me, saying. Where is Mrs. Stew
ensonY and when ! advanced from a
table where had been looking at
some drawings Of Lady Mary's, he