New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-20
Anglo-American Memories
LgH
7ss sacknLug cAse-uoRD AND LADY ARrHUR RUSSELL.
,oop,riFh'. 1910. ~ GEORGE ". snan,y,

FIRST Lord Ampthill. long British Am
bassadOr az Bertha. whore he managed
% he on good terms both with Prince
bismarck and the present EmperOr-a
feat Of diplomacy almost unique.
II is eighteen years since Lord Arthur
died. he was indisputably Of the last
az az earlier generation. having little in
common with the present. People
thought Of Lord and Lady Arthur as
oue; ~ Itself enough 90 identify them
With earlier times than those when hus-
hand and wife are as likely 90 he met
separately as together. II there was a
distinction. IL was al the breakfast
hour. az breakfasts in other houses.
There Was no rule which excluded ladies
from these breakfasts. but there was a
custom which held good I'm the majority
81 cases The hosts wife. II he had
one. might or might not appear. But
the group OF men Who were in the habit
81 breakfasting at each others houses
included Lord Arthur Russell. Sir
Mountstuart Grant-Duf. Lord Reay.
Mr. Charles Rounded. Mr.. Albert Rut-
son, sometimes Mr.. Herbert Spencer. and
many more. You viii recognize Sir
Mountstuart Grant Dufrs name as that
Of the most vOluminous diarist Of his
time. and when you have read his six
or seven volumes the map Of his life is
spread out before you. an hOnored AMI
useful life. a career Of real distinction.
Lord Arthur had not Sir Mountstuart's
and his kin and his books.
His brother. the duke. had a habit Of
referring 20 himself as Hastings Russell
An alteration al WOburn Abbey was
proposed 20 him. 1T win not be made
I'm the lifetime u Hastings Russell" was
his answer. He had a sense 81 humOF.
which Mr.. Lloyd George must think a
rare thing IN a duke. I drove once from
Mentmore 20 WOburn Abbey With Lady
Rosebery and her little girl. Lady Sibyl,
then eight or nine years old. with a gift
al humorous perception rare az any age
i'm her sex. The child had a balanced
mind and a mature view 81 things which
might have belonged a. eighteen as well
as eight. The old place interested her.
and she asked the duke 20 show her the
whole. He was delighted. and took US
through room after room. each stately
and each a museum Presently we came
20 a rather bare. scantily furnished. un-
handsome room. and Lady Sibyl asked:
But what is this?"
This. my dear, is where I earn my
living writing checks for six hours a
day"
All three brothers-the duke. Lord Odo
and Lord Arthur-had a quiet humOr in
common. Lord Odo had. besides humor.
Wit II was ne. while Ambassador in
Berlin and during a visit Of the Shah.
when that great pOtentate practised a
less strict abstinence al dinner than his
religion demanded. who said 20 a neigh
bor: After an. it's nothing wonderful.
You must remember the proverb. la
mutt tous les chats sont girls. And
Berlin used 20 echo with his oaustic.
good natured speeches Nor did Berlin.
nor perhaps London. ever forget Prince
Bismarck's saying:
Il never knew an Englishman who
spoke French vel whom I would trust
except Lord Odo."
After which I dare not name two or
three others whose French Was not less
perfect than that which Prince Bismarck
praised. The Prince was a good judge,
as well he might be. French had become
10 him almost a second mother tongue;
a. indeed il must be 10 a European
diplomatist.
But I have wandered far away from
the Arthur Russells. 20 whom will re-
turn for a moment little later
G. W s