New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-10

washington knew and admired a
..,,,rg lady who was then Miss Sack
..,ue-West. daughter Of the British
minister. She had beauty Of brill
cont kind which set in frame her
=. less brilliant social and intellectual
its Her father, Mr.. Lionel Sackville
eocrville- West, had been Minister in
washington since 1881; a reserved.
.uor+ man Of wide diplomatic ex-
,.rience. The year 1855. when he was
sivtv-one years old became memorable
% him in two ways. He succeeded to
the title and estates as Lord Sackville,
end he was handed his passports by
president Cleveland with a curt
brutauty Characteristic Of that rough
bewn chip of the American-or shall
say New Jersey?-block.
No doubt Lord Sackville had been IN
discreet in answering the Murchison
letter and advising his naturalized
fellow subject about his vote for Presi-
dent Mr.. Cleveland at the time was
q candidate for reelection. and his
desire TO score a point at the expense
If the British Minister and so
strengthen his own hand led him into
strange courses. Lord Salisbury was
then Prime Minister. diplomatic
hint 10 him would have been sufficient
n secure Lord Sackville's recall. but
the methods Of unmannerly bluntness
were thought more useful for cleo
,ioneering purposes. and Lord Sack
VILE was practically driven out of the
country
The Nurchison letter had been writ
ron from Beverly. Massachusetts, Is
Sept. 1SSS 1t was published October
25th-The Tribune published it in
small type on an inside page-attracted
little or no attention for a day or two,
and then the storm burst. BY the 30th
October The Democratic newspapers
were raging after their kind. All sorts
~ violent proposals we're made: and
on that day Mr.. Cleveland notified the
British Minister that ne would no
longer be received or recognized
officially. Ii was said then. and since,
that if Miss Sackville-West had been
with her father at Beverly she would
have advised him not to send the letter.
The girl, young as she Was-i think
eighteen-had become known in Wash
ington as the Egeria Of the Legation;
with tact, sagacity. and other diplo-
matte qualities beyond her age and
rare al any age. Two years later she
married her cousin. Mr.. Lionel Edward
sackvile-West. Eighteen years after
that. her father died and her husband
succeeded him.
I went by appointment 10 see Lord
sackvile on his return from Washing
ton 10 London. The servant at the
door told me his master was out, but
would be in very shortly and would l
come in and wait. AS ! sat in the
library the door opened and in walked
Miss Victoria Sackville-West 1t was
dark London afternoon; the library
on the ground floor no more cheerful
than ground floor rooms in London are
apt 10 be. but the opening Of the door
flooded il with sunshine. Miss west
explained that her father had been de-
layed beyond the hour he had fixed
hoped 7 would not mind, sat down. and
began 10 talk. She was vision Of de-
light: her coloring extraordinarily
vivid. her manner, as in Washington,
blend Of English serenity and Spanish
fire. In her speech was a trace OF
something not English, which reminded
me Of a Frenchman's answer 10 an
American lady who had asked him
about her French: "Oui. madame, vous
avez IN tres jon accent-etranger.
Foreign or not the accent and the
phrasing had a delicate purity when
took no account Of latitude or longl-
tude. Miss West talked 70 me ABOUT
the events in Washington; resentf1lly,
Of course. but discreetly and briefy.
On one subject or another the talk
sowed on for some twenty minutes
full OF light and shade and charm
then her father came in and the glrl
departed. II IS this girl who is the
Lady sackville OF the Scott will case
which for near a fortnight has supplied
London with the sensation OF the year
The skeleton facts Of the case are OF
course. known 10 you by cable, and l
don't dwell on them What 1 have
to offer YOU is not a narrative, but an
impression. Under Sir John SCOTS
will Lady sackville became entitled 10
fortune equal TO about two millions
and a half in dollars. He was no kins-
man OF hers. They had met by accl-
dent. Sir Johns fortune had come 10
him from Lady Wallace. widow or Sir
Richard Wallace: no blood connection
there. either; something like five mill
ions altogether. Sir John had brothers
and sisters, for all on whom he mad
provided in life: and 20 all or them
there were legacies. In 1900 ne maze
the will which the brothers and sisters
now sought to break because OF his
gifts 10 Lady Sackville. They were
gifts 70 the chAtelaine Of Knole; which
Sir John. psssionately caring Tor the
house and It's priceless contents re-
solved 20 save from the spoiler. FOR
Lady sackviue he had an admirins'
often rather ouarrelsome, friendship.