The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-01

! commonplace fates. The maternal Pitt
died and the paternal Stanhope married
, into n more commonplace family and
produced three sons Of whom the eldest,
the Lord Mahon OF his generation. was
apparently the father Of the Lord
Mahon whose learned but not very
legible History Of England during the
Eighteenth Century" Is still. for their
sing, consulted by some historical in
quirers As n cir, Lady Hester was
fond of her three half brothers. One
was killed at Corunna. before she had
time to quarrel with him. but she duly
quarrelled with the other two. With
the eldest she explained that her quarrel
arose because he accepted an invitation
to dinner ito meet Mr.. Fox" when Mr..
Pitt was on his deathbed. and al
though he was of no kin to Mr.. Pitt,
who was her uncle, she never commune
Gated with him again. Her other
brother, james. she naturally found UNI
sympathetic with her project OF setting
up housekeeping with a gentleman to
whom she was not united in wedlock.
4 but he no far relented as to leave her
by will an annuity Of $500.
| She was q wilful and maynard girl,
| without any effective control from her
stepmother. and even less from her
younger half-brothers, while her father
seems to have been q 'leveller." which
In his circle at that day spelled crank"
and was even accused of conniving
at the marriage Of another daughter
to q country doctor. But Lady Hes
ter. though never a regular beauty
and having something mannish in her
looks az we'll as in her ways. made her
mark in society as soon as she en-
tered II. In her ripper years kinglake
described her Us 'gaunt," while an
| other visitor not far from the same
period calls her "portly." two adjec-
tives which are not easily feconciled.
But KingialSe dwells upon her rescm-
blance In her old age to her grand
father the Earl of Chatham. as painted
by Copley. 1t is more to the purpose
that "Old Coutts," the head and founder
Of tho famous banking firm, should,
according to her own account, while
she was still girl have taken her
face in his hands and kissed her on
the forehead exclaiming: Good God!
How like my old friend your grand
father" At any rate there was some
thing taking as we'll as striking about
her She was a daring and skilful
horsewornan. as she continued to be
all her life. She became a great favor
lite with old George ILL.,. and there is a
story here. told by herself. of how. on
leaving II country place. "he wanted TO
put mo bodkin between himself and
the Queen. bat the old Queen observed
in rather a prim manner that I had
not got my maid with me and that IL
would be inconvenient for me to &c
1
1t was. It appears. her wit which at
tracted the aged monarch. or. since he
was no great Judge Of that article. her
high spirits and her sense of fun.
Among others she charmed her uncle
William then Prime Minister, 90 thai
he used to bore himself sitting ur
with and FOR her at balls until { ant
Is In the morning. II is we'll knbwr
what a sense Of fun the Prime Minis.
ter had. although II by no means ap.
peared In his official procedures. There
Is n story here OF how his harebrained
niece and other young ones We're en-
gagged IN blackening his face with burn
cork when Lord Castlcreagh and Lore
Liverpool. two Of his COLLEAGUES IN th'
Cabinet. were announced. and had Z,
wait until their chief could wash hi
face. and how after their departure
the frolic was resumed. Lady Hestc
i became his housekecper at tho age o
81. and presided at Wamer Castle {,
his great satisfaction, acting also a.
his secretary and confidential coun
sellor for the two years he had We
to live. His last thoughts We're of hi!
n!eces. and IN obedience to his known
and expressed desire. a pension ~ $500
! "A year was settled on Lady Hester. th'
1 same which gave rise TO 50 much act
CORES pondence after Queen Nictori,
came in. including Il tart and highly un
conventional letter from the pensione
. to the sovereign herself.
Meanwhile the first OF wha, tic It'll
, OF this book calls the love affairs" q
! Lady Hester had occurred or was az
! curing. This one was with q ccrtai
, | Lcvcsun-Gowrr. who is described g.
: , tall and handsome, and who does no
, appear To have been very or at a.
3, culpap.e because he inspired Wifi
:. and headstrong young woman with
e passion for him. At any rate the pas
4 sion was unreQuited. II So affected tn
$ patients health and spirits that sh
I | withdrew from society into the coun
4 try. When Pitt died she was 81
e too old to De as attractive as she haL
= been 10 young men. but too youns
= according to the London Mrs. Grund,
for whose judgments she at no tim
1 cared, to take IL house in London wit
y her two military brothers, which wa
y what she actually did. Her next "lov
n affair" was moro serious than tina
:, with Lcy eson-Gower. and came to
,. tragic end without blame to anybod
concerned. The hero OF 1t was s.
t John Moore, already general office
o whose burial In Spain, as poetize
g by Wolfe. Is in the memory Of ever
q schoolboy. 1t has been question:,
O among others by Napier whether the
y were engaged. but Lady Testers ow
d statement. made nine years after h
r death, that IL he had lived they woul
i have married Is entitled to belief sine
a among her faults that Of overrating hi
Il attractions is by no means to be reel
II oned No doubt Sir John Moore, {
= for that matter the unknown quantit
g, Leveson -trower, would have made II
d her moro cOntentcd and peaceab
n existence than that she was destint
!: to lead. IL was In the summer follow
= ing Moore's death that she took q co
It tage In Wales, with the double pul
D ~ rtVs<Ep