Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-23
BEHIND THE SCENES
With Rulers and Leaders of Wartime Europe
By THE PRINCESS RADZIwILL
Harriet, Marchi0ness of DuTerin and Ara
BY THE PRINCESS RADzIwILL

Simon or OF the Marquiso de Crequ whero'
we were told OF the customs OF the French
court under the Bourbons Lady DufferiE,
when she writes about the ceremonial In uso
for the reception of ambassadors and of
their wives at the Winter Palace, does not
realize that she also writes history; that she
consigns to the memory OF her readers
customs and facts that exist no longer. that
are as dead and gone as the Romanoffs Fer
us who have seen all that. who have taken
part lr that court life which interested
her so much when she became acquaintsd'
with II, there Is melancholy interest In
seeing what others thought about us and
how foreigners looked at us during period
OF our national existence
Her account OF the murder of the grand
father OF Nicholas III is written with a pen
which, In some respects. reminds one of the
steel pencil OF the engraver. so lucidly and
clearly does 1t deal with the personal feel
ings OF the witnesses OF the catastrophe. She
does not attempt to make what the French
call "du style" She simply relates what she
has seen and heard, and her story Is, on that
account, one Of the best ever written. One
feels that II Is true In all Its details, that
every word OF IL Is sincere. down to the re-
mark, Il cannot tell you what fearful Inn
preston it makes upon one. such cruel. per-
sistent murder"
NO POLITICAL DESIRES
The Turkish journal, also. Is interesting,
especially by what II does not tell us. It IL
no secret now that during the time Lord
Dufferin was In charge of the English eni-
bassy on the banks of the Bosporus many
delicate ard difficult questions concerning
international politics had to be settled. His
wife was, necessarily, informed as to much
that was going or In the chancery of the
palace at Pera. OF which she gives us such
an amusing description down to the In
Vulnerable flights of stairs ito unfortunate
inhabitants had to climb every day. But
not one word capable OF being interpreted IN
the light OF an indiscretlon escapes her.
There is no eagerness to be considered >
femme poltique," no question Of any wish
on her part to make herself important. She
| Is restful In an age OF restlessness
One will carry away, after having perused
the book an impression Of calm and Of sin
cere pleasure. such as very few volumes at
the present day leave behind. Since the
death of her husband Lady Duferin has
! lived more or less In retirement In London
| or in Ireland, where her oldest daughter.
| Lady Helen Munro Ferguson Is also settled.
| Those who have seen her lately. say that
| she has kept all her good looks, notwith.
starding the fact that her hair is quite
white, and that she has seriously taken up
her duties as a grandmother. The death Of
| her eldest son. the Earl of Ava. who was
| killed during the Boer War. was for her q
blow from which she never recovered. Other
| family unpleasantnesses connected will.
| money matters also came to darken the clos
| ing years of an existence which was so bril-
| liant at certain moment, ard tho loss oi
/ her husband was a trial difficult for her Ia
| bear.
But all these catastrophes nave not cmhit-
tered her; she has remained the kind, intlul-
gent and graceful lady she always was. and
! the serenity of her soul has never been
shaken. One of her greatest pleasures Is "a
be with her oaughter-in-law the present
| Marchioness of Dufferir, an American, who
| has brought with her to the old home Of the
| Duenerins at Clandeboye all the cheerfuness
| Of her country. together with its practical
sense Of the realities Of life. and who Il
considered one of the most charming womer
In English society,".