South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-02-11

] OLlOWd anu N.dl-
r,,.i.,oa.- y.d.t,,iu cutta, and who
everywhere had
/ left such charming remembr ances.
( And 7 wondered how il is that now
adays We no longer meet women of
that old tlpe, pure and proud, who
are an honor 10 their sex and 10
their country. ] do not wish 10 de-
Ipreciate the present generation, but
one must. perforce, acknowledge
that the preceding one had charm
OF its own, more likely TO be remem-
bered in after years than the bois-
ferrous activity Of latter-day repre-
sentatives OF the weaker sex
The Lady Dunern.
Lady Dufferin. with her slightly
proud manners and her perfect ur-
banity and politeness, was perhaps
too Victorian for present taste, but
how beautiful she looked, how per-
fectly she bore herself and how she
always appeared the great lady!
Her book is like herself, slightly
formal slightly stiff; but so devoid of
righteousness. and at the same time
so thoroughly interesting mag
. I
writing a fascinating work, In which
no shade Of scurrilusness appears.
While / was reading it my
thoughts went back 20 those days
on the Bosphorus about which she
speaks How well l remember her
lduring that summer, when we used
TO see each other continually at
Constantinople. and especially dur
ing that visit 10 a harem where we
met for the first time, and which
she describes so wildly. Lady Duff
FERN was then at the zenith Of her
| beauty. l don't think that I have
ever seen a prettier woman, and the
reputation she had was certainly
well deserved in every respect
Her husband, the earl, afterward
marquis of Dufferin and Ava, was
considered one Of the most bril-
liant diplomats of his time. In all
the positions which he filled. either
as viceroy in Canada and in India,
! or as ambassador in St Petersburg,
Constantinople, Rome and Paris. he
had been "a success. He had most
accommodating manners which is
more than could be said OF some of
his successors in Russia, Sir Robert
Morier, for instance; and his ready
wit conciliating temper. combined
with hrmness and dignity had
singled him out among his col
leagues almost from the first days
that he had entered upon the dip
lomatical career. His beautiful wife
had certainly contributed 20 his
/ success. and to this day she is re-
membered with anectionate graft
tude i'm Petrograd the life of which
toward the end of the last century
she narrates so wildly i'm her book
The Book
This book in itself is a valuable
contribution To the intimate history
of the upper classes at the time it
describes Society has considerably
changed since then. and some
I passages out of il read like the
memoirs of St Simon or Of the
Marquise de Crequi. where we are
told Of the customs of the French
court under the Bourbons. Lady
Dufferin. when she writes about the
ceremonial I'm use 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 mo longer that are as dead and
I gone as the Romauoffs. For Us who
have seen all that, who have taken
a part i'm that court life which in
terested her SO much when she be-
Zoo int is.
melancholy interest i'm seeing what
others thought about us and how
foreigners looked at us during a
period of our national existence.
Her account Of the murder OF the
grandfather of Nicholas H. is written
with a pen which. in some respects.
. reminds one of the steel pencil Of
the enErayer. so lucidly and clearly
does il deal with the personal feel
ings of the witnesses of the Catas-
1rophe she does not attempt 20
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
I ever written. one feels that il is
true i'm AN It's details. that every
4 word or 10 Is sincere down TO the
+ remark, IT cannot tell YOU what
fearful impression il makes upon
. orc such cruel persistent murder"
/ w Political Desires.
The Turkish journal. also. is inter
/ eStiug, especially by what it does
not tell us IL is no secret now that
during the time Lord Dufferin was
/ I'm charge of the English embassy
on the banks Of the Bosporus many
delicate and difficult questions con
corning international politics had 10 |
. be settled His wife was neces- |
. sar.ly informed as 20 much that was
going ON i'm the chancery OF the |
palace az Pera. of which she gives
MS such an amusing description. |
down 10 the iunumerable flights OF /
stairs DO unfortunate inhabitants
/ had To- climb every day But not |
one word capable OF being interpret