The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-10

MARY SIdWloIu coHHue1lidlIyJ NY u0ai
child, I'm sure we shall be allowed to
laugh in heavenw A hearty laugh on
earth is merited by another of our autho. 5
Roman "reminiscences. A genial American
on being presented to Leo Kill seized the
Pope's hand and shaking it heartily ex-
claimed, Il am glad to meet you. knew
Your father, the late Popep
Mary Crawford received an old fash
toned English education at the school of
the three Misses Sewell at the beautiful
village of BOnchurch on the Isle of Wight,
and in this book, as Mrs. Hugh Fraser,
she acknowledges her great Indebtedness
to these good ladies for fostering the
tastes which have helped her most in life
and teaching her the value of good read
ing and clear thinking.
They had their little prejudices, how
ever, one Of which was a dislike for most
French ideas, which they deemed fippant
and demoralizing. Once when Mary
Crawford exhibited a photograph of the
Empress Eugene, whom she admired en-
Enthusiastically, Miss Ellen Sewell glanced
at the portrait a moment and then put it
aside, exclaiming, "Shc may be pretty, my
dear, but I cannot believe her to be either
virtuous or a LADY, am told she has
worn a bright red ball-gown"
Life in Pekin.
Our authors first experiences as Il
diplomats wife were in China, whittier she
sailed shortly after her marriage to Mr..
Fraser in June, 1874. As their steamer
approached Hongkong her progress was
impeded by wreckage strcwn with corpses,
testifying to the destructiveness Of the
worst typhoon that had visited the colony
in half a century. The Compound occu
pied by the British Legation at Pekin is
described as being a world in itself, so
interesting that Mrs. Fraser rarely went
outside of il during her first three months
in the Chinese capital.
Although We are wont to think of Pekin
as a warm city, their first winter there
was very severe. The soft coal used by
the legation was brought into the Com
pound by trains of camels and when the
great gates opened to admit one of these
professions everybody gave the camels and
their drivers wide berth, for one kick Of
the heavy, spongy feet would disembowel
a man." In northern China the fur of
these beasts grows SO long that it hangs
down on them like mantle; while in sum-
mer ''they shed it.freely and it was lying
all over the dusty highways in big Jumps
that rolled and futtered like live things
in the slightest breeze."-At this time for
eigners were detested generally by the
people in Pekin and realized this acuteIy
whenever they went outside the Com
pound; in the country, however, the popu-
lation was friendly and Mr.. and Mrs.
Fraser were able TO visit the Ming tombs
and the Great Wall during their last year
in China, before Mr.. Fraser was trans
ferred to the British Embassy at Vienna.
Elizabeth of Austria.
Mrs. Fraser's picture of Vienna, from
1880 to 1882, gives US vivid presenta-
ton Of Austrian court and society life
before the shadows Of tragedy had fallen
upon the imperial family. The beautiful
Empress Elizabeth still forced herself to
participate in the court functions, though
she made no effort to conceal the fact that
she regarded the duty as detestable bore.
She spoke English perfectly and put two
questions to every one who was presented
to her: DO you nde?" and 'Have you
any childrenf"
Mrs. Fraser says the Empress i'm
pressed her as a personality too closely
limited by her self-concentration. "She
had absolutely no atmosphere, no magne-
tism. The face, still beautiful in feature
and eoloring, was as expressionless as
fashion plate, schooled to immobility in
order to avoid the aging effects Of
wrinkles" In the evening she always