Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-28
"REMINISCENCES OF A
DIPLOMATIST7S WIFE
a Record of Experiences in
London, Berlin, Bucharest
and ConstdntinopIe

There Is a charm about From An
Eastern Embassy which Is due to the
very remarkable experience OF the
writer. Her name Is not given, but
she was the English wife Of the French
councillor Of the Turkish embassy to
Great Britain from 1885 to 1895, and
then for ten charming and interesting
years" to Germany. As the leading
lady of the embassy she was present ut
every social function, and from her ac-
count Of them one gets a vivid impress.
sion Of many interesting, people. or
Queen Victoria she says "her benevo-
lent. motherly smile at the nervousness
of debutantes, who were privileged to
kiss her hand. has lived in the hearts of
many who have now reached distant
rooms Of the Victorian days "the map
of the world seemed indicated in the
various uniforms and national dresses
Life In Berlin was very different, due
especially to the growth Of the mill
tary feeling and the arrogance Of the
military set. At that time twenty five
German states were represented by 1ega-
tions in Berlin. The high standard Of
education, which was brought within
the reach Of rich and poor alike, i'm
pressed her. One of her summer holi
days was spent III an eastern trip with
her son. which included a visit to
Bucharest, especially to meet the queen.
we'll known under her pen name Of
Carmen Sylvia. Her motto, set up In
one Of her rooms for the guidance Of
her well filled life. was. II am not here
to Judge, but to help" The most in
t,o al ta 90 thn a,,thar', 10 "
in Constantinople were her visits to
the harcms of some of the leading
Turkish ministers. From them she
learned that one wife was becoming the
rule in Turkey, ind in one hnrem where
there was more than one she noticed
that great affection existed between
the powerful first wife, who represented
authority and dignity, and the younger
ones, who deferred to her opinion. "
During a short trip in the Lebanon re-
gion she went to Baalbeck to see the
ruins Of the ancient temples of the sun
worshippers. 'It gave me quite q
shock to see an enormous bust of the
German emperor fixed upon the wall
Of one of the most ancient and noble Of
the temples" On the sudden death of
her husband she returned to England,
and has much to tell Of social life in
London.
Great interest Is shown throughout
her narrative IN her varied occult ex-
periences and spiritualistic seances. At
one of these in Berlin the kaiser was
present and was very much upset by a
girl of fifteen who. in trance, fore
told great misfortune and violent death
hanging over the reigning house." She
herself from her childhood was hand
reader, and in Berlin she says her life
was made perfect burden to her from
her being asked after every dinner party
to read hands. The geniality of the
people In official parties in London is
shown by this experience. 81 have seen
cabinet ministers playing leap frog in
an empty ballroom and in the gayest of
spirits play High cock a lorum' to an
amused audience after dinner" There
Is an added attraction to the book by
the illustrations, mostly portraits, in =
Guiding one Of the writer, and there is
an excellent index.
FROM AN EASTERN EMBASSY Memories
OF London. Berlin and the East. With
| illustrations. Philadelphia; J. B. Lppn
colt Co. $4.b0.