Evening star., 1926-02-20
THE LIBRARY TABLE
By the Bookiousr,

chief substa nee nd interest of "Twen-
ty-fve Years" by Viscount Grey OF
Fallodon. as first undersecretary at
! the feraign Office and later secretary
of state for foreign affairs. But an
| other side OF Lord Grey than that of
! the politician and statesman is re-
vealed continually throughout this
autobiography. The key to this side
OF his character is to be found in the
third chapter, in which he says: we
had, neither or us Qady Grey and
himself), yet made much trial Of town
| life, and the first Spring did not pass
| without our becoming aware that 1t
! was intensely dista steful to u.s. Love
| OF the country began In Lord Greys
| early childhood. which was passed at
his grandfath theirs estate Of Fallodon,
| in Northumberland where his parents
! made their home. A country dweller
he was until 1855. when he was elect
ed to Parliament and was Obliged to
| live in London. His further comments
| on this first season in London: IF to
an incompatibility OF habit and tenn
pera ment with town life there be add
| ed exile from the home. not only of
manhood but of boyhood. with all It's
| ia miIiar rooms a nd furniture and sur
| roundin8s and interests. it is inevi-
table that town life must be very un-
| cOngenial."
During all the years OF Lord Grey's
public life London was tolerable to
! him only through frequent escape
| from il. E'allodon wa TOO far away for
week end Journeys. though he always
| spent longer holidays there. so he
put up a small cottage in Hampshire.
on the Itchen, where there was hsh-
| ing, which in the stress OF office De-
| came sa nctuary." In the Spring and
| Summer he and Lady Grey would
| leave London Saturday about half
! past in the morning without bag
| gage, and would reach the Hampshire
| cottage in time for breakfast. THE
start from London each Saturday
morning was one Of rapture of antici.
/ pated pleasure and week after week
the Saturday and Sunday fulfilled an
ticipations." Lord Grey would fish till
about O'Clock on Saturday and again
from Z to 9 in the evening. Sunday
| was not a fishing day then on that
part Of the Itchen. and we spent II
reading great or refreshing books, 90.
| ing long walks in some Of the most
! beautiful country in all the south OF
England, watching birds" For 25
| wears this cottage was cared Tor DY
one woman and after her death by her
! sister They lived in a cottage nearby
! and their duties at the cottage of Lord
GREY were not arduous, as the refugees
from London wanted little but quiet
| and the simplest food and attendance.
! Life at the cottage suggested a def
| milton OF luxury-that OF having
/! everything that we want nd nothing
that We did not want The great DIM
! Guilty was to keep away from the cot
tage when work dema nded presence
in London. We had to determine how
many days we could from time to
time spend with o good conscience at
the cottage" In January, 1928. the
cottage WAS burned down, but after
1918 Lord Grey was unable fully
10 enjoy the outdoor life there because
of his failing sight.
After the deat tn OF Lady Grey. Lord
Grey continued TO go frequently To
the cottage. but he also found other
| places of retreat. In the Autumn and
Winter he often spent week ends
| at A quiet hotel on the edge Of
heat tn in the New Forest. On Sun
| day morning he would walk into the
forest. eat a pocket luncheon in one
of the wilder parts, later have tea
at Beaulieu or Lyndhurst and return
light to the hotel. where the evening
was spent in reading or on official
papers. EARLY on Monday morning
| I returned to London with Ill arrears
Of work done. lungs filled with fresh
air. limbs stretched. mind and body
refreshed" For several years Lord
Grey rented a small salmon fishing
on Scotch river during a fortnight I
! each April. but the pressure of ON
cial duties again and again made
1t impossible for him to be away
| from London al the time. SO finally
il was given up. During the war
| the country holidays were of neces
sity curtailed that often for
months together his only esca pes
on Sunday afternoons in Richmond
Park or Kew Gardens.
| An anecdote told by Lord Grey
illustrates best of all his deep love
of nature. There are few DAYS"
he says. "in the first part of May
when the beech trees in young leaf
give an aspect of light and tender
beauty to English country, which is
well known but indescriba BILE. The
days are very few the color of the
leaves seen darkens. their texture
becomes sitter: beautiful they are
| SlHi, Dul the slOIS anu Tue OTcdHn
are gone" So 1t was his custom
always on the second Sunday in May.
which he called Beech Sunday" to
bicycle about miles from the Hamp-
shire cottage to a beech wood. where
he lunched at the foot OF certain
tree and spent the day.
The wood was entirely of beech;
the trees standing far apart, the gray
boles grew up straight and clear and
| smooth for sorne diafa ncA ahnye tho
ground. High overhead the branches
touched and made a canopy: the blue
sky just visible here and there: the
sunshine coming through the tender,
light green leaves" On May 3. 1906.
an ultimatum had been sent by the
British foreign Office to Abdul Ha mid.
which was TO expire May 13. Lord
Grey anticipated that Abdul Hamid
would give way. but not until the last
moment-and May Is was Beech Sun
day." Things turned out as he an
lticipated. Abdul Hamid's . reply did not
arrive until May l3, too late for him
to go to Hampshire. II had now to
wait another IL months to see the
great beech wood as I knew it in its
greatest beauty" Lord Grey expressed
his feeling of keen disa ppointment to
a high oflicial in the foreign office, who
listened civilly. but, as he told him
years afterward, with almost scornful
establishment. Those of us who feel
that something Of value has been lost
from our lives II for one Spring we
miss seeing the cherry trees in bloom
about the Tidal Basin will have no
sc0rn but the deepest sympathy for
Lord Grey's feeling over his loss of
one Beech Sunday"
| y 4 \ X
Again the war in another novel by
| Philip -'UnchanGing Quest"
The murder Of the Archduke Eerdi.