Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-15
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY the BOOklover

Estimates OF England's two great
prime ministers, Gladstone and Disraeli,
have varied according to the politics, the
ethics and the taste of their critics. To
Mary Ann Disraeli the picturesque Con-
servatice prime minister was no mounte-
bank, but the greatest leader Of his age,
the savior of his country from the dan
gerous radicaliSm of the Liberals, the
defender and expander of the empire.
To Mary Gladstone, daughter Of Glad
stone, her father was compact of all no.
bility, the defender of British liberties,
and the one man suited to direct the
government. Her opinion of Disraeli,
as her fathers great party opponent,
was correSpondingly antagonistic. In
Mary Gladstone MRS Drew; her
Diaries and Letters" edited by Lucy
MaSterman, unflattering illusions to
Disraeli are frequent. In July, 1854, she
writes: Dizzy spoke for two hours and
fifty minutes. His speech was imperti-
nent and vulgar. He tried to put down
the government, and mimicked Lord
John Russell to his face. Most noble
and grand did Papa look when he got
up. Papa spoke for an hour
and thirty-five minutes-and the con-
trast between the twoI" In 1870 she re-
cords: Have been reading Dizzys book
Lothair' which I consider snobbish and
trash. In 1873, after attending q ses-
sion OF Parliament, she tells her diary:
DIZZY rose and made thoroughly weak
speech OF an hour, followed by Papa.
who spoke for hours. I suppose the
most perfect speech as q whole he has
ever made in his life, so full of tact,
taste, IN such good temper, and so clear,
quiet, dignif1ed, at the same time witty
GnQHKInn -.
was that the whole House must be con-
verted." The death of Disraeli. then
Lord Beaconsfield, brought no conven-
tonal regrets from Mary Gladstone. She
writes: TO think of my never mention
ing Id. BanconSfield'S death on Ap.
~, 1881, and all the consequent rush of
hlghest flown praise. First-rate nom
sense rampaged for a week. Papa tele-
graphed to offer a public funeral. but
This was refused" Later, in discussing
the dead statesman with her father, she
Degrudgeo him a public memorial.
ratner said Id. Beaconsfield had low
Greg the whole standard of morality in
pontlcs, specially among Conservatives.
In a lesser degree among Liberals.
asked why then he proposed q national
memorial of him? Parliament and the
nation had backed him up, they were re-
sponslple Tor him, statue shd, be
given 10 man according to the place
ne occupied In the public estimation.
history must eventually Judge as to the
result"
- X r 4
Mary Gladstone's Diary and Letters
indicate more friendly relation be-
tween the royal family and the Liberal
prime minister than is suggested by the
Moneypenny-Buckle Life of Disraeli''
OF even Lord Morley's Gladstone. /"
WARY nerselr was great admirer of
grandchildren. Perhaps she did NOT
know OF all the uncomfortable hours
and the humiliations which the Queen
caused Gladstone. when she was heartily
Wlsnlng DlSraeli back in power. Mary
was especially devoted to Alexandra. a.
Frncess OF Wales, as Queen and az
queen Dowager, and her name often
appears In the Diaries and Letters. In
1871, when she was "a, Mary made her
nrst visit to Windsor. "At 4:3O of ID
WINDSOR, where we arrived about 6. : :
what an excited state ought to be IN
at nnding myself for the first time
logged under the roof Of my sovereign,
instead OF which a strange calnness
pervades my whole being" The wedding
OF the present King and Queen Is de-
scrlbed with enthusiasm, though Mary
nao at that time, 1893, passed the age
When youthful thrills might be expected.
Dressed directly after breakfast. Glori-
GUS wedding morning, and reached st.
James's Palace at IL. We were all very
gorgeous in drawing-room attire, minus
trains, all the jewels we cd. muster.
Splendid seats, and we watched
the dazzling arrivals. and saw the 8
chief professions perfectly, coming in
ana gong out. PISS. May very
grave and stately. PISS. of Wales lovely
behaved excellently." King Edward
VII and Mary's husband, Rev. Harry
Drew, died within short time of each
other, and Mary received from Queen
Alexandra a letter of friendship and
very understanding sympathy. That her
admiration Of King Edward was not as
qualified as that for Alexandra is limited
in q letter to her daughter, Dorothy,
when she says: THE outburst over him
king Edward) has been very impress
sive, only now and then a touch of ex-
aggeration, but I have always, felt
Prince George would develop into as
good King and a better man." Mary
Drew died on New Year day. 1927, hav-
ing lived through the age of the great
est English statesmen, the Boer War
and the Wcrld War, and having out
lived most of her many relatives and
friends.
~ * X
Another attempt at Identification Of
the mysterious lover of Emily Dickin-
son, whom she is supposed to have
loved to the end of her life, is made
by Genevieve Taggard in 1.-The Life
and Mind of Emily Dickinson" The
man with whom Emily Dickinson fell
-. sVz 1. rxtk.o he
not marry, who was perhaps the IN
spiration of some of her poetry, has
been variously identified, as Lieut..
Hunt, husband of Emily's friend,
Helen Fiske Hunt (JackSon), and Rev.
Charles Wadsworth, whom she met In
Philadelphia on journey to Washing
ton after her father had been elected
to Congress. Miss Taggard discards
these two possible lovers and selects
George Gould. Amherst graduate and
later clergyman. who, she believes ap-
piled to Emilys father for the privilege
of marrying her and was refused on
account of his poverty. Miss Taggard
an affidavit OF 8 person whose
name Is not given to the effect that
Emily's father forbade her to see Gould,
but that she promised to love him as
long as she lived. said she would answer
every letter he wrote, told him
she would dress in white. Fall, Winter,
Spring and Summer. and never again
would go outside the gate, but live the
life OF a recluse-for his sake" Ger
tainly she did live the life of recluse-AD
a very morbid life-but it is by no
means proved that she did so for the
sake of Gould. It is more likely that
the cause was more obscurely mental,
or temperamental. At any rate. Gould
did not abjure society on her account,
for he married in 1862.
X \
Clever epigram and satire made Rose
Macaulay's "Potterism" a popular book
for the short period that is now normal
for the most popular Of novels, and it