The Warwickshire Herald. — 1885-05-16 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

AMBASSADORS AT ST. PETERSBURG.  The Cologne Ca:ette contains the following excerpt from " a picture of Petersburg society ': In the Embassies the greatest activity prevails. Never were so many diploniatiste ever seen entering or leavipg the Foreign Office. Almost every day Cabineit messengers leave for foreign countries or aro ive from them. Every day, in the afternoon, the English Ambassador, Sir Edward Thornton, may be seen on his way to M. de Gime. When we see the olil gentleman with his snow-white liar, stooping and going along with shuffling but yet hasty steps, we can scarcely believe that upon his shoulders rest. a great part of the responsibility of a European war. Sir E. Thornton, in his exterior and nature, is more like a country parson than a dipleinatiA in such an important position. If it depeuded upon him peace would be assured. His predeccessor at this Court, the present Viceroy of India, Lord Dufferin, was quite a different person : the type of a man of the world in his b.-st years. Ho and his graceful consort were never absent from any hall in the faehionable world; and it was well known that neither Lord nor Lady Dufferin ever sat out a dance. How often did they not both express their fondness. for Petersburg and Russia! And now lie is Russia's bitterest eil'emy • concludes the alliance with the Anieer: and declares that he will retire from his p.at if England makes the slightest concession to Russia. His wife introduced herself here at Court in a remarkable manner, which afterwards, when she had made herself so universally beloved, was the occasion of merriment. Lady Dufferin was to be presented to the deceased Empress, Maria Alexandrowna (wife of Alexander II.), and was coninisncled on a certain day to the Winter Palace. A master of the ceremonies received her in the most respectful manner, and motioned her with his hand into a room, the curtains of which only admitted but scantily the light of day. The somewhat shorsiighted lady perceived herself in the presence of a distinguished lady, arid made her the bow that it is cuttienary to make to an Empress. The old lady spoke a few words in French and dismissed her visitor with a polite wave of the hand to the next door. The proud lady had expected me.° courtesy from the Empress, and brushed indignantly away in the direction strewn her. In the next room a lady came towa ds her with friendly greetings, to which the Lady Dufferin somewhat stiffly replied. Upon which the lady asked her, "bid you see my datmliter before your departure from England ?" Lady Dufferin answered, "Who is your daughter 'f" "The Duchess of-Edinl urgh," was the reply. The fright of the lady on finding that she had in this manner ceme into the presence id the real Empress may readily be conceived. The lady she had talc, n for the Empress was the wife of the High Chamberlain, Countess Potrasson. But now back to Sir E. Thornton. It is a peculiar position, that of the representative ef a Great Power in the capital of a country against which he may in a few days have to declare war. Everybody looks to him ; even in the street he,hears how passers-by draw each other's attention to bins; and in society he is received with twice as much friendliness and kindness as before. This was the case here also at a ball that the French Ainbassador gave a few days back. Never before had Sir E. Thornton such a circle of admirers around him ; never before w. re Ids daughters more frequently led out in the eotillon. The Empsror, too, who on other Mccasiona converses but little with the foreign an.bassadors, engaged with Thornton in a long conversation. That ball at the French Ambassador's, General Appert, was,moreover, the first that the present Emperor has been to at the house of the representative of the Republic. 'the ball was extremely brilliant: all the extras, even the flowers, had come direct from Paris. It is worthy o: notice that the French Government declared its willingness only to bear the expenses of the ball in case tire Emperor appeared. General Appert was taken so seriously ill on the day before the ball that he thought he should he unable to play the host. It is good evidence of the relations obtaining between the German and French Emba-sies to this Court, that in this case General Appert had asked General von Schweinitz to represent him in this event. The French Ambassador recovered sufficiently as, at all events during the presence of the imperial party, to be able to remain ',hi the ball-room. It would certainly have caused no hale excitement had, in the other event, a Prussian adjutant-general undertaken the duties of host in the French Embassy.  Through a lovers' quarrel Sarah Hanley, 22 years old, attampted to commit suicide by jumping from Clifton Suspension Bridge. but marvellously escaped death by falling feet downwards on the muddy bank, down which she slid. She was conscious when picked up, and gave her name and address. No bones were broken, although she was terribly shaken. Th. height of the bridge above low water is 250 feet.