Tuesday, April 06, 2010

27Jul1872, We Cleverly Missed the Train

LONDON, Saturday, July 27th, 1872.
—Christina Nillson was married in W. Abbey to a man said to be a bankrupt Parisian stockbroker. We cleverly missed the train, so filled up the time with a ride, meeting Cavendish on a lovely quondam racer which broke a blood-vessel and had to retire from the profession.

24Jul1872, Eight Lyttelton Brothers and a Pack of Small Cecils

LONDON, Wednesday, July 24th, 1872.
—The old 8 brothers dined together at Eton and marched about the playing-fields, singing all the songs they cd. think of. . . . Little Downing St. garden tea : a pack of small Cecils with Ly. Salisbury : very ugly, clever children.

22Jul1872, Paupers in the East End

BETTESHANGER, Monday, July 22nd, 1872.
—Heavy and thundery air. Left kind, nice Bettesh. and went from Cannon St. with Agnes to E. End. Paupers very smelly and hot, poor things.

20Jul1872, Fred Becomes Private Sect. to Gladstone

BETTESHANGER, Saturday, July 20th, 1872.
—My Fred came at dinner-time, with the great piece of news that he has decided on accepting Uncle W.'s Private Secretaryship ; a post involving much trust and intimacy, and wanting F.'s particular experience, knowledge of the P.M., and Cavendish caution, straight-forwardness, good sense, and weight. None of the family seem to me to be quick or brilliant, but they have the most wonderful accuracy, thoroughness, and grasp of a subject.

17Jul1872, M. Bunsen and World Events

LONDON, Wednesday, July 17th, 1872.
—Dined with the Forsters : a M. Bunsen was there and was interesting : said the Germans wd prevent an Italian Jesuit succeeding the Pope ; talked in a creepy, confident way of the impending war between Prussia and Austria on the one hand, Russia and France and Turkey on the other.

13Jul1872, Eton Beating Harrow at Cricket

LONDON, Saturday, July 13th, 1872.
—Cricket match ended with eclat at 6, Eton beating Harrow, 7.27 to the good, with 6 wickets to go down, Alfred and another taking their bats out. Alack ! this admitted of neither Bob nor Edwd. having a 2nd innings ; but Edwd. fielded nicely. Alfred played a rapid and brilliant game, getting 19 in exactly Charles' old style, and was immensely applauded. It was a proud moment. All 8 brothers were on the ground, and M. and me.

03Jul1872, Entertaining the Hospital Nurses

LONDON, Wednesday, July 3rd, 1872.
Atie. P. and I spent the day at Seymour Court near Marlow, where Mrs. Helbert and her darling children helped us to entertain 25 of the L. Hospital nurses. The day much spoilt by our sad anxiety over poor Mrs. H. herself, who was in terrible danger of joining the Ch. of Rome — a proceeding utterly incomprehensible to me, especially now, when the Papacy with its new dogma is forcing itself down the throats of all foreign Catholics, thus splitting them into two hostile camps, the "Old Catholics" and the Ultramontanists.

02Jul1872, A Smart Dinner at Dev. House

LONDON, Tuesday, July 2nd, 1872.
—Very hot and delightful. Dudley House concert in aid of Woodford and Hawarden Orphanage. Ly. Augusta Stanley's window-gardening show. Smart dinner at Dev. H. in the big square room. Very splendid and stately : Lornes, Tecks, Granvilles, Brownlows, Tallee, Spencers. Tail.

29Jun1872, A Golden Day

LONDON, S. Peter's Day, Saturday.
—Rather a "golden day." We went to Hatfield for the opening of the restored church there : it was a crowded congregation and nice singing : Liddon preacht a noble sermon on Loyalty and Self-sacrifice for the Church. Afterwards we went about the glorious place with the Talbots and Uncle Dick, etc., and my Fred enjoyed it, and I was very happy. Heavenly weather. Dined at No. 11, to meet the Pr. and Prss. of Wales and the Lornes ; pleasant dinner. I was well off between Lorne and Bp. of Winchester. The Prince looks very little altered, but is said to be pasty-coloured by daylight : he is being busy and useful ; last Monday went with the Prss. to open the Bethnal Green Museum : the first time Royalty had been there since it was a Green.

25Jun1872, Maude Herbert Marries Hubert Parry

LONDON, Tuesday, June 25th, 1872.
—Maude Herbert was married to Hubert Parry at S. Paul's, Knightsbridge. There was something very beautiful in the sight from the W. door : the light concentrating in the fine open lofty choir, with its flower-decked altar ; the cloudy white of the bride and bridesmaids' garments, and Canon Liddon's striking figure and noble voice as he gave the Blessing.

15Jun1872, Meeting Poor Lady Mayo

LONDON, Saturday, June 15th, 1872.
—I dined at the Burrells' to meet poor, poor Ly. Mayo [FN: Lord Mayo, Viceroy of India, had been assassinated a few months before.], who is rather the better, Ly. B. thinks, for seeing a new face. She touched me much, in the indescribable way the Queen used to do, by her unaffectedness and straight-forward¬ness under the dreadful affliction, exerting herself to talk and take interest in things. Her eldest and 2nd sons were there—pleasant civil fellows, particularly nice and considerate to her. But it was terrible to sit there, with the thought incessantly present : "This is the widow of a murdered man" — it so disconcerted me that I could hardly talk sense.

01Jun1872, The Alabama Question

LONDON, Saturday, June 1st, 1872.
—The unlucky American treaty [FN: On the Alabama question.] is now said to be doomed. Both Governments are said to be really aggrieved, but the American Govt. object to eating humble pie too ostensibly, chiefly, I believe, because they hate to do anything at all unpopular on the eve of their tiresome Presidential election. What a pity they don't elect their precious Presidents for a much longer period, and never re-elect them !

Sunday, April 04, 2010

30May1872, The New Singer, Emma Albani

LONDON, Thursday, May 30th, 1872.
—I went to see Dev. House; and M. had the treat of going to the Opera (Royal Box) with Emma, and hearing the new singer Albani. A nice-looking but rather skinny and school-girly creature with a lovely voice.

29May1872, Talking with Di, Taciturn Husbands

LONGFORD, Wednesday, May 29th, 1872.
Di and I talked with little cessation, to the silent admiration of our taciturn husbands.

09May1872, Breakfast with the King of the Belgians

LONDON, Thursday, May 9th, 1872. Ascension Day.
—We bkfasted one of these days at No. 11 to meet the King of the Belgians. Herbert the painter, the most affected of men, rhapsodized in his ridiculous sham broken English abt the King's likeness to S. Louis and Francis I. He certainly is exactly like the pictures of the latter.

08May1872, Dinner, Drum and Ball

LONDON, Wednesday, May 8th, 1872.
—Dinner with the tall and handsome and noble-looking couple, Ld, and Ly. Brownlow. Met beautiful Ly. de Vesci, Ld. and daughter, Holfords, etc. Drum at Ly. L. Mills' ; lovely ball with G. G. at Ly. Bristol's—all gorgeous with flowers and plants ; a big conservatory just like a negro's garden in Jamaica, with the addition of grand geraniums. Old Nevy actually turned up at the ball !

07May1872, A Tiring Tea at Buckingham Palace

LONDON, Tuesday, May 7th, 1872.
-5 o'clock tea at Buck. Palace — rather hind-leggy and tiring. The old "Empress of Germany," horridly painted and curled as she was, pleased me by her long, civil, and feeling speech to the Loyd Lindsays abt the Sick and Wounded Fund. He stood bowing his tall flaxen head, without a word to say of course ! in answer to the flow of compliments. Pr. Arthur and Leopold both looked well and nice, though sadly small mannikins : Pr. Leopold the tallest and almost handsome.

01May1872, Religious Discussion at Dinner

LONDON, May Day, Wednesday, 1872.
—Drum at the Gladstones'. We were parted for dinner : F. going to the Speaker, I to the Admiralty. Old Mr. Villiers took me in, and was highly agreeable till he plunged into the Education question (as to which he is a bitter League man) and thence into the most sacred religious subjects. I am in constant astonishment at the utter ignorance, of most educated people that one happens to hear talk on the matter, of ordinary historical theology. Mr. Villiers appears to think that there never was a time before Popery or Protestantism ; and yet one wd. fancy the very words wd remind one that to be popish one must have set up a pope, and to be protestant one must have had the pope to protest against. How then abt this country (for instance) before there was either the one state of things or the other ? This bewildered view naturally draws down upon one's head comfortable tirades against venerable doctrines, such as the "Real Presence." Mr. V. has no knowledge whatever of any meaning having ever attached to that doctrine except Transubstantiation, and of all painful things to have the subject started in this spirit, in the midst of a dinner party ! Of course I cd only be entirely dumb, and try to fight for the poor Church on less sacred battlefields.

30Apr1872, Visiting the Kent Penitentiary

LONDON, Tuesday, April 30th, 1872.
—Had a nice interesting expedition with the J. G. T.'s to see the Kent Penitentiary, [FN: Founded by John Talbot.] which M. calls Johnny's eldest child : he started it the year they were married, after hearing a sermon on the duty of all to do something for fallen women. To-day was the annual meeting ; various friends and supporters coming together for Holy Communion in the Chapel : and luncheon and speeches afterwards. The institution is almost entirely supported by the county. There are about 40 inmates, a large proportion of them being children under 16. They stay on an average 2 years ; and a very fair proportion get placed out and do well.

28Apr1872, Dr. Vaughan Preacht Well

LONDON, April 28th. 4th Sunday after Easter.
—We went a.m. to the dear Temple, which was crowded. Dr. Vaughan preacht well, I believe ; but I grieve to say I was taken sleepy and lost much.

05Apr1872, The Famous Mr. Maurice has Died

HOLKER, Friday, April 5th, 1872.
—The famous Mr. Maurice is just dead ; the papers for the most part speak of him with great respect, and indeed I believe he was a true Saint, though perhaps with the misfortune, which seems to belong to some schools of thought, of inspiring his disciples with his errors rather than his truths.

03Apr1872, Alfred is Confirmed

HAGLEY, Wednesday, April 3rd, 1872.
—My darling Alfred was Confirmed at 3 o'clock by the Bp. of Worcester : the last of Mamma's children has now "put away childish things." These 15 years of his sunny life have been cloudless, loving, innocent ; God keep him hereafter from the evil, safe to the end ! Dear daddy has told me that during long Communion Services (when he is on his knees the whole time always) he prays for each one of us ; and sometimes I can realize, with sweet awfulness, how we are all "children of many prayers," when I see and feel the blessings poured out over us—prayers, one may believe, ascending from the "serene regions of Paradise" as well as from Earth ; and then comes the trust that, by the mighty power of prayer, God's loving mercy will bring us all "safe to land."