Tuesday, March 03, 2009

21Mar1865, No Ball: Fred Gloveless

LONDON, March 21st, 1865.
—We did the pleasantest job, viz., ordering the prettiest, most comfortable brougham in the world, to be our "very own" : a thing I am baby enough to like immensely, when a carriage is in question. Likewise chose breakfast, tea, and coffee services of a lovely description : and some particularly charming bedroom crockery for my room. An exceedingly smart dinner at Mr. Oswald's ; we met Sidneys, Spencers, Castlerosses, Prince and Princess Edward of Saxe-Weimar, Ly. Ely and daughter, Ld. Claud Hamilton, etc. I sat next to Dr. Quin, who kept me bursting through dinner. We discovered that a ball was to follow but shrunk off, I being in velvet, and F. gloveless ! and I was glad indeed, viewing Lent.

20Mar1865, Bishop Gray and Bishop Colenso

LONDON, March 20th, 1865.
Fred went to hear the judgment in the case of Bishop Gray's deprivation of Bishop Colenso, which the latter protests against. The judgment pronounces Bishop Gray's sentence null and void, and brings to light the oddest and most bewildering facts : viz. that the colonial Bishops (except in Crown Colonies) are not in legal possession of their sees, the Queen having arbitrarily granted them patents little knowing that it was necessary to get the approval of the Colonial governments ! So both Bishops find themselves in a literally false position, and have no powers or rights whatever, except what belong to them as consecrated men. It is a good thing such anomalies have been brought to light. We dined at home. Read Merivale and Milton.

17Mar1865, Lady Manageress Pounces on Countess Spencer

LONDON, March 17th, 1865.
—I went to London House, with a brigade of Associated Ladies. Charlotte Spencer came for the first time and was immediately pounced upon by the P.M.W. Lady Manageress to be a Supplemental Lady. Miss Twining, who has the workhouseums, shut herself up with Auntie P. and others, and burst forth into schemes for improving pauper sick arrangements. We had a delightful rebound of our Curate-hamper : viz. of the wine and arrowroot.

16Mar1865, Cavendish Up on His Facts

LONDON, March 16th, 1865.
—To the House, where after an hour and a quarter of dreadful dulness I heard Cavendish speak on Army Estimates. He seemed a little nervous, but grew more fluent as he went on, and gave one the notion of his being very well "up" in his facts.