KING EDWARD STORIES

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 452, 13 January 1914, Page 2

KING EDWARD STORIES

LORD SUFFIELD'S REMINISCENCES. Lord Suffield was many years at Court, and was regarded by King Edward and Queen Alexandra " with sentiments of true and deep affection and friendship." Therefore to Queen Alexandra is dedicated: "This little record of my life, wherein so much of the happiness I have known is owing to you and our dear late King Edward." Lord Suffield went to India with the King when he was the young Prince of Wales, and of that journey he has most readable memories. The friendship between them was firmly established then, and, says Lord Suffield, " I am sure he gave me more of his confidence than anyone else on earth. He always trusted me implicitly, and he often asked my opinion and consulted me about little difficulties that sometimes cropped up. For nearly 40 years we were constantly together, and m all that time he never said one cross word to me, nor an unkind one, although I often spoke very plainly if anything happened of which I did not approve. But he never minded anything I said, and he never forgot a friend, nor refused any courtesy it was m his power to grant. One peculiarity of his was that he never told funny stories and never spoke of people, at all events m company, but I do not remember his ever saying anything about anybody. A very good rule this, especially for a man m his position." — On Authority. — A famous incident of English social history is retold, freshly and authoritatively : " For all his bonhomie,, however, the Prince would not tolerate the slightest impertinence. I remember his leaving White's Club over something of the sort. His Royal Highness happened to light a cigar or a cigarette m a room people did not usually smoke m. Some officious official came up and said so, and the Prince replied quite pleasantly that he was just going ; the official retorted rather rudely that the club rules must be adhered to, no matter who the member was, and the Prince without another word left the club and withdrew his name next day. The Marlborough Club owes its existence to that little lapse, or lack of tact, on the part of one of White's people !" King Edward was a fine allround sportsman, and, remarks Lord Suffield, " the most charming guest it was possible to have, and so ready to enter into the fun of the moment. He had wonderful nerve, and there was plenty of need for it sometimes, though I do not remember that he was ever peppered as 1 was once or twice by flustered sportsmen. He was remarkably clever ... m conveying his wishes without seeming to make a request. I remember feeling much amused at a rather neat reproof he once made to a man staying at Sandringham who shot a hen when the season was nearly over, and we were confining our attention to cock birds. Our good, friend had forgotten, or had not noticed this, and the Prince shook his head at him with a smile, and called out, pointing to the bird : ' Ah, Blank, what a man you are for the ladies !' " — At the Last. — Touching, pathetic, . and revealing are Lord Suffield's references to the death of King Edward. He writes : " Clever physicians and the Prince's own good constitution had so often put death to flight just when he seemed to be conquering that when he Was taken ill for the last time no one really anticipated a fatal ending, himself, perhaps least of all, though he had told me not long before that he felt sure his life had nearly Teached its end. How often since I have wished that I had taken his words more seriously, and never left him m those last months. But my poor lady was dangerously ill with I chest trouble, sometimes so desperately bad that Aye thought she could not re- | c<|£er, and it was impossible for me to go abroad while she was m such a precarious condition." When the King returned from Biarritz he sent for Lord Suffield. who was with him to the end. " Not when he died, but just before, when he could hardly see, he sent the nurse into the next room for me. and tried to say good-bye. He knew, and so did the Queen, how absolutely attached to him I was, so it did. not matter that 1. too, could not speak any farewell. I loved him as much as one man can love another ; we had been together so constantly during the last 40 years of his life, for even when he went anywhere without me he nearly always sent for me to ioin him ; and now that the end had come "there was no need for words. Directly after he had •passed away the nurse left me m the room with him, so that I was able to say my last farewell alone." Nobody has a better right than Lord Suffield to give the full, intimate word about King Edward as man and sovereign, and this is what he says : — " He was rightly called the Peacemaker. WellBeloved is another expression that rises inevitably to the minds of all who knew him when description is desired. King Edward had a naturally sweet and gentle disposition that attracted the best m everyone with whom he came m contact, but all other attributes were secondary to his strong sense of right and fair play : Oh, slow to smite and swift to spare, Gentle, and merciful, and just ! Bryant's lines exactly fitted him. He was essentially fair, and it was his absolute impartiality that insnired trust even m those who -were inclined to be antagonistic, for they soon found that m all questions he invariably took the equitable view, and gave a perfectly iust opinion, no matter which side he was on." — Our Friend the Kaiser. — While King Edward is the figure who most fills Lord- Suffield's pages, many other famous people also come m. Take the instance of the Kaiser : "Kaiser Wilhelm is, and always has been, very fond of England and the English, m spite of all that people may say to the contrary. He has invariably worked for peace with England, but m spite of all his really earnest endeavors and his sincere love of this country, there has always been friction between the two Courts. It is impossible to say how it arises, unless it is the usual jealousy that is always a feature of Courts. It was certainly not the Emperor's fault. He was not only greatly attached to Queen Victoria, but 'regarded' her with the greatest respect and veneration. Indeed, it may be said that Her Majesty died m his arms, for he was supporting her, and her head was resting against his chest when she passed away at Osborne. He grieved very deeply and sincerely for .Tier loss, andi looked as sad as her own sons at the funeral."