THE MARCHIONESS OF LONDONDERRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1895, 16 March 1888, Page 31

THE MARCHIONESS OF LONDONDERRY.

We (Belfast Newsletter) take the following excellent sketch of the wife of his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from the " St. Stephen's Iteview" of the 21st December. It is quite needless to state that we most heartily endorse every word that is therein written, and we can with the utmost fairness assert that, considering the difficulties which Lord Londonderry has had to encounter since he arrived in Ireland as the Chief Governor, he has been eminently successful. The following is the text of the article above referred to : —

The other clay we were able to give a portrait of the Duchess of Marlbo rough, whose lot it was to hold court in Ireland in less troubled times than the present. To-day we publish the portrait of the Marchioness of Londonderry, who has had to face a period in Ireland the like of which was probably never seen, and lias, so far as her health permitted, done the most admirable service for the State and the Irish nation, while, by her own gracious worth, she has disarmed hostility. There is little need to tell the English people much about Lady Londonderry, solar as her life among thorn is concerned. She is a familiar figure in society, and is wellknown as one of the best of the family of Talbot, which occupies so large and honourable a space in English history. We have seen Lady Londonderry gay and happy on her husband's drag at Sandown or Kempton, or it may be at Harden Deer Park yearly sale. We have seen her cantering about on some pleasant hack, all eager to watch a shooting party; and we have also Seen, though she does not know it, her assiduous care for tho poor people about Seaham. The clergyman (the Key. J. Colling) has himself told us, thinking little— good, easy soul !— that wo should print it, that Lady Londonderry is tho kindest and best and most thoughtful friend for those in adversity. But it is not on this we wish to dwell. Until the Marquis of Londonderry became Viceroy of Ireland his life was that of a man who has never fairly had his chance. He sat in the llouso of Commons, it is true, and for this, so far as tho 1880 election goes, he owes much to his wife, who oanvassed County Down for him in a fashion which Primrose dames have never surpassed, and he got in by 20 votes ; but the then Lord Castlereagh had no public call on him excepting to do his duty to his constituents, which he did right well. He had some years previously shown himself to be all than an English country gentleman should. We have ourselves seen merry sport with him when he hunted the Hurworth ; and other days with Bedale, York, and Ainsty, and about Oxford, we remember, when he and the late Lord Holmsley used to ride as if necks were of no value. In the management of his estate Lora Londonderry from the first showed shrewd and business-like ability, and there is no more popular man in society ; but, we repeat, until he became Viceroy of Ireland, neither he nor Lady Londonderry had a chance of proving whether they possessed really great qualities. Dealing with Lady Londonderry, her first qbvious difficulty was that not even Irish Rationalists could find it in their hearts to say disagreeable things about her, and, therefore, they adopted the insidious course of praising her at the expense of her husband. Thus our old friend the Pall Mall said on 29th July 188G : "Lord Londonderry has absolutely no qualification for the post beyond his marriage) with one of the prettiest and most popular ladies in society." This was taken up very generally by the enemy, and we do not suppose the noble marquis minded it at all ; still, it was not altogether pleasant, coupled with the fact that United Ireland, on 31st July 1886, described him as inheriting "the blood and name of the cut-throat and hideous miscreant Castlereagh, who is the author of the Union." Of course everyone knows Lord Londonderry is not a descendant of the Castlereagh _in question, and we merely touch this point just to show the difficulties which beset him and Lady Londonderry at the outset of the Vice-royalty in Ireland. It was something of a trial to enter Dublin in the then state of Irish feeling, but this was done on the 19th September 1886, and, as the Morning Advertiser of the following day has it, " the entry was tame, but respectable," cheers being mingled with groans and hisses— no pleasant ordeal this for a lady accustomed to nothing of the sort in her whole previous life ; but, as the report continues, "The Marchioness of Londonderry disarmed even unfriendly criticism by her beauty and by her charming demeanour." So then the entry was made, and it remained to be proved whether Lady Londonderry had stronger qualities than beauty. People had not long to wait, for she from the very first set herself to do her utmost to support and revive Irish industries. Even the Sheffield Independent, of Bth Octobei 1886, says: --"She is fully occupied in de : yolving schemes to promote the happiness of the people. The Dublin tradespeople are already cheered, for they have prospects of busy days in their city." Even at the outset Lady Londonderry had given the cue for assisting Irish manufacture, for she wore Irish poplin and Carrickmacross lace on her State entry into Dublin, and she used her best influence from that time to help on the native work, not only offering prizes for Carrickmacross lace, but also bringing this staple industry of Ireland so prominently under notice that the Government appointed Mrs Powler Lalor lace inspector of Ireland in November LSB6, to whose labours the exceedingly creditable show of Irish lacs at the Manchester Exhibition is duo. Again, "with regard to the Irish Distressed 1 adies* Fund, Lady Londonderry has been instrumental in re-es.tablish.ing" this excellent work on an enlarged basis. It is non-political and non-sectarian, and her Majesty has most tightly acoorded her patronage to it. The effect of this early work of Lady Londonderry's was made apparent at her first

drawing room, on 9th February 1887, when —as the report goes— "one of the chief things noted was the tremendous quantity of Irish lace that was worn, mostly Carrickraacross, and some very beautiful Limerick flounces ; and also the vast array of Irish poplins, plain, satin-embossed, and some exquisitely wrought with gold and silver." We could dwell more on this and kindred subjects did space allow, but enough, perhaps, has been said to point the moral, if not to adorn the tale— how Lady Londonderry set herself heart and soul to help the Trish as best she could ; nor has she gone unrewarded. The hostile aspect of the people when she first entered Dublin has quite changed. The social success of the Viceroyalty has been most pronounced ; indeed there has never been a more brilliant Dublin season than the last one, notwithstanding the bad times. This may be proved by the fact that the drawing room of February, 1887, was the largest of any held by the wife of a Viceroy for over 20 years. But it was not in society alone that Lady Londonderry succeeded ; " classes " and " masses " are equally enthusiastic about her ; and the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, for instance, will long remember her presentation of new colours to them, when so charming was she, alike in words and looks, that a veteran of 40 years' service was heard to observe, " Eh ! if her ladyship were only a widow and I could marry her in this world, I wouldn't trouble about salvation in the next."

We ought to mention, also, the Irish Woman's Jubilee Fund which Lady Londonderry promoted. So successful was it that when the casket representing it was presented to her Majesty it contained the names of no fewer than 145,000 loyal Irishwomen.

There has been but one cloud to mar the happiness which Lady Londonderry has created around her in Ireland, and that has been her own illhealth, which is mainly attributable to the relaxing air of Dublin. She still suffers much from this, and is at times quite unable to take any active exercise. It was owing to this oause that she could not be present during the visit of the Royal Princes to Ireland. It is to be sincerely hoped that her health will improve, so as to enable her to go on with her good work ; in which case Lord Londonderry's Vice-royalty will long be remembered, for he himself has not only exhibited firmness and capacity, but in all branches of sport, such as hunting, racing, and cricket, he has contributed immensely to the cause of good-fellowship in Ireland.

We might say much more of Lady Londonderry — how she has worked for the Conservative party in Durham, and has established habitations of the Primrose League; how she is blessed Avith charming children; how — but it is impossible to treat the subject exhaustively, for we have not space to do it in, and, after all, our object has been to deal with Lady Londonderry in one phase of her life alone — the Irish one — and in that we have striven, however feebly, to show how she has in every way Droved herself not only the queen of every social occasion, but the kind-hearted and sympathetic friend indeed, which the distressful country so much needed.