CURED BY GLADSTONE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18431, 25 November 1929, Page 11

CURED BY GLADSTONE.

SALISBURY IN MISERY.

COUNTESS WARWICK’S MEMOIRS. How Gladstone cured the late Marquess Salisbury’s toothache is one of the many good stories told by Frances, Countess of Warwick, in her entertaining reminiscences. At an intimate tea party in Arlington Street—where the town house of the Cecils is situated —Lord Salisbury, with a grey Shetland shawl wound round his bearded face and shaggy head, was the picture of silent misery. He had the toothache. “Mr Gladstone asked f.nxiously what he was doing about it. ‘Nothing,’ said Lord Salisbury. ‘Nothing; hope it will pass. ‘But surely,’ inquired Mr Gladstone, ’you’ve tried B—Nevrine?’ “No. Lord Salisbury had never even heard of it . . . Mr Gladstone bolted from the room and speedily returned in triumph with a bottle . . . Nor would he stop there. He insistea on applying the cure hinu%lf. He made Lord Salisbury sit back in his chair and open his mouth . . . The offending tooth was located, Mr Gladstone carefully applied cotton wool soaked in nervine to the tender place. In five minutes Lord Salisbury had to own that the pain was gone, and he then unwound the grey shawl from his enormous head.” When Lady Warwick vas 17 and not yet officially “out,” she says that the Earl of Beaconsfteld planned to marry her to Queen Victoria’s youngest son, Prince Leopold, then about 30, too delicate in health to ride or to take part in any sport. But it was Prince Leopold’s equerry, Lord Brooke—afterwards the Earl of Warwick—that she married. Leopold, at Claremont, tola the blushing girl that he cared for someone else, whom he took great care not to mention, but she guessed who it was. “He knew all about Lord Brooke’s feelings for me, and he said that if there was any understanding between Lord Brooke and myself it would be easy to engage the Queen's sentiment in favour of my first love. The next day poured rain . . . Under a large umbrella on the muddy road between Claremont and Esther he (Lord Brooke) proposed to me and I accepted.” It was arranged that Prince Leopold “ should break the news to C,*i;een Victoria; and her Majesty agreed that first love was sacred, “the divinest thing in the world,” the only true happiness. Prince Leopold married Princess Helen of Waldeck Pyrmont, but never lived to see his infant son. In Rodin's studio Lady Warwick met Anatole France, who, she lovpd to observe, always addressed Rodin as “Cher maitre.” “Anatole France confessed that he had never in all his life known happiness. On comparing notes, the three of us agreed that in this life there is no happiness. Pleasure—yes—but pleasure and not happiness . . .1 note that the great Edison recently says, "There is no such thing as happiness.' ” Lady Warwick admits she could never arouse King Edward’s interest ;n her socialism. The words made him shrug his shoulders. He had no belief 'n any levelling-up. “Society grows, ‘ he would say, "It is not made.” An amusing wild pet was an ant bear that would sleep m her bed at night and was very clean and tractble. "It had one naughty prejudice. It could not resist the footmen’s rilk-stockined calves. ‘Antie Bear,’ as we called it, might be urled up in its basket apparently sound asleep, but should a footman enter the room to put coals on the fire the animal would make straight for the man’s legs and give him a nip. Then down would go the coal scuttle with a bang, and the man would be off.” Lady warkick’s bird sanctuary, with its nesting boxes, amused Bernard Shaw. He laughed at the artificial ! T’ests. He said that no bird would be , fool enough to be taken in by such pa - L pable fakes. I