MRS ASQUITH’S MEMOIRS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20075, 11 October 1920, Page 2

MRS ASQUITH’S MEMOIRS.

—4 TALES OF HSR YOUTH, My second scrape (writes Mrs Asquith in her memoirs, which are being published in the “Sunday Times”) was move serious; I engaged myself lc lie married. My fiance was neither pretty cor a goose, Hit a humorist; I do not think he meant me to take him seriously, hut in spite of my high spirits I was vefy serious, and he was certaiuly tnora in love with ‘me than anyone had fiver been before. He was a fine rider, and mounted rhe with the Beaufort hounds where we first met. • When I told my mother of my engagement she sank upon a settee, put a handkerchief to her eyes, and said “You might as well marry your green)!” I struggled very hard to show her bow worldly she was. 'Who wanted Honey? Who wanted position? Who wanted brains? Nothing, in fact, was wanted, except my will! CUPID TURNED DOWN. The onder-butler told her one day when G had called during her absence that her “ young gentleman ” had been “ forbidden the house.” Forbidden the house! I rushed to rqy sister Charty, and found her even more upset than my mother. She '•pointed out with some truth that Lucy’s marriage and the .obstinacy with which Who had pursued it had gone far towards spoiling her early life. ‘‘l flounced about the room, and said .that foiu'biddiug him the house was . grotesqiie, and made me ridiculous in ‘ the eyes of the servants. I ended a Passionate protest by telling her gravely ‘bat : f I changed my mind he' would undoubtedly commit suicide. This P.wful news was received with au hil'arity which nettled me. Scenes bored; mo, and I was quite incapable of sustaining a campaign of • white lies, so I reassured my friends and relieved my relations by telling' 1 the young man that I could not marry him. He gave me his beautiful mare, ‘ Molly Bawn, sold all his hunters, and " went io Australia His hair when ho -rreturned to England two years after was grey. - FRIENDS IN. AFFLICTION- ■' 1 “ "When wo were ’ buttled out of .'’.Downing Street in ten days—after ■ being -.hero for over nine years—and ’ bad not a. roof to cover our heads, it Was bur new friends that came to the rescue. I must add that many of the old ones bad no room for us, aud some Were' living in the country. ■ “Lady Crewe—young enough to bo my daughter, and a woman of rare honesty- of purpose and clearness i of bead—took our son Cyril in at Crowd House. Lady Grauard put up my husband. Mrs Cavendish-Bentinck— Lady Iranard’s aunt and one of God’s j .own—befriended my daughter .Elizabeth. Mrs George Keppcl— always r largo and kind—gave mo-a whole floor of her house in Grpsven.of .Street to lire in (or as many months its 1 liked; and Mrs M’Kcnna took in ,-„my son Anthony. • , .** No one has had such wonderful : friends as I have had, but no one has ... suffered moro at, discovering tho k- • stability of human beings and how .. little .power to love many people MOSSCSS.” AT THE FEET OF GRACE. ■■. “It was through my beloved Lady . Uemyso,” says Mrs Asquith, “ that I first met tho Master of Balliol. Oue evening m 1888, after tho men baa come in from shooting, we were having tea m the large marble ball at Gosloid, I generally wore an accordion skirt at tea, as Lord Wemvss liked me to dancer to him. Someone was p;avpiano, and I was improvising in rnd out of the chairs when in the act of making a final curtsy t caught mv •loot m my skirt and fell at tiic fek of an ola clergyman seated in the winnow. As I got up, a loud ‘Damn!’ rtnounurd through the room R*covenng ny presence of mind, I said looking up:—■ ■ ‘ aro a clergyman, aud lam afraid I liavo shocked you! > “ ‘Not at all,’ ho replied. ‘I hone tMremolv^ 0 ° a ’ * ' aca J Q oi - dancing ; “ L caused much amusement by asking the family afterwards if the par- : son whose presence 1 had failed to notice was their minister at Aborladv. Ithcn. learnt that ho was the famous Balliol n,l!IIQlD JovfeU '’ thc ilaster of