PRINCESS ALICE’S MEMOIRS.

Western Star, Issue 861, 19 July 1884, Page 1 (Supplement)

PRINCESS ALICE’S MEMOIRS.

INTERESTING PREFACE BY PRINCESS CHRISTIAN.

The. folio wing is the preface to the very interesting memoirs of Princess Alice by her sister Princess Christian “ The great affection with which my dear sister has ever been regarded in this country, and the universal feeling of sympathy shown at the time of her death, led me to hope - th/rftho. publication ol this volume may not be unwelcome, containing as it does extracts from her letters to my mother, together with a brief record of her married life The short memoir here translated from the German, with which the letters are interwoven, was written, as will be seen at a glance, not as presenting anything like a complete picture of my sister’s character and opinions/ but merely as a narrative of such of the incidents of her life as were necessary to illustrate and explain the letters themselves. In these days when the custom has become general of publishing biographies of all persons of note oe distinction, it was thought advisable, in order that a true picture might be given of my sister, that a short sketch of her life should be prepared by some one who was personally kdown to her, and who appreciated the many beautiful features of her character. The choice fell upon a clergyman at Darmstadt, Dr ISell. It would have been premature and out of place to attempt anything like a complete picture of a character so many-sided, or of my sister’s opinions on the affairs of Europe, in which she took the deepest interest, and on which she formed opinions remarkable for breadth and sagacity of view. The domestic side of her nature might alone for the present be freely dealt with, and to help Dr

Sell in delineating this my mbtn.ef*' 1 selected for. his guidance the extracts from iny sister's letters to her, whibfi" appear in the present volume. There was no thought at first of making these extracts public, but {they were found to be so beautiful and to be so triihah expression of what my sister really was; : ' that in compliance with the request of the Grand Duke, her husband, they were allowed' to be translated published, so that her subjects'might see in them how great reason they had to love her whom they had : lost. - The letters in their original- form are here given to the English public, and I am sure that all.who read them will'leei thankful to my mother for -thus*grant- ' ing them a closer insight into my’dear si sler’s "'beautiful ' and*' 'UHs’elfikh lifeT' They will see in them . also . with satisfaction how devoted she was'to the land of her birth, how her heart ever turned to if with reverence and jafiec- . tion as the . country which had* done * and was doing for liberty aad. tbe.advancement of mankind more than* any other country, in- the world.- : How d§ep Was her feeling in this respect .was testified by a request which she made to her husband in anticipation of her death that English might be laid upon hef l cbffiu ’ accompanying the wish with- the? expression of-, a Hope that no one in the land of her 'adoption' could take Urn barge at her’'desire to He , borne td :f he'r ’ rest with tfie.’dld IJngliaH colours above, her. In anycase,;! feel ‘ confident that the -, perusal of -these letters must deepen tbe love- and admiration which havd-always been - ffilfc for my belo-Ved sister in this* cduiitrv, - where she eypr,, thanked,Gad that : her childhood and -youth: had• been tended with a wise love that had fostered and developed ail those qualities and- tastes which she most yalued and .strove; to cultivate in her later years.- ,X hgd writen.these words-when another be-; loved member of-nur family, whose name often recurs in my sister’s’lettefs,. was suddenly taken from us and from* our country. Writing of my dear,brother to my mother (February 1, 1868), she said, “ May God spare that youjag ’ bright and gifted life to fie a comfort tp you , Tor many a year to codie/’ That life which then hung trembling - iu the balance ’ was mercifully spared? not indeed for many a year/ but loiig enough to make my brother mone. be--loved by his .family and-friends, and to* enable him to give to-his country some tokens of the good gifts with Which : £e' was endowed. As he was the last <a£ , us.tQ;se'e my dear sister, jn .lifcjl so he has been tne first to follow her ,into' .the silent land.