LORD AND LADY WOLSELEY.* ALTHOUGH Sir George Arthur, the editor
of this book, obviously intends the documents which it contains to be regarded as " human documents " illustrating the relations between husband and wife, many of the letters have also a real public interest. The period covered is from 1870 to 1.911, and even to the elderly reader the accounts of Lord Wolseley's first campaigns sound almost prehistoric. Were not we of the older generation all frightened by our nurses with accounts of " King Koffee," and taken to the South Kensington Museum
to see his large umbrella ? We may, of course, assume that the letters relating to the 1884-85 campaign for the relief of Gordon will seem as remote to the younger generation as is the Ashantee expedition to us. Both campaigns are in that " blind spot " or backwater of time which lies between the dispassionate interest we' may take in a volume of history and our eager appetite for documents which will reveal to us the inner meaning of the events of yesterday. But to anyone who remembers the feeling of the country between December, '84, and the end of February, '85, the intimate correspondence between the Commander of the Egyptian Expedition and his wife cannot fail to be full of drama. We all know the story of the steamers which were four days too late to save General Gordon, and most of us have heard of the delays of Sir Charles Wilson. Lord Wolseley's picture of the anxieties at such a time of a Commander-in-Chief who is necessarily at the base• whilst his officers are in command of the active column is extremely moving :—
4' Camp Korti, 27/1/81 My Dearest,—I don't show it, for I laugh and talk as usual, but my very heart is being consumed with anxiety about Stewart's column. It is now nine days since I heard from him. I have to-day had news from Gakdul up to the 24th inst. ; all was quiet there, but nothing known of Stewart. My heart feels actually cold, and it is with difficulty I can keep my mind fixed on any other subject."
Sir. Herbert Stewart, as will be remembered, was wounded, leaving Sir Charles Wilson in command of the advance ; but on the last days of January Lord Wolseley, although disappointed at not being in occupation of Matammeh, still hoped that Wilson would reach Khartoum in time. On February 4th he writes to his wife at night :-
" I am in despair. News just in that Khartoum was taken by • Tko•Letters of Lord and Lady Wolseley. Edited by Sir George Arthur. Londont Heinemann. [25s. net.] treachery on 26th January. My steamers reached Khartoum on 28th instant just in time to see it occupied by the enemy and have a very heavy fire opened upon them from Mandl's batteries. I have telegraphed home for fresh instructions, for now I have no ' mission' left to carry out, and to begin a campaign at this season of the year with British troops in the Soudan would, in my private opinion, be simply madness. I have proposed to concentrate my little army at Debbeb and Abu Gus, and there at least for some little time to await events. Poor Gordon I For his sake I sincerely hope he is dead. Death was always looked forward to by him as the beginning of life—one of my family mottoes, ' Mors Mihi Vita Est ! ' " Very curious is Lady Wolseley's account to her husband of how she heard the bad news :— " I was on my way to see Lady Reay. Meyer, the one-legged sweeper, came across to me. ' Hope you have good news of his Lordship.' Yes, I hope he is quite well.' Bad news this that Gordon is a prisoner.' Oh I there is no news. I have only just left home and I should haVe heard it.' Oh ! but it's true, my Lady. / have just heard it from Marlbro' House ! ' And I saw a Royal carriage standing the other side of the street which the cross- ing-sweeper had left to come over to me. This gave me a little shock, for I thought the Prince's servants would not drive about spreading untrue news. I went on, feeling very unhappy, to the 1leays. I found them both and told them, but they pooh-pooh'd it. They would believe any folly from a Duke and not the greatest sense from a beggar. I found Sloane Street in a hubbub, full of boys and papers. I felt there must be something wrong, so I jumped into a cab and came home and found a letter from Mr. Hobart condensing your telegram. So you see really the wife of the Commander heard the news from the Sweeper ! "
Queen Victoria, who, according to these letters, had never previously been particularly friendly to Lord Wolseley, sent for his wife to come to Windsor :— " Last Friday I went with Mrs. Grant to Hampton Court, and we were walking back through the Gardens when a man in the deepest black, like a mute, came up and handed me a letter with deepest black border and the largest black seal. You can guess what horrible thought came into my mind for a second ! The seal, the border, the man seemed to make one huge blot which darkened the very sun. When I had courage to look at the letter and saw it was from the Queen I took heart, for I knew she would not be the person to tell me of any misfortune."
During Lady Wolseley's visit the Queen treated her with great kindness, going so far as to ask her to take up her abode at Windsor, which Lady Wolseley was never able to do. At the end of March Lord Wolseley received instructions to leave Dongola for Suakin, whither he was to proceed vie/ Cairo. He writes to his wife :- " I turn my back upon Khartoum with a sinking heart, and, as I look back at the events of the last four months, my mind dwells upon one bright spot only—namely, the splendid conduct of the private soldier : he is a splendid fellow. I have lived the greater part of my life surrounded by them, and now that I grow old I feel as if they were my own sons. And yet these are the men that the silly old gentlemen at home never cease to denounce as worthless."
The collection of letters certainly shows the world the best points in an almost perfect marriage. The separations of husband and wife were long and anxious ; but their spirit of comradeship never failed and was carried on to the very end.
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