In honour of the Prince's visit, nearly all the Fenian prisoners
who were still detained in jail were released.
Many years after, in 1885, King Edward and Queen Alexandra paid us
a visit at Barons' Court. During that visit a little episode
occurred which is worth recording. On the Sunday, the Princess of
Wales, as she still was, inspected the Sunday School children
before Morning Service. At luncheon the Rector of the parish told
us that one of the Sunday scholars, a little girl, had been taken
ill with congestion of the lungs a few days earlier. The child's
disappointment at having missed seeing the Princess was terrible.
Desperately ill as she was, she kept on harping on her lost
opportunity. After luncheon the Princess drew my sister-in-law,
the present Dowager Duchess of Abercorn, on one side, and inquired
where the sick child lived. Upon being told that it was about four
miles off, the Princess asked whether it would not be possible to
get a pony-cart from the stables and drive there, as she would
like to see the little girl. I myself brought a pony-cart around
to the door, and the Princess and my sister-in-law having got in,
we three started off alone, the Princess driving.
Pages:
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148