my memories of eighty years-第55章

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hich　he　detailed　as　an　eyewitness　the　atrocities　which　the　government　and　the　soldiers　were　perpetrating。　　He　read　this　report　to　Mr。　McKinley　and　Senator　Hanna。　　They　both　said：　　〃Senator　Proctor；　if　you　read　that　to　the　Senate；　our　negotiations　end　and　war　is　inevitable。〃

The　president　requested　the　senator　to　delay　reporting　to　the　Senate。　　The　excitement　and　interest　in　that　body　were　never　more　unanimous　and　intense。　　I　doubt　if　any　senator　could　have　resisted　this　rare　opportunity　not　only　to　be　the　centre　of　the　stage　but　to　occupy　the　whole　platform。　　Senator　Proctor　made　his　report　and　the　country　was　aflame。



One　summer　I　arrived　in　London　and　was　suffering　from　a　fearful　attack　of　muscular　rheumatism。　　I　knew　perfectly　well　that　I　had　brought　it　on　myself　by　overwork。　　I　had　suffered　several　attacks　before；　but　this　one　was　so　acute　that　I　consulted　Sir　Henry　Thompson；　at　that　time　the　acknowledged　head　of　the　British　medical　profession。　　He　made　a　thorough　examination　and　with　most　satisfactory　result　as　to　every　organ。　　〃With　your　perfect　constitution；〃　he　said；　〃this　attack　is　abnormal。　　Now　tell　me　of　your　day　and　every　day　at　home。　　Begin　with　breakfast。〃

〃I　breakfast　at　a　quarter　of　eight；〃　I　said。

〃Then；〃　continued　the　doctor；　〃give　me　the　whoIe　day。〃

〃I　arrive　at　my　office；〃　I　said；　〃at　nine。　　Being　president　of　a　great　railway　company；　there　is　a　large　correspondence　to　be　disposed　of。　　I　see　the　heads　of　the　different　departments　and　get　in　touch　with　every　branch　of　the　business。　　Then　I　meet　committees　of　chambers　of　commerce　or　shippers；　or　of　employees　who　have　a　grievance；　and　all　this　will　occupy　me　until　five　o'clock；　when　I　go　home。　　I　take　a　very　short　lunch；　often　at　my　desk；　to　save　time。　　On　arriving　home　I　take　a　nap　of　ten　or　fifteen　minutes；　and　then　look　over　my　engagements　for　the　evening。　If　it　is　a　speech；　which　will　probably　happen　four　evenings　in　a　week；　I　prepare　in　the　next　hour　and　then　deliver　it　at　some　public　banquet　or　hall。　　If　I　have　accepted　a　formal　address　or；　as　we　call　them　in　America；　orations；　it　is　ground　out　on　odd　evenings；　Sunday　afternoon　and　night。〃

The　doctor　turned　to　me　abruptly　and　said：　　〃You　ought　to　be　dead。　Now；　you　have　the　most　perfect　constitution　and　less　impaired　than　any　I　have　examined　at　your　time　of　life。　　If　you　will　follow　the　directions　which　I　give　you；　you　can　be　perfectly　well　and　sound　at　the　age　of　one　hundred。　　If　you　continue　your　present　life　until　seventy；　you　will　have　a　nervous　breakdown；　and　thereafter　become　a　nuisance　to　yourself　and　everybody　else。　　I　advise　absolute　rest　at　a　remote　place　in　Switzerland。　　There　you　will　receive　no　newspapers；　and　you　will　hear　nothing　from　the　outside　world。　You　will　meet　there　only　English　who　are　seeking　health；　and　they　will　not　speak　to　you。　　Devote　your　day　to　walking　over　the　mountains；　adding　to　your　tramp　as　your　strength　increases；　and　lie　for　hours　on　the　bank　of　a　quiet　stream　there；　and　be　intensely　interested　as　you　throw　pebbles　into　it　to　see　how　wide　you　can　make　the　circles　from　the　spot　where　the　pebble　strikes　the　water。〃

I　thought　I　understood　my　temperament　better　than　the　doctor；　and　that　any　rest　for　me　was　not　solitude　but　entire　change　of　occupation。　　So　I　remained　in　London　and　lunched　and　dined　out　every　day　for　several　weeks；　with　a　week…end　over　every　Sunday。　In　other　ways；　however；　I　adopted　the　doctor's　directions　and　not　only　returned　home　cured；　but　have　been　free　from　rheumatism　ever　since。

I　was　in　London　at　both　the　queen's　fiftieth　anniversary　of　her　reign　and　her　jubilee。　　The　reverence　and　love　the　English　people　had　for　Queen　Victoria　was　a　wonderful　exhibition　of　her　wisdom　as　a　sovereign　and　of　her　charm　and　character　as　a　woman。　　The　sixty　years　of　her　reign　were　a　wonderful　epoch　in　the　growth　of　her　empire　and　in　its　relations　to　the　world。

Once　I　said　to　a　member　of　the　Cabinet；　who；　as　minister　of　foreign　affairs　had　been　brought　in　close　contact　with　the　queen：　〃I　am　very　much　impressed　with　the　regard　which　the　people　have　for　Queen　Victoria。　　What　is　her　special　function　in　your　scheme　of　government？〃

〃She　is　invaluable；〃　he　answered；　〃to　every　prime　minister　and　the　Cabinet。　　The　prime　minister；　after　the　close　of　the　debate　in　the　House　of　Commons　every　night；　writes　the　queen　a　full　report　of　what　has　occurred　at　that　session。　　This　has　been　going　on　for　more　than　half　a　century。　　The　queen　reads　these　accounts　carefully　and　has　a　most　retentive　memory。　　If　these　communications　of　the　prime　ministers　were　ever　available　to　the　public；　they　would　present　a　remarkable　contrast　of　the　minds　and　the　methods　of　different　prime　ministers　and　especially　those　two　extreme　opposites；　Gladstone　and　Disraeli。　　The　queen　did　not　like　Gladstone；　because　she　said　he　always　preached；　but　she　had　an　intense　admiration　for　Disraeli；　who　threw　into　his　nightly　memoranda　all　his　skill　not　only　as　a　statesman；　but　a　novelist。　　The　queen　also　has　been　consulted　during　all　these　years　on　every　crisis；　domestic　or　foreign；　and　every　matter　of　Cabinet　importance。　　The　result　is　that　she　is　an　encycIopaedia。　　Very　often　there　will　be　a　dispute　with　some　of　the　great　powers　or　lesser　ones；　which　is　rapidly　growing　to　serious　proportions。　　We　can　find　no　report　of　its　beginning。　　The　queen；　however；　will　remember　just　when　the　difficulty　began；　and　why　it　was　pushed　aside　and　not　settled；　and　who　were　the　principal　actors　in　the　negotiations。　　With　that　data　we　often　arrive　at　a　satisfactory　settlement。〃

I　remember　one　garden…party　at　Buckingham　Palace。　　The　day　was　perfect　and　the　attendance　phenomenally　large　and　distinguished。　While　there　were　places　on　the　grounds　where　a　luncheon　was　served；　the　guests　neglected　these　places　and　gathered　about　a　large　tent　where　the　royalties　had　their　refreshments。　　It　was　an　intense　curiosity；　not　so　much　to　see　their　sovereign　eat　and　drink；　as　to　improve　the　opportunity　to　reverently　gaze　upon　her　at　close　range。　　The　queen　called　various　people　whom　she　knew　from　this　circle　of　onlookers　for　a　familiar　talk。

When　the　luncheon　was　served　the　attendant　produced　an　immense　napkin；　which　she　spread　over　herself；　almost　from　her　neck　to　the　bottom　of　her　dress。　　A　charming　English　lady；　who　stood　beside　me；　said：　　〃I　know　you　are　laughing　at　the　economy　of　our　Queen。〃

〃On　the　contrary；〃　I　said；　〃I　am　admiring　an　example　of　carefulness　and　thrift　which；　if　it　could　be　universally　known；　would　be　of　as　great　benefit　in　the　United　States　as　in　Great　Britain。〃

〃Well；〃　she　continued；　〃I　do　wish　that　the　dear　old　lady　was　not　quite　so　careful。〃

At　a　period　when　the　lives　of　the　continental　rulers　were　in　great　peril　from　revolutionists　and　assassins；　the　queen　on　both　her　fiftieth　anniversary　and　her　jubilee　rode　in　an　open　carriage　through　many　miles　of　London　streets；　with　millions　of　spectators　on　either　side　pressing　closely　upon　the　procession；　and　there　was　never　a　thought　that　she　was　in　the　slightest　danger。　　She　was　fearless　herself；　but　she　had　on　the　triple　armor　of　the　overmastering　love　and　veneration　of　the　whole　people。　　Americans　remembered　that　in　the　crisis　of　our　Civil　War　it　was　the　influence　of　the　queen；　more　than　any　other；　which　prevented　Great　Britain　recognizing　the　Southern　Confederacy。

Among　the　incidents　of　her　jubilee　was　the　greatest　naval　demonstration　ever　known。　　The　fleets　of　Great　Britain　were　summoned　from　all　parts　of　the　globe　and　anchored　in　a　long　and　imposing　line　in　the　English　Channel。　　Mr。　Ismay；　at　that　time　the　head　of　the　White　Star　Line；　took　the　Teutonic；　which　had　just　been　built　and　was　not　yet　in　regular　commission；　as　his　private　yacht。　He　had　on　board　a　notable　company；　representing　the　best；　both　of　men　and　women；　of　English　life。　　He　was　the　most　generous　of　hosts；　and　every　care　taken　for　the　individual　comfort　of　his　guests。　　In　the　intimacy　for　several　days　of　such　an　excursion　we　all　became　very　well　acquainted。　　There　were　speeches　at　the　dinners　and　dances　afterwards　on　the　deck　for　the　younger　people。　　The　war…ships　were　illuminated　at　night　by　electric　lights；　and　the　launch　of　the　Teutonic　took　us　down　one　lane　and　up　another　thr