THE QUEEN AS A MATCHMAKER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 169, 18 July 1881, Page 4

THE QUEEN AS A MATCHMAKER.

Lord Paluieraton had been a poor man in bia younger days ; had learned gome bitter lessons and lost many illusions. A friend of mine called u«on him by appointment and found be wae ou*, a sudden summons to tbe palace being the reason of his inability to keep hia engagement. A servant explained that my lord would probably be back in an home. ' Very well, ' said the visitor, wbo was on intimate terms witb P-lmereton, "I'll wait. Meantime (it was ab.Qut luncheon time), I'll take a glaeß of eber.ry Bnd. a biscuit." Tbe servant, looked rather oonfaaed, and ended, by stammering but that neitbtr sherry r or biscuits were to be had in the house Tbe fact was bis lordship kept the key of the cupboard. Uliimrtely his fortunes mended and he was already comparatively rwh when 'he Queen politely but firmly commandtd him to get married. Lord Melbourne was a confirmed widower, and if tbe Foreign Secretary continued a bachelor tbere would soon bs serious difficuliy about the reception of tbe Bmbassadressep. "May it please your M&j<Biy," eaid Lord Palmetfltcn, "T should be only to happy to marry if I knew any one wbo would have me." The Queen graciously replied tbat »bere would be no difficulty on tbat bead, and that if it were necesearyrshe would take it upon herself to find a lady both ready and willing. So Lady Cowper was snt for. from .Rome to reign for thirty years over London society. It is said, by the; way, that tbis iady decided that her husband was to be Prime Minister long before the idea occurred to himself. It was a very happy match— indeed, a love match. Those who kne^f? Lord Palmerston best sometimes fancied that ' they detected the traces of a great sorrow carefully concealed from all men. As his ctffio was lowered into its last reßiing-place in Westminster Abbey on that cold autumn day of 1865, a gentleman stepped forward and fl'upg a t riog, witb two or three other trinket! into the open grave.