REMINISCENCES OF A SOCIETY DOCTOR'S WIDOW.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 64, 10 April 1909, Page 4

REMINISCENCES OF A SOCIETY DOCTOR'S WIDOW.

,4>TOIUES> XObD ISY LADY PRIESTLEY ' J' l ' ar3 a K° oa« of the cleverest tpbysiciaus of modern times—Sir Wil--1 Jiam Overend Priestley—died at his Lou- ; , clou residence shortly after he had been I i-indueed to enter I'ailiamral and at a ,'tiino when his professional lincome , to £10,0U« a yvar. "The . 'iliest inheritance lie left 'his family," csays Lady Prk-stley, "was the example , 'Of an unselfish life and the remembrance ;of a happy home," and it is into that . ..home that she takes iu in "The Story ;of a Lifetime" (says Tit Bits). * The interest of this volume or reminiscences is heightened: by the fact that, apart from the distinguished circle into 1 'which her husband introduced her, Lady Priestley came of a notable Scotch family. Her father was Kobert Cham- , bers, the famous author and publisher, . and amongst her friends she numbered such people as Thackeray, Wilkie Col- : lins, Charles Dickens, Sir John Millais, . and many, other men distinguished in art, literature, and science. ' A K.C.'S BOYHOOD FEAT. But amongst all the s'tories which she ■ -tells, perhaps the most interesting i= [ .that concerning her son, Joseph Chield , Priestley, who is now a K.C. One day, while entertaining friends at a shooting . lodge in Scotland, Lady Priestley discovered, to her great horror, that starvation stared tlieui in the face, owing to the usual supplies having been carried | off to the wroag country house. This ' fact she confided to her son, then a boy of fourteen years of age. "Next morning," says Lady Priestley, "I was standing at the front door talk- ' ing to some of our guests before breakfast, when the redoubtable Joe came ' galloping up on the hill-pony with n ■ huge basket in front of him, shouting out, 'Here, mother, 110 more starvation 1 for the faniily!' [ 1 "The boy had risen before live o'clock I and shot six rabbits. lie then called up the keeper, and, going down to the ; Tivcr, landed a line salmon. Losing not 1 a moment, lie flew to the stables, saddled the pony, and galloped up to tins vil- . Jage, where he found the butcher still , asleep, but not for long. Thus eamo about the welcome vision at the front door of two legs of mutton, one shoulI der, and a few kidneys." , 1 DAFT WILLIE LAW. \ . The wit of the weak is well illustrated by a story which Lady Priestley ' .tells concerning Daft Willie Law, of JKirkcaldy, known in the county as a 1 natural or idiot. One summer day 1 Willie attended a service, and, being ,near-sighted, stood quite close to the ' Minister, gaping in the latter's face. The •latter, irritated at t lie number of • sleepers among the audience, bawled jOut: " 'For shame, Christians, to lie sleop- ! ing there, while the glad tidings of the ' .Gospel are sounding in your ears; and ■.here is Willie Law, a poor idiot, hvariug me with great attention.' , ■ "'Eh, go! sir, that's true,'said Willie; /but if I had nil been a puir idiot I , would have been sleeping mysel'!'" . DIDN'T WANT im. MACOXOCHIE. Wlien as a girl she resided iu Edinburgh, Lady Priestley and her sisters •sent out cards of invitation in their another's name, as a mere matter of 1 .ceremony, to the officers at the Castle • generally. "There was one officer in particular we were bent 071 having, and his reply came, addressed to our mother. 'Mr, Maconocliie will have much pleasure in waiting oil .Mis. Chambers on the IGth,' etc. "Xow it so happened ilial a waiter of the same name had disgraced himself on a recent occasion, ami our mother had determined never to have him again. Being oblivious as to the officer, she despatched the following letter, addressed it, to the. Castle, where tll<' waiter was supposed to be: '.Mrs. Chambers will not require Mr. Maconocliie to wait 011 her at the ball 071 the 10th.' This went like a bomb info the Castle, where much consternation ensued until 'the misunderstanding Was cleared up." I A GOOD SCOTCH MIiNC. -About this time Mrs. Chambers gave a dinner in honor of George Outram, brother of Sir James. It was purely and simply a Scotch dinner, as the following menu shows: Hotch-potch, cockyleeky, crabbit heacfe (stutl'ed haddock 'heads), salmon, scallops, haggis, poor ■man 0' mutton, the chief sweet being strawberries and cream, in soup plates. The famous Dr. Simpson was rather absent-minded at times, and 011 one occasion, when he had returned form one of his frequent antiquarian expeditions, .his 'old butler, after unpacking his things, came up and said, "Doctor, you have left all your flannel vests behind.' 1 "Ah! Oh!" replied the doctor, feeling ihimself all over, "I've got them all 011!" , THE TWIN SISTERS. 1 Lady Priestley had a twin sister, and 1 so exactly alike were they even after 1 childhood days that it was almost impossible to tell them apart. Shortly •after Lady Priestley's inarriage Pro- . lessor Huxley met her sister, who was . going back to Edinburgh, at King's j Cross. "What! Mrs. Priestley," he exclaimed, "going back to your father 1 already';" "Oh, yes,'' she replied, 1111- ' able to resist the fun, "I am tired of I 1 matrimony, and going back to my I; father."

1 ''When my lirst child," says Lady •Priestley, "was a few mouths old, my twin arrived on a visit, and as it was about lime the child was awaking from his morning sleep, we slipped quietly into the nursery together to await events. My t'win stationed herself at the head of the bed ready to kiss the child, while I kept out of sight. Presently the little man awoke, and. seeing what 'he took to be his mother, stretched out his hands and drew himself into her arms. Just at that moment he saw ntc emerge, his lip fell, a cry of terror went up. and. turning away from me, he clung round the neck of the wrong mother!" SIR JOHN MILLAIS'S FAILING. Amongst her personal friends Ladv Priestley numbered the famous artist. "Ho hall always a delightful, irieudly way with him." she says, "but was often rather vague as to who his friends were, and his son Everett gave me an amusing account of how he —his father —met a man he knew in Regent-street oue day and gave him a cordial greeting, saying he could not remember 'where they had last met, but he was very glad to see I him again, etc. The fellow turned out to be his own butler." •A SHARP CCRK. 1 Of the Scottish characters she mentions in her book, perhaps the most interesting in Jlaughy. a doctor without. a diploma, who lived a lonely life •on the moorlandfc. but who effected cures that baffled the Royal College of Surgeons. Ilaughy was the mo>t popular man in the whole countryside, owing •to tho marvellous cures he effected, often for 110 fee at all. Lady Priestley visited his house one day. she sayn, "a great noise was heard ontsul.', 'which took Ilaughy to the head of the stairs lo help a" young fellow on crutches who was struggling to get tip. lie was laid on the soia ami the nature of the injury to the knee explained. After feeling it up and down came the moinnus words. 'Maud on.' In another minute Haughy's list had come thundering down 011 the •knee-cap, the leg being stretched out meanwhile. 1 thought all was over and shut my eyes, fearing to see Hie rimb sea tiered over the room.

"'Weel, you mil get- ii|> nun,' sal,l ITuiiffliv. I qii'iml my eyes lo liml t!i ■ young fellow standing o;i Ills legs Kinking the picture of satisfaction. 'You'll be able 1" walk no<>,' said Ilaughy. 'O'oo ayo.' quoth the otli<'t\ 'ami wlial am Ito pay ye?' 'Twu shillings.' said Ilaughy: and the 111:111 rattled down tho stairs, carrying his crutch's with him."