of ?iatn, wlio Mas Jo “good pleasure," and 
wished for an English lady to live in liis Grand 
Palace at Bangkok, to undertake the education 
in his fifty-four “beloved royal children." To 
go to a land where white elephants are wor¬ 
shiped, where women are soldiers, where llicy 
burn the bodies of their dead and where the 
king is set down in Christian geographies as an 
“absolute despot" and keeps a tremendous 
harem, to which Rum ram Young's cannot 
hold a candle, was considered to be a rash un¬ 
dertaking which would cost tlie adventurer her 
life. The poor mother, besides, had to leave 
her little girl behind, which was the hardest, 
sacrifice of all. But a domestic reality stared 
send missionaries to theml" There arc those 
whf> half believe that she has boon converted to 
Buddhaisrn, because she has discovered many 
beauties in it, and has made thorn known. 
While. In Siam slm studied Sanskrit under native 
teachers; she I'inked into the history of the 
country and read its holy books; she listened 
to its legends; became familiar with its litera¬ 
ture mid art; observed court life and returned 
to Christendom with n fund of valuable infor¬ 
mation, which she is now engaged in giving to 
the public through Ihe. press. 
Beforeshe left Bangkok she had won the con¬ 
fidence of the King to sucli a degree that he 
frequently intrusted her with State papers, 
distinguished Ids late bnilUor, Cu A It laid XV. 
He is 43 i ears of age, having boon born Jan. 21, 
1829. In 1857 ho married Princess Sophia of 
Nassau,daughter of the late Duke Wilhelm of 
Nassau, by whom ho has four sons, Gustavos, 
Oscar, Charles and EtfomvB. Wo glvo heron 
with an excellent portrait of him from a roccnt 
photograph. 
MRS. A. H. LEONOWENS 
BY FUt.LKK-WAI.lvK.lt 
Staten [bland, like an emerald in the mouth 
of the Hudson, is sometimes called “ the gem of 
the sea.” If such a beautiful, water-surround¬ 
ed spot was near London, Paris, or any Europe¬ 
an capital, it would be covered with the resi¬ 
dences of the wealthy, laid out In wido drives 
and inviting parks, adorned with 
statues and fountains. Nature 
has been so prodigal with her 
beautiful 6 oenery in the vicinity 
of New York, the fashionable tide 
of home-seekers in the country 
has set up the Hudson, or over 
into the vales of New Jersey. 
Along tho Western shore of Staton 
Island there are many pretty 
vine-covered cottages, great 
tree-embowered villas, and a 
number of clustering villages. 
But most of this American Isle of 
Wight is abandoned to the fever 
and ague, German beer-gardens 
and breweries, and deserted 
houses “to let." To our fancy 
this island is Just the place for 
poets, authors and students to re¬ 
side; quiet, enchanting, beauti¬ 
ful, shady and breezy, and within 
easy striking distance of tho Me¬ 
tropolis, with its art galleries and 
collections of books. Other men 
seem to have been of our mind, 
for here we find tho homes of C. 
P. Cram:h, tho latest translator 
of Virgil; GUO. WlLI.lAMCtrttMS, 
Mr. Brooks, who has recently 
given tho public his delightful 
account of a round-the-world 
trip between covers, and tho suh- 
ject of our sketch, Mrs. A. H. 
Leonowkns, the author of “The 
English Governess at the Siamese 
Court,” ns well as of other works, 
6ome of which are yet to bo pub¬ 
lished, : r ; • : 
Climbing a gentle hill, from the 
New Brighton landing, we reach, - 5 ? - > 
after a short, maple-covered 
walk, Mrs. Lkoxowkn'r cottage, 
standing almost within the shad- 
ow of a church, so quaint, in roof 
and pinnacle, it might easily bo 
mistaken for a temple of Buddha. 
The evening Is clear, cool and 
beautiful, with a wholesome — 
breeze from Now York Bay. Tho — 
sun has drawn upon the heavens 
a glorious cloud-view of gor- «= 
geous colors, and sunk behind 
Newark Buy, tinging its waters a 
golden crimson. Up and down 
tho Kill Von Kull numerous 
steamboats and barges ply, dis¬ 
playing their rod, green and yel¬ 
low lights, while white-winged 
schooners and yachts dart past 
Constable Hook and Bergen 
Point. 
When Mrs. Leonowens saw 
Staten Island for tho first time, 
coming through the Narrows on 
board an English steamship, in 
the Fall of the year, when tho 
trees were robed In their rain¬ 
bow dresses, she thought she had never seen so 
beautiful a spot—such a Paradise on earth, She 
was fresh, too, from the gorgeous Orient, and 
from green, garden-kept England. Now she 
sits upon her piazza, und after a weary day 
with the pen, or her books of Sanskrit, rests the 
eye and mind drinking in tho lovely landscape 
spread out before her. 
She was bom in a quiet little village In Wales, 
some forty-three years ago, where the old folks 
were so good they thought it a wicked thing for 
children under fifteen years of age to read news¬ 
papers. As regards some newspapers they were 
doubtless right. She comes of the famous 
Owen family, already celebrated in the world 
of letters, the Leon name having been prefixed 
out of regard for one St, Leon of Spaiu, who 
marriedan heiress In the Owen family. As agirl 
she gave no indications of becoming a traveler, 
an author, or a Sanskrit scholar. Having mar¬ 
ried an officer of the British army when quite 
young, she accompanied him to India, and was 
in that country during the dreadful Sepoy re¬ 
bellion. 
Although aoousln of hers shot his own wife 
rather than have her fall into the hands of the 
rebel soldiers, her sympathy was with the na¬ 
tives of India during the terrific struggle. 
From the position she occupied she could look 
behind tho scenes and discover how little Justice 
there was in British rule in India. After the 
war her husband, like many of tho other offi¬ 
cers, employed most or his leisure time In hunt¬ 
ing, being constantly on the camel’s or ele¬ 
phant’s back. During a tiger hunt he was 
killed, and she was left a widow witli two young 
children dependent upon her for support. 
We have all smiled before now at ihe thought 
of little Saint Theresa going out to seek mar¬ 
tyrdom in the country of the Moors. Many of 
her friends smiled when Mrs. Leonowens de¬ 
cided to accept the invitation of His Majesty 
B. S. P. P. Maha Mongkut, the Supreme King 
MEN PERSONALS 
Thomas Buchanan Read, tho poet-painter, 
was asked one day if ho had ever mot Tenny¬ 
son. “ I have," he replied, “and that just after 
the battle of Bull Run. Tennyson eu mo hastily 
into tho club room in which I sat, 
and said: — * Great n o w s 1 tho 
Southrons have beaten the Yan¬ 
kees, who have lied precipitately 
from the field.’ I could not rel ah 
this kind of talk from an English¬ 
man, and replied:—‘Well, Mr. 
Tennyson, if the Southrons have 
run the Yankoes from the field, 
it was an American victory, any¬ 
way. It. Is more than your coun¬ 
trymen ever did.’ Tennyson did 
not answer, nor did any other 
Briton present. The arrow wont 
to its mark.” 
“Tennyson! why,” said READ, 
"ho looks no more like a poet 
than does a lobster if compared 
with a gold fish. Angular, awk¬ 
ward, with great hands aud Toot, 
and coarse hair streaming away, 
ho is not the man Unit a re mantle 
lady would die for." 
John Tyndall is thus describ¬ 
ed by a Boston correspondent : 
“You seo a man of somewhat 
more thau medium hight, lithe, 
quick-motioned, muscular, but 
slight rather than stout; with a 
face of somewhat clerical typo; 
brown hair Virus lied across a 
broad but not high forehead; 
keen, bright, pleasant eyes, over 
which lie has a trick of now and 
then dropping the lids complete¬ 
ly, for a soutcnce or two; si raigh t, 
rather large nose; clean-shaven 
lips, not curved at all, but. large 
and flexible; a chin slightly re¬ 
treating but by no means weak. 
This face is surrounded by u thick 
fringe of grayish board—a most 
agreeable face it is, but not hand¬ 
some. Some one said of women, 
&s.y ; ‘They don’t: make’em pious and 
pretty both;’ so I suppose seien- 
tifle and handsome would be too 
SotsTSwm; much.” 
SIbLjSk^' The last moments of the Into 
'sVv'M King Charles XV. of Sweden, 
§■’ wore remarkably Interesting. Up 
wp i(V^‘ to tho morning of his death none 
had anticipated his speedy disao- 
^'TI'bV lutiou. Alarming symptoms ap¬ 
pearing in the afternoon, his rel¬ 
atives were sent for. Tho 
J strength of the King diminishing, 
he sad to the physician, “ Do you 
think I shall live through the 
night?" Tho doctor replied lie 
did not think Ilia Majesty eouhl 
count upon it. “Do you think 
the pain will be oxers ive?" naked 
tho King. “It is possible you 
will pass away quietly, for the 
work of death is almost finished," 
was the reply. Tho King received 
this intelligence wiih manly tran¬ 
quility and took leave of his friends and attend¬ 
ants. Ho then asked the doctor if his finger 
nails showed the signs ol’ approaching duuth. 
“Your Majesty ought not to anticipate,” said 
the doctor. “ Perhaps there is no more pain In 
store for you." The King remained motionless 
looking at his hands, watching the progress of 
death, when he stretched out his arm—“ How 
much pulse have I ?” “ Forty." “ So much 
still?" said tho King wit!* a sigh. Ho put his 
hand on lus neck and said:—“ I do not fool cold 
here yet." This was the last sign of life. At 
five minutes past nine o’clock the doctor said: 
“ Our King Is dead!" 
Wm. A. Woodward has brought suit against 
Ezra Cornell, the founder of Cornell Univer¬ 
sity, to recover $117,000 for services and ex¬ 
penses alleged to have been rendered and in¬ 
clined in locating government lands guaran¬ 
teed tho University. Mr. WOODWARD claims 
to have located over a half-million acres of laud, 
Tor which ho was to receive thirty cents per 
acre; he also claims to have paid large amounts 
for taxes on land, agents fees, wages of labor¬ 
ers, etc. The case is now on trial before a ref¬ 
eree. 
Reports were once current that the lato 
James Gordon Bennet kept a voluminous 
diary, but it is now understood that ho kept 
nothing of the kind. His papers are not in a 
condition for publication In any form. This Is 
to be regretted, as an autobiography of him 
would be rare and interesting reading. 
Senator Sumner lias had a number of din¬ 
ners given to him iri Paris, and has attended one 
of President Thiers’ receptions. 
M. C. Mitchell, the new Senator from Ore¬ 
gon, is only 80 years old, the youngest member 
of the Senate. 
James Watt is to have a monument at Gren- 
ock, Scotland. 
her in the face, and she must lead, perhaps, an 
epic life, beyond herself, for the sake of those 
dearer to her than her own life. 
Mrs. Leonowens arrived in Siam in March, 
1863, and for three years thereafter led a life of 
singular romantic interest, until she found her 
health breaking down, through the Influence of 
the enervating climate and the arduous duties 
imposed upon her. Just beforo reaching Bang¬ 
kok she was received by the Prime Minister of 
the Kingdom in 6 uch a biulf, insolent, and un¬ 
looked-for manner, that any less determined 
and courageous woman would buvo been dis¬ 
couraged, and turned back. Oneosettled in the 
King's palace, life went tolerably smooth, since 
its very novelty so occupied the mind minor 
disappointments woro crowded out. If tho Si¬ 
amese were straugc to her, she was equally an 
object of intense curiosity to them, in her un- 
thought-of European costume, which at that 
time consisted of a l'ull-blown hoop skirt. Tho 
slaves of i he palace crept on the floor to dis¬ 
cover if she had feet like ordinary mortals, 
while the women felt of her carefully, and asked 
how she managed to grow so large downwards. 
Her European nose, which was longer than the 
flat nose of 81am, was an object of interest, and 
she was asked If she pulled it out and adjusted 
it every morning! 
Siio has related at length In her works the ro¬ 
mantic story of her daily life at this Asian 
Court, telling us of the great harems of the 
King and liis ministers; the strange position 
the womeu occupy in the army and in tho 
courts of Justice; of the religion, manners and 
customs of the people, etc. Having been a 
close student, and keen observer of the people, 
under the most favorable conditions, she has 
been able to give the world much now and use¬ 
ful information. “You must draw a darker 
picture of the Siamese," whispered a good Qua¬ 
ker lady in Boston, to Mrs. Leonowkns, " or 
we shall be unable to raise any more money to 
sought her advice upon important mat tors and 
regarded her as his private secretary. That she 
might occupy a high place at court ho made her 
a lady of rank. The young princes became at¬ 
tached to her aurl the present King of Siam, a 
young mail of good education, who reads and 
writes English, (s fond of Mrs. Leonowens, 
with whom ho corresponds, and is inclined to 
take a civilized view of life. " We do not. want 
to bo converted to Christianity," wrote the old 
King, “for Buddhaism teaches tho power ot 
truth ami virtue." They want, civilizing, and 
many changes in that direction huvo taken 
place since Mrs. Leonowens exerted such a 
powerful influence at “headquarters." 
In appearance she is of the medium htgfat, of 
slight build, with a pale complexion, black eyes, 
and dark hair which curls. Bho is exceedingly 
fluent in conversation, very easy in her manner 
and possessed of a quiet dignity which com¬ 
mands respect. Having reached England in 
poor health, her physicians sent her to America 
for tho benefit of our clear, dry, bracing air. 
This she found in tho mountain village or Cats- 
kill on the Hudson. With return of health she 
took up her residence on Staten Island. 
KING OSCAR II 
Our readers will remember that a few weeks 
since we announced the death of the King of 
Sweden and Norway and the enthronement of 
Ins sucecsor, King Oscar II., hitherto styled 
Duke of East Gothland, and holding tho rank 
of Lieutenant-General in the Army and Vice 
Admiral in the Navy. He is the brother of 
the lato king, and is known to be a Prince 
of enlightened and refined mind, a man of 
earnest benevolence and philanthropic effort 
and objects, in this respect he resembles his 
father. King Oscar I., and is said to be devoid 
of that spirit of gallantry and adventure which 
