Part 1 (2/2)

My next sister, Lucy, [Footnote: Mrs Graham Smith, of Easton Grey, Malmesbury] was the most talented and the best educated of the family She fell between two stools in her youth, because Charty and Posie were of an age to be companions and Laura and I; consequently she did not enjoy the happy childhood that we did and was mishandled by the authorities both in the nursery and the schoolrooee She was my mother's favourite child--which none of us resented--and, although like , she had my mother's stubborn s of others was so great that she did not tell people what she was thinking; she was truthful but not candid Her drawings--both in pastel and water-colour--her portraits, landscapes and interiors were further re or ; and, had she put her wares into the o, she would have been a rich woman, but like all saints she was uninfluenceable I owe her too much to write about her: tormented by pain and crippled by arthritis, she has shown a heroisaiety which command the love and respect of all who meet her

Of my other sister, Laura, I rite later

The boys of the fah they all had charm and an excellent sense of huirls came from circulation, and would add, ”The Winsloes always had cold feet”; but I think it lay in temper and temperament They would have been less apprehensive and ht up to soh to do ht Hon H J Tennant] was petted and ht was arrested by his being allohen he was a little fellow, to walk twelve to fifteen miles a day with the shooters; and, however tired he would be, he was taken out of bed to play billiards after dinner Leather footstools were placed one on the top of the other by a proud papa and the co breaks; excited and exhausted, he would go to bed long afterin his ears

”You are more like lions than sisters!” he said one day in the nursery e snubbed hi hiave hi and teasing he turned his life to good account

In the terrible years 1914, 1915 and 1916, he was Under-Secretary for War to the late Lord Kitchener and was finally made Secretary for Scotland, with a seat in the Cabinet Like every Tennant, he had tenderness and powers of eenerosity to his faood eye for games

My brother Frank [Footnote: Francis Tennant, of Innes] was the artist a the boys He had a perfect ear for uish as beautiful in everything he saw He had the sweetest temper of any of us and the most humility

In his youth he had a horrible tutor who showed hireat deal of cruelty; and this retarded his development One day at Glen, I saw this nant, I said, ”You brute!” and hit him over the head with bothshe would tell my father, whereupon he toppled her over on the floor and left the room

When I think of our violent teachers--both tutors and governesses --and what the brothers learnt at Eton, I am surprised that we knew as much as we did and my parents' helplessness bewilders me

My eldest brother, Eddy, [Footnote: Lord Glenconner, of Glen, Innerleithen] though very different froot on best We were both devoured by i alone in the country He hated visiting, I enjoyed it; he detested society and I delighted in it My h to take me to balls; and as she was sixty-three the year I ca le party We each had our latch-keys and I went home either by myself or with a partner

We shared a secret and passionate love for our home, Glen, and knew every clump of heather and every birch and burn in the place

Herbert Gladstone toldday's shooting were resting in silence on the ground, he said to hi about, Eddy?”

To which he answered:

”Oh, always the sa which he and I lived there together, in spite of our mutual irascibility of temper and uneven spirits, we never had a quarrel Whether we joined each other on the rouse upon the hill; whether we lunched on the Quair or fished on the Tweed, we have a thousand coether

My father [Footnote: Sir Charles Tennant, 1823-1906] was a y and ienius

When he died, June 2nd, 1906, I wrote this inin Elizabeth's [Footnote: My daughter, Elizabeth Bibesco] schoolroo her recite Tartuffe at 7 pram; it was from my stepmother:

”'Your father passed away peacefully at five this afternoon'

”I covered my face with my hands and went to findhad a letter froave me a shock

”Poor little Elizabeth was terribly upset atwith tear-filled eyes and a white face:

”'Darling mother, he had a VERY happy life and is very happy nowhe will ALWAYS be happy'