letter of the
16th, which you so _very kindly_ wrote to me. It is _so_ kind of you
to write to us. _What_ a day Tuesday must have been! _Welch einen
Gang!_ and _yesterday!_ My _grief_ was _so great_ again yesterday.
To _talk_ of her is my _greatest consolation!_Let us _all try_ to
imitate _her!_My poor dear Uncle, we wish so to be with you, to be of
_any use_ to you. You will allow us, in three or four weeks, to go
to you for two or three days, _quite quietly_ and alone, to Laeken
without _any_ one, without _any_ reception anywhere, to cry with you
and to talk with you of _Her_. It will be a great comfort to us--a
_silent tribute_ of _respect and love to her_--to be able to mingle
our tears with yours over _her_ tomb! And the affection of your
two devoted children will perhaps be _some slight balm_. My _first_
impulse was to _fly at once_ to you, but perhaps a few weeks' delay
will be better. It will be a _great_ and melancholy satisfaction to
us. _Daily_ will you feel more, my poor dear Uncle, the _poignancy_ of
_your dreadful_ loss; my _heart breaks_ in thinking of _you_ and the
poor dear children. _How_ beautiful it must be to see that _your whole
country_ weeps and mourns _with_ you! For this country and for your
children you must _try_ to bear up, and feel that in _so doing_ you
are doing _all_ SHE wished. If only _we_ could be of use to you! if
_I_ could do _anything_ for dear little Charlotte, whom our blessed
Louise talked of _so_ often to me.

May I _write_ to _you_ on _Fridays_ when I used to write to her, as
well as on Tuesdays? You need _not_ answer me, and whenever it bores
you to write to me, or you have no time, let one of the dear children
write to me.

May God bless and protect you ever, my beloved Uncle, is our anxious
prayer. Embrace the dear children in the name of one who has almost
the feelings of a mother for them. Ever your devoted Niece and loving
Child,

VICTORIA R.

[Pageheading: THE QUEEN AND PALMERSTON]

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

OSBORNE, _19th October 1850._

The Queen is very glad of the result of the conflict with Lord
Palmerston, of which Lord John Russell apprised her by his letter of
yesterday's date. The correspondence, which the Queen now returns,
shows clearly that Lord Palmerston in this transaction, as in every
other, remained true to his principles of action.... But it shows
also that Lord John has the power of exercising that control over Lord
Pa