endent and prosperous a nation, that
the notion of any fundamental change in the Constitution is awful.
Yet when we boast of our freedom and prosperity we should not
forget the enormous mass of misery, vice, filth, and all evil which
disgraces all our large towns--nor the brutish ignorance and apathy
which pervades much of our rural population. And it is well worth
the most earnest thought and study, on the part of all Englishmen
and women, to find out whether our form of government has or has
not any share of the blame and to act accordingly. I have great
confidence in the British people. They have never liked hasty,
ill-considered changes; they hate revolution; and I hope I am not
too trustful in believing that we shall go on in the wise and the
right path, whatever that may be, and in spite of the freaks and
follies of many a man whose aims are more selfish than patriotic.

While at Cannes Lord and Lady Russell saw a great deal of Princess
Christian, who was living near them, and was in great anxiety and sorrow
about the illness of her brother, the Prince of Wales, who nearly died in
December, 1871. His illness was the occasion of a display of loyalty and
sympathy from thousands of British subjects. Lady Russell received the
following reply to a letter she wrote from Cannes to the Queen:

_Queen Victoria to Lady Russell_

OSBORNE, _January_ 22, 1872

DEAR LADY RUSSELL,--I meant ere this to have thanked you for your
very kind letter of the 1st, but my dear son's illness brought with
it much writing besides much to do, in addition to which, there is
the correspondence with _four_ absent married daughters, which
is no light task. I thank you now _both_ most warmly for the
great kindness of your expressions about my own long and severe
illness, when you so kindly wrote to Lady Ely to inquire, and
relative to this last dreadful illness of my dear son's, coming, as
it did, when I was far from strong myself. Thank God! I was able to
be near him and with my _beloved_ daughter, the Princess of
Wales (who behaved so beautifully and admirably), during that
terrible time, when for nearly a week his life hung on a thread.
Indeed, for a whole month _at least,_ if not for five weeks,
his state was one of the greatest anxiety and indeed of danger.
Since the 4th we may look on his progress as steady and good, and