The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-08-04
ENGLISH Society.

I
."" English Society.
THE STRUGGLE FOR P0sITIoN-A RICH wo-
MANS AUDACITY AND REFUSE BY LAZY
| WALDEGRAvE-A SELECT THOUSAND AT
| MARLBOROUGH HOUSE. -... -
| b1lr,e says:
You would hardly credit the stories /
could tell you about the eagerness shown
here sometimes for invitations. Nobody
ever asks for invitations in New York, that
city OF severe republican simplicity in
manners apd-still more-in morals. You
would not believe, for example, that a lady,
rich and well known in some sections OF
London society," say some, for there are
many-could tell Lady Waldegrare to her
face that she wanted to be asked to one OF
those Sunday evening dinners for which
Strawberry Hill Is famous, in order to Sc
cure or strengthen her own social position.
You can scarcely Imagine how painful 1t
must have been to Lady Waldcgrave to de-
cline; pleading that all her dinners had
been arranged at the beginning Of the sea-
son, and that it was too late to add to the
number OF her guests. Still less can you
conceive this lady, thus rebuffed, driving
down OF q Sunday afternoon to the house
| in Twickenhanl under pretence Of calling;
which, indeed, her place on Lady Walde-
graves visiting list might justify her in
doing. She finds the grounds thronged
with the select, who have dined there be-
fore, or are to dine that evening. She
seeks out her unwilling hostess; she re-
minds her Of her former request: she hears
once more that the table is full; nay, that
more guests are bidden than there are chairs
for in the dining-room. You think she re-
tires discounted at this? That is because
you don't know the woman. She is like
the British infantry, which does not know
when it is beaten. She observes plac!dly to
Lady Waldegrave that possibly some one OF
her guests may not stay for dinner; II not,
she suggests, she entreats, she. implores,
that she may fill the vacant place. Lord
Caringford's wife is too well-bred to betray
disgust; she is, fear not, wholly unused
to this sort of thing. She tells her would
be guest that if such should be the case she
should, Of course, be happy to offer her the
vacant chair. Armed with this extorted as
surance, off goes this aspirantfor social dis
tlncton; makes the round OF the party, puts
to each one the eager inquiry, care you in
yited to stay to dinner"? and 'sAre you go
ing to stay"? Presently these victims of
this new inquisition begin to stray up to
their hostess and ask, PRAY, why is Mrs.
- so anxious should not stay to din
ner"3 The story circulates; the laugh
goes with it; and alas no guest departs, no
chair is empty, and the woman whose auda-
city was, perhaps, worthy OF better fate,
has to drive back and dine alone In London.
You think this is mere gossip, and malicious
at that! l assure you it is true, and il l
named the heroine Of my story, which I
will not do, you would neither doubt its
truth nor wonder what interest such a
story can have for an American audience.
I may add that she is a woman who, on the
whole, may be said to have succeeded and
not failed in her ambition; that she
goes to many fine house, and has crowds
OF smart people at herS-'e smart" people,
meaning in the dialect Of London society,
fashionable people, and not at all implying
the possession OF exceptional mental pow
ers. I don't know that this little anecdote
is much more remarkable than the shorter
one, which accounts for the presence OF the
same lady at q great party the other night,
by her third petition for card, having
wearied out the patience OF the giver, who
had sent two refusalS to two former re-
quests. y .Gr.t..:
No doubt she will be seen at Lords to-
day-this is Lord whom you can visit by
paying. Whatever money can do, she does.
But fear she was not at, .at;
MARLBOROUGH HOUSE III:
yesterday-the garden-party which takes
the place OF the more numerous and much
less select entertainments which the Prince
and Princess OF Wales have OF late years
given at Chiswick. "To be asked to those
was no compliment" heard 1t said yes
terday. Everybody was asked to CHS
wick, but you have no idea what the pres
sure for invitations has been this year."
For this there were more reasons than one.
The Prince had given up Chiswick because
he could not afford to go on with 1t. BE
had asked bis mother for the loan OF
Buckingham Palace, in order to give his
garden-party on. the grounds of that
mansion, and She refused. Marlborough
House is but small place in COM
parison, though the heir-apparent and
bis wife have to live there and make the
best Of it. 1t will not hold the three thou
sand and more for whom Chiswick offered
plenty of room. The list had to be cut
down-some say by two thirds-and great
was tho lamentation of the two thousand
who were left of. Moreover, and worse,
the. Queen, by way Of compensation for
denying Buckingham Palace to the Prince,
intimated that she would herself come to
Marlborough House; and she did,. The
gracious concession turned it into party
TO ueT Majesty, IOr III COmpaEisOu 10 IOy-
atty all things are as dust; and instead Of
the jolly gathering at Chlswiek. the invita-
tions to this solemnity bore on their face to
meet the Queen. Worse still. Her Majesty
commanded that the list should be submit
ted to her revision; and the royal pencil
went through, it is whispered, more than
one name OF man-and OF woman, too-who
count among the cherished companions OF
the Prince. Whoever was present yester-
day; therefore, may be set down as without
reproach on any score, and entitled forever
more to rank with the chosen flower Of the
social aristocracy OF England. To the humane
mind it must be apure satisfaction TO see that
this purely-Weeded list fills nigh column
and half of the fashionable organ-per-
haps thousand names altogether; or rather
more, II you include the diplomatic body
or other foreigners Of distinction, If such
there were. You must include, also, the
not insignificant, list of the personages
whose political rank, past and present, en-.
titles them as of right to recognition on such
an occasion-all the Cabinet ministers and
ex-Cabinet ministers, for instance.
Paris is awakening to the necessity OF
more attention to- sanitary science, and the
Society of Public Medicine and Professional
Hygiene, lately formed, is under the imme-