The New York herald., 1878-12-05
The Gay Resorts OF
the Metropolis.
VAL. REESE'S MARRIAGE
DoWagers Deceiv9d---A Mar
riage Agreement.
THE NUDE IN A ART.
Lady Florence Dixie Again
Prominent.


1t would be mistake I think to imagine that Lon
don has become more moral virtuous since the de-
of the magistrates refusing to the license
TO the Argyll Rooms As the old license Of the place
is made out for the present year the house IN Wind
mill street will keep open until the 3lst of Decenber
and then it may be kept open as restaurant or
anything else the proprictors choose TO make OF IT,
But the fact cannot be concealed that the Argyll has
received it's death blow. The rooms said pre-
sent quite different appearance from what they
formerly did, for the fair nymphs of st. Johns
Wood have found other and more attractive hunting
grounds. The Aquarium is nightly crowded with
the fair but fra specimens of London beauty. The
private boxes of certain popular music halls on the
West End are well patronized, and Evans supper
rooms do more fourshing business than ever
The decree of the wise magistrates of Middlesex
has only resulted in distributing immortality in more
public places than before il has not made the Lon
don nymphs virtuous il anything it has made
them popular because it has put them their
best behavior and sent them into more public re-
Very strange to everybod that Evans
should be allowed to retain its license while that of
the Argyll is taken away. since both were used for
the same purpose OF affording meeting place for
about town and the ladies of unquestionable
character
A LONDON SUPPER ROOM.
And OF all places of similar resort commend me
Evans as the gloomlest and the most depressing.
is supposed be music hal-the home of glee sing
ing. madrigals and high music hall art in general.
quarter OF a century ago the place known as
the Cave of Harmony and is mentioned by Thacke-
ray. In those days, we told, the supper rooms
formed of connecting link between the literary
artistic and fast of the metropolis. But
the hearty looking sqTires, the keen-eyed
intelligent professional, the devil-may-care men
about town, along with the wits and
writers have all disappeared. The Cave of Har
mony has very much changed since the great English
satirist amusingly described it. The thing itself
remains but its essential spirit has evapo
rated" In the daytime the large room is
used a dining and restaurant. At
night entry fee of two shllings is charged to hear
the mournful glee and madrigal singing If you
enter early-say nine o'clock-the place is nearly
empty. The few people listen perhaps to the singing
OF the boys and six the latter standing in the
second row. and al with their hands behind their
backs. What they sing" says writer in of
the weekles." cannot say. for the words quite
unintellgiole. Their work is well executed. in the
dreadful mechanical form and void of all color and
affect The boys are not handsome, not absolutely
ngly, but they are sad looking. They look as
II they lived in vaults. where the sunlight
penetrated, If they heard anything that
genial or soul stirring and if they existed in this
world for other purpose than TO troop on this
platform to sing together before needless auditors,
ana then return TO their gloom loneliness. The
boys disappear and their places taken by broken
down tenors gloomy acrobats and long haired des-
peradoes on the piano.
TfrE GATHERING AT EVANS.
Later on the men about town begin to saunter in.
and fra beauty settles down chops and steaks and
porter. The private boxes hll up. In one of the
boxes face attracts your attention-or might have
attracted your attention few weeks ago-a fair
haired. black-eyed nymph surrounded by circle
OF inane-looking admirers, and ruling everybody
around her by her sauey ways and hard
swearing when necessary She has many rings on
lern toni business il
are the last things she would think of taking 10 her
uncle's. The young person is Miss "yal Reece."
of the best known feminine rulers OF the golden
youth Lately she has married, and married well. too;
that is. If BY well we admit riches. The marriage
has created great excitement, not only among the
women of the town. but among all the old dowagers Of
arisocratc English society. A. B. Meux. Esq, l. now
Reece. and he has been scratched ont OF the list Of
narriageable young men for titled daugh,
society. Miss Val Reece, az truth says ''has
landed the biggest fish which has hoated in the mat
rmonial waters for time. Sir Henry Meux. the
brewer. became hopeiessly insane some twenty years
ago, since which his property has been al nurse with
the exception Of certain liberal payments 70 hts
relatives. to his sister Mrs Arabin, who has
custody Of him, and who, with the usual exuberant
hberality Of the Court in dealing with the goods
of lunatic, ~ allowed fl0,Jo0 year-at least
three times as much a. can be spent on Sir Henrys
comforts. including perpetual doctors and staff
OF servants. Lady Meux is allowed some els, 600
year, with which she diyerts herself in Paris. Two
trustees-the present Lord Ailesbury tate Lord
Ernest Bruce. Sir Henry's fathcr-iB-aw. and Lord
Maiden. his brother-in-law-enjoy E2.0O1 year
each. Sir Dudley Coutts Mar1oribanks. who
II had gosa deal K DO w WITH the tho DTe%ery mt
OF the property. which. am told. amounts to
f3coooo0 The trustees have recently purchased
large estates in North Wits Mr. Meux is de factol
already in possession Of the of his fortune
said to amount now TO the sum Of e60.ooo year.
GOLDEN YOUTH.
Mr.. Meux Jr was always thought to be a nice,
quiet young man with High Church proclivities, and
his marriage with Mile. yal-Reese took London by
surprise. II is thought. however that the marriage
viii not last long; indeed it is said that
ried to trooper, and that consequently
her present marriage II null and void. She has had
sremarkable life. She is supposed to have been the
flegitmate daughter OF somebody or other and s
twenty eight years OF age. She II quite ntcrate
scarcely write her own name. though she can reaa
the fd1sity Herddd Ltoys and the L1Lon JouHdl be-
sides society gossip. Five years ago she lived with
betting man called Reese. From him she took her
name. whether legally or not IL not known. Both
poor very poor and possibly virtuous till Val
left to seek her own living in busness-like way.
She became frequentor OF the lower class dancing
halls, and attracted attention by her
centric ways and attractive rudeness. About
VINO took fancy to her and offered to settle ECoO
year her for life II she would be his mistress. The
necessary papers were made ont, and Valerie might
perhaps have secured comfortable income for life IL
she had not proved herself such very unballasted
person Sir Thomas had invited number of
his friends to the Albany. but the banquet
was somewhat unceremonously disturbed by the APP
pearance Of Val herself, who declared that "he
should give no D supper TO any OF his D.
friends unless she present" This speech so
diseustcd Sir Thomas that he tore up the deeds Of
settlement aud probably became a wiser
II. johns WOOD
But this incident brought Mile Reece into great
notorety. Fortune smiled on her. She quickly took
aud furnished a house, where she could receive
her friends and admirers. She developed something
OF q musical taste: ut least purchased a barrel
organ for the servant girl 20 play while the guests
were at dinner. She treated In noble fashion. but
always insisted on the young boods making up col
lectiye purse for her before Leaving Her popularity
kept up for time, and six months ago
she was down the world again aud
frequently had scarcely money enough by her 10
procure tho necessaries of life. IL then that
fortune smiled upon her more. Fortune always
does favor the yirtuots people of this world Three
months ago she was leaving Evans supper
rooms at the usual hour, when sh0 was
introduced by friend 10 young Meux the rich brew
srs and heir In possession. suppose the
couple tell in love. Anyway. few weeks ago they
were married. and Valerie Reece could write 70 her
venerable grandfather, Lord Ailcsbery u
note signed Your aifcctionate granddaushter,