New-York tribune., 1879-12-07
AN ODD CENTENARIAM
A BEAUTY OF THE TINE OF GEORGE III.

ar .ne ynrher ySh we'll an eccentric lady of the old
school-Mrs. Jane Luson-at the repnted age OF ITO
years having been q widow for three-score years
and ten Her husband, whose death happened as
far back as 1885, when George ILL., had been niue
more than live years on the throne. leit ner Ii pos
session of very fair fortune and ms, IN spite OF
living i'm n very eccentric style she was most char
table and LIBERAL she had the reputation OF being
very rchrcher, IN tact, than sne ; was ~ ned hoy
ever sbe was very selfwilled and mper1ous,and sne
lived a very isolated and independent existence.
Except one OF two friends of MANY years standing,
who were admitted at stated times she saw no COM
pany, but spent her time partly-ln walking about
her garden partly ID reading sna partly ln hns a,ha
animals that were her pets. She seldom stirred out
into the street; and it remarked that although
nominally member OF the Church OF England, IL
was her practice never to attend place OF worship.
Her single servant, Mary. who bad grown old In her
service, always sat in the same room with her,
though at q separate table, and under the strctest
nunctions to treat her with much etiquette as If
she were the dame of rich country squire at the
least and to address her. not as madam" but as
"my lady " or "your ladyship" Her house was
furnished IN an antique style from top to bottom,
and 1T was full of curious pieces OF old china and
other articles of yertu.
was always dressed in the most elegant attire,
though not in the newest fashion for she would
say that company were coming or that she expected
friends though. as a matter OF fact, 1T was only
with great reluctance hat she admitted the most
intimate of friends within the door OF her apart
ment. The fact is that she went through all TINS
ceremony IN order to assist her memory In recalling
those times which she chiefly loved to cultivate,
when she was III reality IN the habit OF attending
brilliant assemblies IN what was then the West End,
surrounded by the votares of rank and fashion, Ac-
ton was not wanting to complete the Illusion, ana
TO snir the scenery of the drama which she thus
represeuted Oh her private stage. For time she
would SIT down III her chair musing and meditat-
ing and then begin conversation with absent per-
SONS, answering nerseli III 1eigned voice. Her
ouestlous were often addressed and her formal sal
1tatiups made to persons once of the st eninence
m the world of fashion or politics. bu who had
long since passed away. And II was strange for
those who lived III the nineteenth century to hear
her address as # they present III the flesh the
contemporaries of Lord Chesterfield and the elder
Pitt All the famous toasts ana beauties OF the
early days OF George ILL., were thus gathered around
her, most of them known only by tradition, OF
course, 10 those who were privileged 10 near her
talk To them. The fact is that IN her early youth
she and Ler sister had been stars IN the fashionable
frmament and acknowledged leaders of society
among persons of " the quality" These IMAGINARY
Conversations il is SAID. often lasted long time
She would keep up the discussion for an hour or
two and sometimes for entire evening.
The writer of account of her, which appeared
some years since IN The Literary Gdzette. thus de-
scribes her from personal knowodge:
Mrs. Lusou was fond of dress and possessed
large collection OF old apparel. One OF her favor
ite dresses had belonged to CromwelPs wife;
another to his daughter, Lady FacOnberg. being
the dress IN which that lady had walked at the
coronation of James III. Mis-. LusOn had also those
which CromwelPs daughters wore on day of par
ticular rejoicing. when the articles OF peace were
signed between the States oil England ana iioIiInd
in l655-56. One of these dresses was valued at
nearly 500 guineas. Added to all these werr other
costly and splendid specimens that comprised her
own particular wardrobe these she often reviewed
with particular pleasure, and mas been Known TO
boast that they once exceeded IN NUMBER the DAYS
of the year. Many of the most expensive she had
not worn for years, but they were regularly once
month or ofiener taken out OF the large mahogany
Golfers IN which she kept them, aired and carefully
lnclosed again IN hanneI wraPpers. ~ the middle
want TO give directions about the alteration IN
gown or the padding of a par Ut stays; her ia,
vorile pair had been altered. quilted and padded
often that tney Were nearly tnree Inches
tnlck and actually weighed more than
dozen poundsl Over these, IN the afternoon, she
would put Oh "a single gown; but III the morning
she sometimes wore three or four gowns at once.
When indisposed (which indeed was not often), she
would give orders respecting alterations III some
particular dress: and, sitting up in her bed, she
would put II on, dress her halr, ana ordering the
glass to be brought admire herself foi hours IN that
situation Her head-gear was III the same style OF
antluulty as her other hablliments 1t was tete
(sucn as had once been fashionable. and which sne
never Land aside) formed of dark hair, and nearly
sixteen inches high she wore 1t regularly pow
dered and her friends have affirmed mat 1t became
her admirably. She had the greatest antpathy To
soap and water, never washng herself, pui using
cosmetic the composition Oi her mother. from whom
she learned to prepare 10, and which vas composed
of the finest mutton suet clarified, with the addI
ton of some emoilIents aud perfumes the particu-
lars of which were her secret. As the color of
her cheek decayed she sought To supply its faded
bloom with more Injurious composition. using an
iInmOd rate quantity oil paint, which, destroying
her competition entirely, left her al length slngu
lar spectacle erasing from the placid dignity OF age
eyery line of its venerable beauty"
Mr., Luson was always an early riser and during
the last few years of her life she got up regularly
at o'clock in the morning IL by any chance she
bappened tO lie in bed later than that hour, she
would scold herself the nearing OF her maid, say
ing: "Ahi you've been very idle girl Today that
YOU havep She kept very large fires burning IN her
aparlments both Winter aud Summer, and some of
her firepaces large that they would consume
a busnel and hall OF Goals a day. soon after she
rose sine had her break fast of tea and between IT and
dinner time she would have -four OF i've otheI break
fa,ts served, partaking moderately of each, and
drinking nothing but tea; for unrlng the whole
course of her long life she parOOk OF coffee only
once and frequently afterword declared that had
she only drank 1t for one week together, II would
have occasioned her death. AS regarded more sub
stantal fare she had most extraordinary
choice of dishes. one OF which was sausages
and boiled and stewed tuInips On Janu-
ary 30 she always adhered TO Mr.. Lu-
sons political custom of having "A calfs head
IN ridIcule of the royal dccapItation IN ncr case
however il was nothing more than a cherished
memorial OF the habits of her deceased husband She
was undoubtedly the last who practlsed this long
popular custom. she mad also other particular
diurnal repa>ts she used each apartment of her
house alternately Toe entrance-dOOrs of her resi-
dence were plated with IRON, and further secured by
nearly twenty bolts and bars, So fearful she of
being attacked by theves-an occurrence which her
numerous precautions rendered almost inpo ss BILE.
Mrs Lnson had no family Whether 1t was really
the cause effect OF her SQUAD health, she never
took "A dose OF medicine or employed a DOCTOR and
when she died. she passed away painiess. aud
gently, apparently suffering from no disease, but
simply 10y tue decay of her boulIy powers. WHAT
became OF her property and curious collection OF
dresses have never been aDir 10 learn. l.. W.
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