Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-07-31
A SOCIAL LIGHT GONE OUT.
THE LADY VINO MADE STRAWBERRY NIL
TWICE FAMOUS.

society has just passed away. The death
OF Frances Countess Waldegrave will
occasion throughout the whole London
world "A sensation equally of sorrow and
surprise. Regret for the melancholy
event will be confined TO no one section
ot the community, and TO the members
oi neither of the great parties of the
state. The position filed by Lady
Waldeerave was unique. She was with.
out rivals, and she is not likely 10 find
successor. When Lady Palmerston
died II was said 10y "A cute observer "that
the days Of the gtaRdc dame of France
and OF the great lady OF England had
passed away, ns out OF keeping with the
age This statement was accompanied
by the prophetic comment that If "by
happy accident Lady Palmcrgton's
loss was replaced, and an attempt was
made 10 ascend the vacant throne by
any duly.qualilied aspirnnt, no surer
mode OF the Advancement of such pre-.
tentions could be set upon than by
treading in the footsteps OF her admired.
beloved and universally regretted pre-.
dccessor." When Mr. Hayward pcnned
these sentences, it is difficult to think
that he had not the qualifications Of
Lady WaldeFraye in view and il j.
quite certain that the mistress OF Straw.
berry Hill did what few others could
have done to make the position indI.
Gated in them her own. The first ob.
jcct of her ambition was, as in the case
OF Lady Palmerston, 10 render the most
effective social service possible to the
political party with which her husband
was identified. Neither Of these queens
of society was a statcswoman. Both
were strong par,isans. Lady Waldo.
grave was not AN authority ia any par
iicular department of politics Lady
PnlmeTston was IN the habit Of saying
that If she were politician herself she
would cease to be a good Judge of the
politics Of others. But, like Lady Pal
mcrston, Lady Waldcpraye had definite
views, and all the native ability. nC
quired experience, and femme tact nee.
ccs.ary to actively promote those view.
Each Of them believed in Whigcism ss a
social principle each Of them acguI.
csccd in the Liberal party a. iudi-pcnta.
ble to the manifestation or the a-ser.
ton of that principle. Lady Waldo.
grave, indccds was more oi stranger to
purely Wing FrcIudices than Lady Pal.
mcrsion. Perhaps, too. shc bad of the
two Jess vivid apprehension of the
tendencies of Liberalism "a political
creed. All that she cared TO knew was
that. by the accidents n position and
marriage, fhc WAS closely associated
with a certain political organization.
The fact o' this astooi4tIon pave her an
object IN life. What others did IN tho
senate and the club she resolved Ia do
IN the saloon and IN the country house.
II she could not Immediately affect the
fat. of cabinets thc could encourage
and reward the supporter, oi cabinets.
She conceived clearly the part IN life
which shc wished 70 play aud che play.
ed II well. She WAS an enthusiast wlih.
out being biEot. Sh" was social
eclectic without being q social lAtiiuij.
narian. Like Lady Faim"r-ton she did
not coninr her invitations exclusively,
or anything like exclusively. To ih"
members of her own party but then
che always took care t. never allow tho
exercise OF this tolerant hospitality to
oumTT"mise her reputation i'T political
orthodoxy.
The alliance. which sixteen wears ago.
/ Lady Waldaersyc formed with Mr.
Chichester Fortcscue was cmiu. u,ly sa--
pic.ous. Mr. Ciai.touc's IH-h Sec5c-
iAry not only had valuable family con.
rcciions, o, well "a an academic rrputa
ton oi the highcs, order. but be had for
many years acted a. connecting link
between WhirEism and Libcralism. The
strength Of this link WAS greatly in
creased whom Mr. Fcrtcscue united his
fortunes with those % Lord Waldo
graves widow. strawberry Hill j. only
ono of several csiates which were Her
Ladyship's property. Bu, for political
purposes jt was always incomVaHbly
the most important. II il something
doubtless, that the place is full OF the
atmosphere Of SOC oil and political tradi.
ton. 1t has a history. and iis history
has always been more or less Of living
influence. 1t WAS built hy q coach
man. Its first tenant was Collcy Cio.
ber, who wrote the "Rcfusal' under its
roof. Then il passed into the hands Of
Mrs. Chcycuix, the toy woman. AS she
was called by Horace Waipolc, who
bought it from her, and wrote Of IL as
his "play,hing house, the prctt.cst
bauble you ever saw set in enamelied
meadows with fllgrec hedges, with
bsrRes as solemn as Barong Of the TX.
chequer under my window, with
thank God-the Thames bet~ccu me
and the Duchess of QucensboTry, but
with dowagcrs a. plenty as founders
inhabitinF all around" The groiesque
house with the pie crust battlemenis"
was bequcathcd by Horace Walpole to
Mrs. Damer, from whom IL passed into
the hands of the Walaegrave family.
Kitty Give has held receptions in its
gardens; Mrs. Siddons has studied more
than ono Of her characters within its
walls. Fifty years ago everything was
in the state in which Horace Walpole
left IL. Nor was IL till 1912 that all the
Walpoleian relios-the paintings. tho
antiquities, the Holbeins, the Petiots,
the Teuiers--wcre sold by auction. But
the dispersion Of is original treasures
did not make Strawberry Hill q less
valuable instrument in the hands Of
Lady Waldegrave. sndit is this Twick
- a "a 1.