Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-10-02
L,Affaire Rurdett-Coutts.

take some crecit for having hitherto RETAINED
nom commenting on subject about which the
tongue OF every gossip and scandalmonser has
been necessarily wagging for some weeks past.
Every body one meets processes to know all
about the circumstances connected with the
contemplated marriage between the Baroness
Burdett-CouttS and MI. William Ashmead irt-
lett, and the opinion expressed almost invaria-
bly, exhibits an ignorance and a lack OF common
charity which does not Increase ones admira-
ton for ones species. Very little being known
OF the facts, the scribes who deal habitually in
fiction have had fine field. Perhaps the
most delicious story was that told 10 Pnila-
delphia paper, In which the baroness was rep
resented as having taken fancy TO MT. Bart
lett when he was at oxford, her practice beiag
10 entertain ten or twenty or The most brilliant
young men nom that university every year at
her country seat in Wales. The Imagination
which produced this has no rival On tnis side
CT the Atlantic. i am Old fashioned enough 10
mink that the marriage OF Lady 8urd5,t-
Coutts is an affair with which the pIblic have
hotLiHg whatever TO do, and think IL simply
concerns two persons, WHO Il ave a p.rjS.;J
rgh, 10 act as they think fiG f)r tn, ir inu
tual interest. without the iuipertiaeuU Inter
terence OF tie BtckblteS ana SleerHeilS IN
all raLks of society. Bat Us IL has become, ia a
seISe. pubic property, iJ Is well that tue ci,r
should ne Il Iltttc bytLer understood than L. Is
II riUstGt. IL las peen asserted int III
n.fohess Is taxing mis- step III opposition 70 IN
iSteS OF her isnuiy aud friend. Fnls Is iLrte
iIEt u tG3 iIit.Lb Is of iicr lailJ aud OF Llu,
30 Lave ahy Cam 10 De c9laijerei friends.
ir,oNe OF htT liberalization. Opposl lpG Jaer-
H. U!,i,, uittiJ ga Il .r3c els from a q l:rte
#, iii.,i JLtso al Ic Teaiuu IJex DC;
{. Tie Ina!iiGs,r would cave t.Aeu place lUa
ago tut Tor iie ieil'tader at the last men y.
&c log .;itii ,ii!i-t: 4; tie Dla.toS ct 5 \.
Dal'a IA, PROHIBITING The BURGESS f'taa ma
ylDg ala tketi. i:t' penalty fJr dlorrsdtft -
uis CoiCitioa Is I'll: 1871 tu'a OF the Uifu -,
utt rest Ii Goa 5 oiiH. " ni:tl Toulf IN SlE
al event lninItuhte.y pass " il near reIaIlyc
Now, at1 die 81 state Tat when the who!
ease was laid b"-nre Lui. relative VIII Is ut,f.
n" greatest obti5a;Iuns 20 The b .r0nesS 40 Oh
lection Wa3 made 10 the marriage, aud IL ,sa5
understood that the clause would n15 b..
pressed. Subsequently, however Other cnua-
ees prevailed, and jae motives or self titereS,
became too powerful 10 be resisted. An aotuse
lawyer strongly. rec Jnnende1 taat al
vantage should be taken OF the clause u
set proDpt poSSl S5ion OF tie property
Which, IN Any CAGE, would go TO this re.aliy;.
after tie baroness death. The prohiuiIory
clause In the viii was undoubtedly IRAN II noJ
20 prevent the Baroness from marrying any
GC0y who happened 10 be au allen, DI5 TO eX-
,iude q particular person who Is no loages
living. Tie Use to which 1t Is now being pas 1,
criticism or her affairs is warranted at All III.
l0nesS Is certainly entitled TO our Sympath,
III a painful dilemma, forced upon her o. th,.
conduct of one who Is bound 20 her by the
closest ties Or btoou aud gratitude.
IL was characteristic vi The aStute lawyer tj3t
as soon as this tue piece OF business cane ialO
his hands he immediately spread au eC iptrtr
version or ii far and wide. To another maa deli
cacy aid discretion would have dictated secrecy
II 4 case " hlch affected the reputation OF d.,
tinguished family and I. widely respected baak
his person even wrote frantic letter u TIE
queen, ehtfeat1lg her Majesty to stop The mar
iiage. Perhaps lie had some haZy idea LlaG l.
Mas in the piUVince % the ~ Il prtr1gaLive To-
The queen 70 start up from Z uack seat In the
savoy Chapel. and order the guilty pair 10 Dc
taken 10 Tie tower It was owing 10 his iguo
rance or Mi. Bartlett that the statement COZ
fus1Dg That gentitUan with his brother appeared
III the SGitddI'd, making that respectable not %
"a tpI f1,.,
ANNOUNCEMENT That Mi. AShmead- b lrtlctt, Al
T., who is &ifealy married, had arra1gei TO
cCmIniJ bigaIny. sir. William Ash mead i; lrJ-
,ett is undoubtedly. an American, and this u
many people heIe Is quite enough warrant for
any caiuinny their ingenuity ciu devise. He Is
1T this moment tie b st abused man 10 London.
But tICSe who kaow him, aud are acquainted
With the real Character OF his relations With tn
baroness, which are hot ali affair or yesterday
60 let degrade tEemst Ives by entertaining The
unworthy suspicious In when it Is the nature OF
Iuigar minds TO reVel. 1t must not be supposed
That the compulsory Withdrawn OF the baroness
from Coutts' baLE would seriously impair her
fortune. She would still be immensely
wealthy. and moreover she Is not the Womau
10 be deferred from doing what she believes t.
lie right by considerations OF this kind. But
tsere is some hope that matters VIII 40. b.
pushed TO this extremity. compromise i,
likely to be arrived at, and pending that, Mr.
Bartlett Will enueavor to establish his legal
status as a British subject. The opinion CT
high authorities supports the idea that he viii
novel point in International Law, and will, IL
decided IN MI. BartlettS favor, affect the ma
tlonallty OF great many Americans who are
blissfully unconscious OF the legal subtletlss
which threaten their citizenship Without OfreT
ing the compensation Of an enormous fortune
he baroness is at present awaiting the issue
at her country residence Holly Lodge. High
gate. / may remark, In passing, for the benerl.
of the imaginative Journalist Ia Philadelphia
should he be endeavOrlng to extend his know
ledge of the subject, that Lady Burdett Coutts
property In Wales. Holly Lodge is pretty
little place, surrounded by charming grounds:
but IL is Ler house In Stratton street which
gives one an impressive idea OF the vastneas OF
houses. one OF Which presents an imposing
frontage in piccadiliy. The exterior, however,
scarceiy suggests the labyrinth within. The
multituGe OIL rooms is bewiidering. You
pass through galleries, dressing rooms
concert rooms, bali rooms getting
glimpseS Of staircases which seem t.
lead nowhere and feeling generally that
the architect must have been a nan OF aston
ishtng fertility or mind One CT the most striking
objects is an immense cabinet containing Col
lection OF ch1ha Which probably has few rivals.
The greater part CT This enormous dwelling
however, is wrapt i'll gloom and white holland.
Slice The death Of her intimate friend and COM
panion for ffty-two years, Mrs. Brown, the
baroness has entertained little company. Prac-
tlcally she lives in only three rooms, through
window CT one OF Which Sir Francis BIrd5i
was dragged when arrested for treason aud
calflCd TO the tower. Everywhere there Is
complete absence CT OStentatfOn. The pictures
are lGmerouS, and S0me OF them rare, though
perhaps the NEST Striking is a terrific work uy
Fuseli, representing Mach til and the witches
iife-Size, which TIL lately threw tragic shadow
over the diniIg-tab.e and disturbed ones d-
gestion.
The energy and vitality Of the baroness are
extraordinary. When she Is perfectly we'll, she
defeats her age b. a dozen years She Is a
coca horsevonlan and is still fond OF exercise
and she walks with an elasticity which many q
younger oman might envy, Her capacity for
business has long been known, and though her
benevoleECe Is C0undleSs. no begging impos-
ter could ever hore TO cutwit her. She has all
the shreWdness OF the Charity Organization 81
ciety without the callOus cynicism which makes
that body nothing more than system OF
police. Her knowledge OF politics and politl-
clans extend Oser half q century: aud as
she can write as well as speak with 10 little
grace and force. book OF her recollecG.0ls
should have greater interest than anything CT
the Kind which has been published for many
years. 1t Is melancholy crisis In the career Oh
woman like this, whose unblemished life aud
ma gni1cent benefactions have made her name
a household word. when a matter which cor
Germs her happiness Is the subject OF rlbald
mockery TO every chattering Slanderer. Who, TO
use the strong language of Macaulay, has "a
'front.' OF brass aud tongue set On fire Of we'll
place which one would not choose for sum
mer retreat-The Partisan.
Customs at French Restaurants.
speaking or wines. We must warn our readers
N n IN mt OH