New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-29
THE DUCHESS OF ST. Adams.
RECOLLECTIONs OF AN ENGLISH BREAK
FAST PARTY.

THE GOSSIP OF A GAY COMPANY ASSEMBLED Al AN
ENGLISH COUNTRY HOUSE PORTY-THREE YEARS
AGO pIssFcrING THE roIBLEs OF DUCHESS
nrp VISIT To SIR WALTER scOII-PRovIsIoNs
OF THK WILL THAT SET ALI. ENGLAND TAKING.
frHoNAx oco AsIoNAL CORRESPONDENT OF TIKI TRIBUNE
burlington, VT, Aug. 21.-" The marriage OF
Lady DuulettCoutts and Ashmead Bartlete VIII
take place on tuesday at the Savoy Chapel AS
read this announcement in the local paper OF
small England town. many were the sumner
ing Iecol. cctons awakened of the time many years
ago. when this lady was as much subject OF UNI
versal comment as now. thought of large PARTY
AT the brcakfas,-able OF hospiiablc country man
sion in Old England. discussing the great event re-
corded in the morning papers, that the recently de-
ceased Duchess of St. Albang had left nearly all the
vast wealth. bequeathcd 10 Der by her banker-hns-
band. TO his granddaughter. Miss Angela Burdctt,
but with the condition that large portion
of il should be forfeited If she should
marry al alien; with comp ratively small annuity
10 the young Duke who had conferred on her MS
youth aud ms strawberry leaves, and that coupled
with the following condition:
That II the said Duke do aud shall permit or suffer
his uncle Lord Aurclius Bca1clerk, or any ot hs hy
or either ais CHE Duke bTohers, Lord Frederick or
Lord Charles Beaucierk or either VI thelr Iaslnes 10
reside win him. either OF the houses herelnoefore
gwen HIM. The said Duke tor his lifetime rs Aforesaid
for the time being for tie space of one week,
either al time or at several distinct times In any
yearly sn Of sI0 900 shall thrnceior,h cease and de
iernine rs IL tie said Dnke were actually dead ard
then aad in such case aIso the gilt and bcquesJ hereby
made he said Duke for DIS OF ibe said csiac ut
near Holy L dge aforesaid aud he rooms at tie bank
lnghouse aforesaid, and tie plate and otter articles
given 10 hie Cor his fe as Tor, said shall cease ana "e
What could have called forth such marked
aversion to the Dukes brothers and his uncle
Some persons present asserted that il WAS the greed
and rapacity of the Besuvlerks-a needy racc--the
principal revenue OF the Dukedom being the $4,000
year derived from the Office of Grand Falconer
of England"
"There is another chance for H now" said
one Of The company, " but | doubt If he VIII take
it," H---vas young widower whose motheress
child was under the care of lady in that meiGhDor
hood. The story ran that he had been an early
lover of Miss Burdett and that the love had been
returned hut he was poor AM therefore ineligible
and rejected 1t would seem he did not long wear
the willow and Was now again free. Would they
verify the adagc-"Ou revient toujOurs aux pre-
miers amours 7" have never heard what became
of him. but have often wondered in the long wears
of her minated life whether her heart WIS so true
to its frs love that it colld entertain no other
Some present who remembered the early days
Of the old Duchess, her vagabOnd childhood with
her schemiug, clever and unpriucpled mother. de-
scrbed Harriet as a merry, roilicking girl. unkempt
and sloveuiy 10 the last degree, 7ubectcd NJ times
ever knew. Whose violent fits of rage and cruelty
were aItcrnated with self-reproach for her treat
rcnt OF the "swate. DEAR lovely che-iid' and the
most eX.Taya CANT expressions OF endeaiment. One
lady remembered The Duchess when under the
protection Of Mr.. Coutts. aud occupying Holly
Lodge" Tie grounds of tins pretty villa, pretty
even 10 thai early day. were overlooked by some of
the windows of house occupied a. "A ladies board
ing-scbool where the narrator was pupil. She and
t.ln
through these windows at the feeble old man lean
Ing Oh the arm OF his buxom young companion.
whose ringing. hilarious Laugh contrasted strangely
with his senile ordinations. David and Ahishag.
they were styled by of the youthful spectators
endowed with keen sense of the Iidicul ous ard
more intimate acquaintance with Bible story than
reverence for age and lnfirmlty.
Mr.. Coutts married her privately according to the
story of that day. within few hours after his
wifes death. There was some canOnical Irregular
ity in the proceeding. and the clergyman who per-
formed the private ceremony incurred thereby ecce-
siastIca rcbuke and discipline. She constant
and devoted to her do,ing friend. and his daugh-
tiers swallowed very readily whatever may have
been nauscous about the connection. The whole of
his large fortune lie left TO her, and she lavshed
much of on his family. AT the breakfast which
itwas in those days customary to provide tor the
mourners at q funeral, Mrs. Coutts placed check
for a hundred thousand pounds at the plate of
each of hcI stepGaughterS.
J. toe, though tine youngest of this gcsS'png
breakfast party, had mite to contribute. for had
/ not seeu few yearsbeiorc, the notable Duchess,
when she revisited Cheltenham and the OBJ
served f ali Observers, in her porly magnhcence
she paradcd slowly up and down the High Street,
pausing frequently TO pant out to her suite some
change. or tell some story She never avoided
reference to her earlier life, and wOud point
out the old post Office whore her careless drinking
stepfather presided over the delivery of the daily
hail. II procuring that Office for him mani
festaon OF her kindness Of heart. il a in
Fiction me peoee of the town, who laborod long
before they could obtain his removal from the office
whose duties Inc so grossly abused.
Tue Mrs. Million, whom Disraeli introduced into
the novel Of "VIvian Grey" and whom all his
readers Of that day recognized at once as Mrs.
Coutts, was a very accurate representation OF her
as | saw her both at Cheltepham and Bri ghton
after she had become Duchess Of 81. Adams. She
usually there as her walking dress. bright
green velvet pellsse and canary cOored hat, with
magnificent plume of ostrich feathers Her secretary,
physician. dune dc oOmpdgRie and two powdered
aud liveried lackcys formed her suite one carried
her re;icue another her pet poodle while the lack
eys loaded with the small purchases she loved
to make al second third rate stores she passed
along. DsraePs description of Mrs. Millions visit
TO the Marquis OF Carabas IS almost identical with
the account given, i think. by Lockbart. of Mrs.
Couttss VISIT to SIR Walter Scott at AbbOtsford.
She travelling In Scotland before her mar
riago with the Duke of St. Adams, and proposed to
Sir Waiter to visit him. As her retinue occupied
seven carriages. she considerate enough TO
leave four IN Edinburgh, and appeared at AbbOts-
ford with three, each drawn by four horses and
conveying herself, her future husband, the Duke
with OF his sisters. who travelling with
them, a dame do oOmp0glie, two physicians, and
two AbiCaiis-One OF the latter for her toilet,
to keep watch at night because the great
lady was fearful of ghosts two physicians, lest one
might become disabled on the journey. 1t was told
that Sir Walter Scott rebukec a certain noble lady
who WAS among the guests for lack of courtesy 10