Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-04-06
ADinner AT the RothsehiId's. 1857.

My daughter and myself left Paris
ana reached our hotel in time to fulfill
an engagement to dine with the
Baroness Lionel Rothschild, to meet
Lord and Lady Lyndhurst, for whom
the dinner was given. The Baroness,
German by birth, and cousin of the
great composer, HENDERSON,, bywhOm
she was brought up, 4 most charitable
and amiabie woman, was deeply in
tereSted in the attainment of political
equality by her race, and she almost
reverenced the powerful advocate of
their rights in the House of Lords.
Nothing could exceed the splendor Of
the banquet. Silver and gold plate
ShOne OH the table and bullets; exquisite
flowers delighted the eye; while the
retinuc of servants, in full dress, so well
trained that not 4 football told OF their
presence, and the ease and and repOSe
which prevailed, the result of perfect
training, were forgotten in the dlStinc-
ton of the company. The scene inn
pressed me grately, and the more rs 1t
was i'm honor of my uncle, who was at
that time greatly interested in the bill
TO remove the political disabilities OF
the Jews. In consequence ofhiS lame
ness did not meet Lord LyndhurSt
until we reached the table. L should
have recognized him from his reSemb-
lance To the numerous prints OF him,
80 familiar to my eye, not from recOl-
lection of his features which. l had
retained from my meeting in $50. y
certain family likeness To my mother |
could trace, however, in the still, fine
looking, elderly man who greeted me
and his great niece for the first time.
II am charmed with her. he said,
"She looks ~ nice Would you like
/ heras we'll, >" laughingly asked, "if she
/ did not look NICE Frankly, | fear
not quite so well, my dear" he answer
| ed in the same tone. | was seated at
/ his side, and among themknOwn guests
/ a lady opposite said Ia me: "Do you
( know Mary? | ask because am told
/ YOU are an American | quietly
/ limited that there were so many MaryS
! between the Atlantic and Pacific coast
| Il ut | needed further clue to the lady
/ i'm question to give satisfactory answer.
| "Oh, mean my niece. Mary Napier;
/ herhusband, YOU know, is our Minister
| at Washington" Fortunately | could
! plead an intermediary acquaintance
! through my mother. The second
! question was whether Mrs. Stowe was
| black. This, however, was often asked
/ in Europe at the time Uncle Toms
/ Cabin" appeared. Will you and your
daughter come To my party next week.
asked another | accepted, with the
happy security that the Baroness or my
relations would cnlighten me rs TO the
| hOstess's name and residence, adding,
| however, that the lady was very kind
to invite Us when she did not even know
I our names. THAT Is true she replied
IL do not, but it is enough that you are
the nieces oi Lord Lyndhurst, and with
him here" The lady proved to be the
widow of royal Duke. Thus We were
fully launched on the broad current Of
English Society i'm the rush Ofthe season,
| the taliSmau of a name, like a modern
sesame. throwing open every door III
! London. Another still more splendid
1 and prOlOng,d ftte, in Lord Lyihurst'S
/ honor, to which We were also hidden,
was given by the Baroness Meyer
ROthSchild, at her Venetian villa at
MentmOre, rather palace than villa,
however. The Baroness had sent, early
i'm the week, to have the house and
grounds put in perfect order. Such
pictures, such furniture, such park
scenery, race-hOrSes, and hounds! Such
a breakfast and lunch al .trcScO, af-
/ terward dinner at Baron AnthOny'S
Us words cannot describe. The company
was confined to the ROthschild family,
| including Nine. Al phOnse, from Paris,
who was very young, very pretty, and
/ very delicate in appearance; and TO
Lord LyndhurSt, with he addition of
[ few distinguished gentlemen, 50 that
/ the guests did not exceed p in number.
| 4 special steam carriage was provided
/ to carry them to their destination, and
| to bring them back after every APP
pliance for their amusement had been
/ eXhauSted-cach establishment belong
| ing to the three branches of the great
ROthSchild family contributing to
enhance the beauty and magniticence
ofthe display, on which, for once, sky
and earth, sun and moon, ShOne without
a clOud.-DOmCStic and ArtjSfjc his
81 toJR,H Martha Bubcock A~O,y.