The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-01-12
sTAUNTON, VIRGINIA, JANUARY p, 1882.

spared. Count Lila, the "Society man" of Il
French legation has passed away, and
7 place remains vacant. Count Lila owed L
l position to the relations which his sister.i
law sustains to the present King of Italy, Il
t husband of the beautiful Queen Margharit
Instead of keeping quiet upon such IA delica
} point, it was matter Of great pride with IL
late count. 1t seems the sister-n- law loob
after what might otherwise be an obscure an
impoverished family Whenever the newsp
per correspondents have touched upon IL
theme, ''foreign legations we are reprimande
by the officials of the State Department an
given to understand that those people are nc
a part ofour body polite, but is that reaso
why they should be permitted to be soci,
slivers IN our flesh? The late Russian min
lister, who got into debt at Newport and the
yelled for the Russian flag to protect him fror
his milk woman and the butter man, came f.
Washington and Mrs. Russian minister aske
why she was so neglected socially by Amer
lean women? She was told that American
ladies would not call upon the 'ady of tn
White House if it was public belief that sh
was living with the President without th
marriage ceremony being performed Mrs
Minister Strengthened up, saying 81 am lille
| climate, my husband is Legitimate our chill
dren- are illegitimate. Now, what are yot
Americans going to Go about it? Is it any O
your business?" She was informed that Amer
lean women would not accept the situation
socially if the Gar should issue ukase. Sc
she gathered up her "illegitimates" and has
disappeared, whilst the imperial dominion O.
the Gar at Washington Is unbroken bv wo
mems voice, except the little pipers of the
small attaches.
The late home Of the "Freyres," the Peru.
Wan minister, was noted for its superb hos
pitality The family was composed of Senor
and Senorita Freyre and the four daughters
but 1t took eight cooks to provide for Their
wonderful table. Whilst six would be hard
at work in the kitchen the other two would
be securing the markets OF the capital to Sc
cure terrapin, reed-birds, canvass back and all
ether dainties for which this famous locality is
noted. As natural consequence they grew
so enormous in size that only two could oceu-
Ply carriage at time, so it took three car
liages, or funeral procession, to lard the
family In church, and they were all such de
voted Catholics that no religious rites were
omitted. The very baby OF the family weighed
oyer three hundred pounds But it happened
as 1t always will, that too many reed-bir,
brought this family to grief. Sickness seized
the father and eldest daughter and both died
within a very short time of each other Whilst
the father lay on his death bed >he sent for an
American lawyer, who had once been cab
met minister of Gen. Grants, to help him
make his will. After devising ample fortunes
to wife and the four daughters. he began:
Five thousand Spanish dollars to my son
Don Manuel, five thousand to another, giving
the name: five thousand to another until
eleven sons and daughters had been remem-
bered." He then brought this astounding will
to a close by saying these are not the children
by my wife but my children by my God One
OF our citizens would probably have died I'M
der the same circumstances and bIavely kept
his lips closed to the last So let us honor
the sincerity and courage of the man. His
widow has lost her vast fortune by the late
turmoil in Peru and is now living very quiet
ly in Florence Italy
Our last diplomatic scandal relates to Vic
tosia's new protege the English "envoy extra !
ordinary and minister plenpotentary, the
Hon Lionel SacxviHe- West If he were not
Victoria's Knight of the Garter" 1t would |
not be so sad. Now it appears that when
Lionel went to Spain as a young attache he |
became desperately enamored with ballet |
dancer. He loved not wisely, but too we'll" |
The proud Sackvtlle- Vests would have none |
of it. They declare to this day that Lionel is |
a bachelor, simon-pure, and he is SO described |
on the awful book of the peerage. 1t is not |
understood whether the ballet-dancer has put |
on angel plumage, but it is known that she left |
a brood Of little Sackville Vests, which the |
Hon. Lionel is willing to gather under his
wings as hen doth her chickens. His eldest |
daughter is with him-his acknowledged |
child-and here lies all the trouble If he
would only ignore her, or wait as the Peru
Wan minister did, till he hears the toot of the
last trump, Victoria and washington soci-
ETY." would wink at his little 'escapades" But !
the British minister shows that he has W i'll
Of his own and mind of his own, with the
Prince of Wales to stand between him and his
Yirtuous sovereign. The capital is becoming
alive with men who manage to eude the snares
of matrimony, whilst the foreign legations
words fail not because the source is exhausted
out newspaper articles must come to an end