The Portland daily press., 1883-01-09
A Sleigh Rides Dreadful Conse-
quences.

The following precious gossip appears in
New York letter to the St. Louis Spectator:
A gentleman whe recently returned from
New York, and who was with Oscar Wilde
much of the time while there, the two being
on terms of warm friendship, gives this anthem
tic account of the origin of the famous Langtry-
Labouchere quarrel: Mrs. Langtry had formed
the acquaintance of Mrs Labouchere in Lon
don, and had found her Of great service to her
in preparing for the stage, though she had suf-
fered some ia social standing because of the al
lance, Mrs. Labouchere not being recognized
by what may be called the highest cut, because
Of certain indiscretions of the past. On one or
two occasions, when Mrs. LaDgtry was in COM
pany with Mrs. Labouchere she failed to be
recognized by some of her friends, who de-
clared they could not bow to Doth However,
Mrs. Langtry had business venture on hand,
and resolved TO ignore trifiing Inconvenience
for the sake of a money consideration. When
the two came over to America, it was sort of
tacit agreement that where one was invited
she was not to accept unless the other was in
vited. Mrs. Langtry received several invita-
lions to social gatherings Of high order in
New York, bat no bid coming for Mrs. Labou-
chere, she sen, her regrets. Everything went
as smoothly as marriage bell, until one day
when Mr.. Oscar Wilde had a sort of a premon-
itory shock from the unaccountable parting of
his emerald ring while he was talking to Mr.
LaDgtry in one of the parlors Of the Albemarle
Hotel. Mr.. Wilde is not superstitious, but he
WAS struck by the strange separation of his ring
into two pieces, and spoke of the occurrence to
Mrs. Langtry She laughed, and said she
hoped it had no significance, but in a day or
two came to Mr.. Wilde, almost in tears saying
her mirror was shattered into hundred pieces
and that she had no idea how 1t had been DONE
Mr.. Wilde's ring had parted while ON his fin
ger, and Mrs. Langtry's mirror had been brok-
en- while In the peaceful confin. of the hotel.
What could all this portend? The mystery
was solved in less than three days. A snow
fell, the first of the season, and the first that
Mrs. LaDgtry had ever seen, that is, to any ex-
tent, and she was wild to take sleigh-ride. 1t
was remarkable coincidence that Mr.. Fred
Gebhardt appeared at the hotel that very after
noon with spanking team-gorgeous sleigh
and tiDkling bells-with proposal to take
Mrs. Langtry out to Central Park. Mrs. La
bouchere was not in just at that moment and
Mrs. Lsngtry asked Mr.. Wilde what she should
do. "Go," said he, "by all means. The expe-
rience will be novel and delightful. The park
will be faIryland, full of the divinest Ameri-
can beauties, and wonld not have you hesi-
tate moment" Mrs. LaDgtry was soon spin
ming over the snow with the delectable Freder-
ick and came home full of childish joy and
prattle. However, q storm was in waiting.
Mrs. Labouchere had returned and was enraged
because she had not been included in the invi-
tstion. She was violent and denunciatory,
and the two ladies parted there and then TO
speak to each other no more on American soil,
Mr.. Wilde tried to effect reconciliation, but
his mediation " as CT no avail. Mrs. Labou-
chere thought she had been greatly mistreated,
and went home TO England with feeling OF
great Indignation, while Mrs. Lanetry felt that
she had been needlessly and uDjustly censured.
This Is true story as far as it goes
was wrongly informed as TO the pronuncia-
ton OF Mrs. Laugtry's name. II Is not Long
try as stated, but sfLangtry" with short a.
the same 40 Lanshamis Hotel. This important
question may now be considered aettled.