New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-21
nTD MEMORIES OF AN ARTIST.
cpoup OF QUEER PERSONS.


1seHAM. THE COUNT JoANNEs AND OTHERS
70 Tho Editor Of The Tribune
s,p. Tn 1s4s there lived In Charlotte-st., PORT
lsndpace, O sub arlstocratic quarter of London. q
M, Somervile Wood, an old friend of our family.
She had once been q fashionable beauty herself
and WAS the mother Of another great London
h,auty. the Honorable Mrs. Stsnhope some relation
nv marriage presume of the still more famous
Iaay Hester Stanhope At the time / remember
Mrs Somerville Wood. she was the Queerest-look-
ing old lady ever saw. Her face made one tninK
of the Yellowstone region. the Yosemite the moon
or any locality where the forces OF nature nave
teen particularly active; but more OF tho ieno"-
atone on account of the color. she was hoo 80
roucb corrugated an dew-lapt all over. She wore a
false front of curious black curls, which came down
over one eye o cap which seemed to be without
form, and void but pervaded her whole head' whlle
her face and chin were swathed III gauze, or net,
OF lace OF something 1t would take lady OF dry
goods clerk to designate. Her house was as 1owdy
ss herself being filled with curious anu VaiuaDle
ornaments and kncknacks from burmese gous "
yalenciennes tides. or as they were then called,
xnti-macassaIs But she gave most excellent din-
ners and delightful receptions. and in spite of her
odd appearance was a woman of strong mind and
bright conversational ability. She was great
hunter of celebrities aud like all her class dragged
some queer cephalapoda and sticklebats in her net
along with the big fish.
She once invited me- specially to meet Prince
Louis Napoleon at dinner, but actually ana not
think mere exiled Frenchman OF title of sufficient
Importance to nut myself out OF the way Tor, and-l
accepted more congenal invitation. Had known
that he was afterward to be Emperor of France, /
doubt whether / should have treated the invitation
81 cavslierly. i met him afterward. however, sew
eral times at receptions and chldrens parties, and
we struck up quite little eo-as you-please ac-
quaintance. / remember his most amia0ly play
ing all one evening the piano for the children TO
dance. Aftcrward as Ne stood side by side, be IN
Dictated one of the dancers by slight motion OF
the head, most exQuisitely beautiful child OF
about fourteen with jet-black ringlets and lai &c
dark eyes. half Spanish, half peri, and said;
How would you like that for your little wife,
ell 7"
stammered something about her being mere
child, and myself little more. ETC., etc.
"Oh in time. IN time. of course; in two, three,
wears. she will DO Juno Indicating aDUu, six
feet in height with his hand" and you will be
older than fifty. "-and he dropped his eyes
TO the carpet and his hand to his side" she Will be
n Countess some day."
She was the daughter. believe. of musician OF
much talent and some reputation ut that time.
Many years afterward heard that she actually
had attained considerable position and rank
under the Second Empire Perhaps the Emperor
took care to fulfil his own prophecy.
After the party walked down Portand-place
together. smoking cigars. Al we passed police
man the Prince said
"Those are very useful fellows, those; and very
civil too / think they would fight, too. little;
but what is the usef You will never have any
he, in En- thousand
Bill Smith gives Tom Jones whack, bangl on
the nose; black eye; policeman; Bow-st.; five
shilings fine; swear; d-n my eyesl go home;
two or three pots O. beer" -shruggIng his
shoulders" that IS all. No! Engshmen who
want to fight must do their fighting in India, Africa,
Egypt-wherc there are no policemen and no
Bow-st. Oh, yes, there is plenty, plenty of room
for Englishnen to fight, all over the world. Yon
will have some very lively dancing parties yet
around the Mediterranean and Bosphorus audi
will play the piano. eh ?" And here he gave short
pleasant laugh. and then resumed; Yes. you are
right IN choosing India for your field of action"
q had been offered cadetship.) "Thero is a fine
career always open for q Young man there. and you
NAV vet cross swords with the Muscovite IN
Afrhanistan. and come nome to Portland-place
with rate de foie gras for liver and fifty thousand
pounds at Your bankers"
At Mrs Woud's house / met the well-known
George Jones, afterward the Count Joannes OF
fun ana fame IN New-York; Silk buckingham, who
once wrote book on the United States when the
United States was all sDlttOons and boarding
houses; and one DR.. Ackerly very eccentric indi.
vidual. who would now be called crank ahd prob
ably hustled of 10 a lunatic asylum. George Jones
was then quite a gOod-lookIng man of ABOUT thirty
with black hair aud clean shaven face, and might
be described to perfection by the present slang OK
.l.,A fx...L - U,,A
with an amount of brass" that fairly took the
breath away. He generously gave himself and his
glory to England claiming that land as his native
country; but England, or at least that part OF it
which was aw are OF bis existence with equal mag
nanimity, gave him back to America. He was
looked upon with good deal of suspicion, partly
ON account of the freshness" and brass" just
mentioned, and partly on account of numerous I'M
settled board bills IL at this time that he Jub
lshed blank verse tragedy called Iecumseh"
and history of Ancient America Mis-. Wood out
OF compliment to Jones, purchased copy OF the
latter work at expense OF guinea or guinea
and a half Jones, calling on her few days after.
found the book lying her table, when lie took up
pen and ink and wrote On the fly leaf :" With the
kind regards. of the Authvr-GeOrge Jones'" No
doubt he thought he was dong quite proper and
complimentary thing but Mrs. Woods Indignation
can readily be imagined. VI course no was CHAT
tertox, ana used to rattle off great deal OF stupid
nonsense in O very vivacious style. One day met
him at the house OF rich lady OF fashion, when
the subject of broken legs being under discussion
he ratified off number of ancient puns about Leg
see egacy IT, f. o. Seiesy ana t SO on u and
then we went 10 lunch. The lunch was only the
regular household tiin. but elegantly served with
There were only four of us present, merely casual
visitors who had happened to drop in y at Lunch
time. In the centre Of the table was magnificent
in England pineapple the luxury
of Injuries, costing from one 10 TWO
guineas and this one was placed on the table
chiefly as an ornament, TO be reproduced ana
consumed at the more important meal OF dinner.
What was my surprise. then to see Mr. Jones trans,