National Republican., 1884-08-30
MIR. LANGTRY.
The Husband OF the Actress Finds n
Chnmpion-vuignr Gebhard.

Ncio York LITTER IN Detroit Times.
Society over this way is thrilled by tho
announcement that Mrs. Langtry is going
to become an American citiEenoss, sue her
husband for divorce, aud como here to
live permanently. Tho inference is that
she means to got married to Mr.. Gebhard.
Mr.. Langtry, so soy the gossips, has at
last consented that such programme
shall be carried out up to tho divorce
part Of ii. He Is not, Of course, expected
to know anything of tho Gebhard item
upon the programme. So much for gossip,
which, as is quito often tho case, knows
nothing about IT, Mr.. Langtry would
have been heartily glad If his wife had
sought her freedom long ago. Hc has
generally been held in rather light esteom
by reason of tho lady's curious conduct.
As matter of fact, there ore points which
ought to bring him somo degree of sym
pathy. When Mrs. Langtry's beauty first
became known, her husband, who was pas
siouately devoted to hor, had an income Of
about $10,0 900 year. The flattery of tho
titled snobs who surrounded her quite
turned tho woman's head, and sho began
to fly beyond the husbands means. Hc
was weak enough in his affection for hor
to lot bor go hor own way, and she practi-
cally ruined him. But out of the wreck
of his fortune ho has pulled enough to
go.hor to get along upon in comfort, and
tho story that she sends him Sl5 week
to live on is only another of tho lies that
aro spread about to begot sympathy for
the precious creature and contempt for
her husband. Long. long ago Mr.. Lang
try became convinced that his wife was
not behaving in q manner exactly wifely,
and since then they havo not becn to
gether. But all this time, while his nano
has been on every tongue, while all sorts
of vilo insinuations regarding her good
name and his manhood have been rife.
even under the evaporation of tho miser-
able Goddard business, he has remained
silent and reserved. too proud to mako
sign. too full Of ohivalry TO strike at tho
woman ho once called wife, and too manly
to call attention to the ruin she has
wrought in his fortune, his position, and
his honor. We would have been glad If
sho had sought to be clear Of him boforo
now, though ho would take no step
toward that end on his own account.
Freedom from woman whose vanity,
whose love Of adulation, and whose utter
disregard for anything but the gratifca-
tion of her petty whims has estranged her
from him in spirit would now be very
welcome thing. i happen to know these
things are true. Mr.. Langtry is an
amiable but rather thick k-headed Briton,
with good deal Of strength of character.
very much spirit, and great amount of
personal pride. So far as Mr.. Gebhard is
concerned. fancy the divorce proceed
ings will bo somewhat likely to cool his
ardor. To be the partner of q woman like
Mrs. Langtry in national scandal is
ono thing; to marry her is quite another
Mr.. Gebhard likes to be the hero
of tho clubs, where notorious liason is
big thing. But to marry the other party
is not SO fine among club men who in New
York seem to rather like that which is
dishonorable and to frown upon anything
savoring of better stuff. 1t is dollars to
cents that Mrs. Langtry never becomes
Mrs. Gebhard. Meanwhile don't let any
enthusiastic newspaper correspondents
stuff you into believing he is genteel,
elegant young man. l SEQ that one or
two writers have lately started out on
that lay. Gebhard is vulgar, flashily-
clothed, pimply, self-assertivc, noisy dude.
He never was anything else and he never
can be. 1t isn't in him.