New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-04
NOTES FROM LONDON.
LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL - LADY
LONSDALE-MRS. LANGTRY.


day morning from India. and political gossips are
already specializing the part he will elect to play
on reappearing in the House of Commons. There
are those who say that Lord Randolph himself Is OF
opinion that the very large crop of political wild
oats he has sown is sufficient for his purpose. lie
has gained his party and fixed the attention OF
the general public His extreme violence of language
ana apparent recklessness of purpose have been
set down to the score OF youthful energy and nave
excited hope rather than disgust-hope that he Is
capable. as he no doubt u.s. of better things. his
return after an absence of some months gives him
a capital chance to start afresh All the accounts
that have reached London of his Indian journey
are of q favorable kind. The impression he MADE
was excellent He studied India. He came
naturally in contact with the chief Englishmen ana
chief natives of the provinces he visited, ana
showed himself really interested in the affairs Oh
that portion of the Empire. There was little OF
no trace of tine spirit of mockery which has
possessed him in the House of Commons and which
his political friends and political opponents both
hope may possess him no longer. His political
opponents are perhaps as DESTROYS as his friends to
see this reform. 1t is almost a maxim in English
public life that wise and serious opposition ls
useful to the Gorernment-is, indeed. not only
useful but essential to the wise conduct OF pubic
affairs Every Ministry Is the better for vigilant
criticism, and Lord Randolph Churchill has
abundanty proved his capacity for criticism
vigilant the point of suspicion and bitter enough
to have foundation Of sincerity.
The engagement of Gladys, Countess of Lonsdale,
to Earl de Grey has been known for some ten
days, and is a topic of no common interest to her
friends and admirers The previous history of this
brilliant woman adds piquancy to the question
whether her present relation to Lord do Grey was
likely to result in marriage. Since the death OF
the late Lord Lonsdale his widow has been en-
gagged In succession to the Hon. Luke White, LORD
Annaly's son. now married to another woman and
to Mr.. Edgar Vincent, Financial Adviser to the
Khedlve The prophets no from the first foretold
the Failure of these connections were perfectly
justified by the obvious difficulties each of them
presented The present is very different matter.
Lord de Grey is heir to the Marqusate of Ripon and
ESQ, 900 year, moro. He Is some ten years
older than his future bride has long been the hope
and the despair of matchmaking mothers and mad
succeeded in convincing the world that marriage
formed no part of his scheme of life. He has taken
no share in politics. His reputation Is that Of
being the best shot in England, which he thoroughly
deserves This may seem less lofty ambition
than his place in tho world entitled him to..but 1t
Is none the less one which many have envied, and
many have vainly contested with him.
Lord de Grey is however, described by his friends
as a man OF strong character and strong Will quite
capable Of playing different role should his wife
or any other useful influence turn his thoughts In
the direction of public life. Nothing seems to me
more likely than some such change. Lady Ions
dale is much moro than q mere beauty. She has
that kind of talent, rare in England. which might
create a salon, or, since the salon Is supposed to
be alien for English taste might still more easily
give her the leadership of one CT those sets into
which London society divides itself Leader
ship Of society as whole has probably become
impossible The multitude and complexity of tho
fashionable world are such as can scarcely be
brought under the sway of single sceptre. This,
however is an advance. upon the uncertain ground
of nero speculation. The essential and really in
teresting fact is that the marriage between Lady
Lonsdale and Lord dc Grey Is definitely appointed
10 take place on the eighth Of next month. Tho
engagement, l may add. which took London In
general by surprise, no surprise at all to the
friends of either party to II. In no sense Is II
sudden. The formal announcement OF 10 Was made
BIZ Lord and Lady Ripon themselves, and with 1t
vanished the patient or impatient hopes OF more
than one well-known man whose aspirations to
the hand of Lady Lonsdalc have long been notorious
Mrs. Langtry made her first London appearance rs
Lady Ormond in Peril" on Easter Monday evening.
That is not the evening which any shrewd man
aCer would have chosen for rst-night, since most
,f tho people who can be relied on to lend brill
ancy to such an occasion arc then out of town.
However the Prince of Wales had sent word
that he wished to be there. and fixed Monday as
tho only date possible to him. As he seldom goes
30 frst-nights, and rs his presence-here they
would call 1t patronage-is worth more to an
actress than any number of smart spectators, his
Al. oIaftA Gan rip ,l,afn A
same day. AT half-past eight in the evening the
Prince, the Princess, Prince Albert Victor and
Prince George were seated in the royal box, en-
arged for the occasion to twice its usual size and
embellished with flowers. In other boxes or In
the stalls were to be seen tho Earl Of Dalhousie,
the Earl of Dunraven, Mr. Henry Chaplin. Mr..
Alfred do Rothschild, Mr.. Henry James. and Mr.
Whistlcr,-the latter an audience in himself; not
only visible but audible all over the place.
4 Nothing Mrs. Langtry has yet done pleased tho
public so much as her Lady OrTaOHd. The critics,
divided before. are now of ono mind in prasing
her. The Tines. which has been the most hostile of
all, Is now among her admirers, avows that the
present performance redeems n multitude Of past
faults; and says:
"The psychology Of the character is fully graspod,
and its varying moods of eRnu, tenderness. alarm.
and desperation which mark the progress of the
young wife toward danger. and her
sudden rccoil from it, intelllgently and feel
ingly expressed"
This Is from an austere Judge, who, however. is
80 far from mitigating his censure on Mrs Langtrys
Princes George TO say that her mpersonation OF
that and of the present character are separated
by an interval which might be measured by years.
Admirably delicate continues no, in her por-
trayal of the growth of her guilty passion, the
actress rises to the full height Of the thrilling scene
in which she asserts the dignity Of her womanhood
aid oyercomes her temptation, and stirs the house
TO loud and prolonged applause"
This represents the average tone of tho press
Other journals applaud with even less reserve,
and it Is evident that Mrs. Langtry's perseverance,