Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-09-26

LADY LYTToN AND LADY BLEssINGroN IN
THE DAYS d THKIR REIGN In LONDON.
]. H addons in the Chicago Tribune
During my acquaintance with LADY Comber-
mere was introduced to Lady Lytton, the
wife Of Bulwer Lytton or Lytton Bulwer-afier-
wards Lord Lytton-the author. II remark
able personal beauty could alone give perma-
hence to q mans attachment here were charms
enough to tx the caprice OF an ordinary butter.
fly. Miss Wheeler, an Irish girl, who had been
dazzled Bulwer in the plenitude OF his literary
fame, had just the qualities which help to win
a lover, but are insufficient to charm 81 way
marriage Buawer presented evidences of the
cratic humor Of Don Juan. Like Captain
hour and his infideiities were fire and bIim
attractions.
lowed her &40O q year from his literary earn.
ings. To crafty Q sentiment of revenge, Lady
B. wrote and published novels OF which her
husband was made, under another name, the
impure hero; but the expenses of publication
were not met by the sale of the book, for,
though the savory details of a chronique scan
people do not readily give their sympathy to
an injured woman who fights her own battles
in public with little respect for the bienseances
OF society. The consequence was that the
poor lady got terribly into debt. When Bull
wer fell into the Knebworth property, which
added some thousands Of pounds per annum to
his income, he was asked by a solicitor (Mr.
Charles HYDE, who took a lively interest
In the position Of Lady b., to augment the ali
nony. He refused at first. She revenged her.
self by going down to the place her husband
represented, on the eve of the election OF a new
parliament, and absolutely harangued the free
ana independent" voters on the iniQuitieS of
she author of "Richelieu," ct cetera. This
stune Bulwer to the quick. He felt she was a
thorn that could only be blunted by acceding
SO ne made a virtue of necessity-he paid his
wife's debts, amounting to $4,000, and aug
she lived in France. To this she assented, with
the prOvisO that their boy c'Owen Meredith }
should go with her.
Before the arrangement was effected met
Lady b. at the house of a mutual friend, and we
became tolerably intimate, often corresponding
on literary topics. In one of her letters she used
amours." AS "amour" Is a noun masculine,
asked her why it became feminine in the plu-
raj. Her reply had more sentiment in it than
an exposition of grammatical rule. "Oh," she
said lit was mistake at arst to make it mas
cuiine Men have their amolrs, but they
love-"
Agropos Of literary women, let me say q
Mord OF the gorgeous Lady Bhessngton."
write novel for o newspaper in which was
edltorially interested, l called at the Gore
house, kensingtoa, with my credentials and
check- book. 1 had SOme trouble id getting within
the gates AT length the portal was unlocked,
and found myself in the presence of Count
DOrsay. was received very courteously by
law and putative annie of D'Orsay), and, after a
orlef negotiation, it was settled that she should
receive f7OO for serial extending to six
months, or twenty-four consecutive numbers
OF the Pictorial Times. The interview ter
minated with an invitation to lunch, after
winch DOrsay amused me with a lively
sketch OF the ordinary visitors at Gore House.
- You see" he said, 1.-The position of the coun-
tess Is peculiar. We do not cross the circum-
terence OF the court circle; we form only the
fringe thereof The habitues who pay their de-
Votlon at the shrine of sovereignty are the
crabs, the Holsters and the crawfish of the
world of fashion; We are content to be smaller
crustacea, and to receive the prawnS and the
shrimps. But ii is a piQuante class for all that,
ana We shall be happy to see you one Of the
iot expressed my acknowledgment of the
nonor OF being deemed a shrimp, and according
~ assisted at one of the earliest soirees
Lazy Blesslngton was certainly not suffi-
clently gifted to take very lofty position as an
authoress; her productions were rather puerile
himsy, namby-pamby and deficient of origin
aiity. But she had knowledge enough to sup
ply material for drawing-roOm talk, and her
conversational powers were considerable. There
was an irresistible grace in her manner which
attracted many bels-esprits of the inner as well
as the outer circle of the court. 1t was at her
soireeS that a visitor would meet Dickens Tai
fourd, Prince Napoleon, Walter Savage Landor,
Albany FonplanQue, and men of equal mark
and likelihood. Landor was one of her most
ardent admirers. He wrote her epitaph in
Latin,