The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-11-14

memorable, however, are the DEGREES
Of English court caste. that we're the
children OF Lady Alice the children OF
even the most worthless man Of rank.
instead Of q undetermined physician.
their social status would be higher.
Shrewsbury and Talbot The name
Is one OF the proudest in English his
tory. Premier Earl as Norfolk i
Premir Duke. the present bearer Of
the historic title. has contracted a
marriage which cannot be Chased
otherwise than a. misailiance. The
now countess OF Shrewsbury and
talbot Is lady belonging to q country
iamiiy, and who married a squire Of
lair lineage and good fortune. A scan-
dai, divorce suit, re-marria8e
MADE Of q beautiful but much dis
cussed woman the mistress OF Inges-
tre HAL, the chief OF one OF the many
seats OF the Earl Of Shrewsbury. She
- now the mother OF the heir to the
great tifie- viscount fngestre. The
carr = one OF the most dashing OF the
smart men Of London. and takes
ms wife with him on the box seat ~
DIS iran coach at the meets. She does
not go TO court. Her absence i made
more noticeable than 1t would other
wise be by the fact that Theresa. the
oo~ager Countess OF Shrewsbury. i
one q the most ubiquitous social fg-
lres IN town and country. The reign
ing countess never accompanies her
aged relative.
Sir Harry Meux succeeded In Issa
TO the vast personal wealth. 10 the
estates and to the title OF his father.
Like the Allsops, the Meux Law claim
70 long and distinguished lineage.
Only few generations OF both these
noted families Of brewers have been
connected with trade. For Centuries
their ancestors were celebrated
and had a local habitation and a
name. In the sense of family Sir
Harry certainly installed. He mar
ried VAL Reece. Enough. And
yet how strangely clever women can
nix themselves TO changed positions.
Lady Meux Is now making people in
Hartfordshire forget that men used 10
call her "Val, 2 and Is playing my lady
hountiful at Theoboidfs ark with really
admirable success When old Temple
Bar was taken down for obstruct-
ing the traffic in Fleet street
the stones were numbered and
laid carefully by. Recently the
noble old archway has been regretted
a. . gateway to Theobald's park, the
government having taken advantage
OF Sir Harry's offer to transport, re-
erect and care for the historic struct-
ure 10 the end OF time. The celebra-
ton called together many notabies
among the country people, as well as
several town magnates, including Sir
Morrell Mackenzie, and all present
were charmed with the graciousness
and reserved dignity of manner OF
Lady Meaux. / met her ladyship
once at Whistler's studio, where she
was standing for two full-length like
nesses. life size. Noble pictures they
arel II was the exhibition OF these
particular masterpieces that first
awakened the Partisan public to the
knowledge OF Whistler's genius.
| have been asked IL the Baroness
Burdett-conts' marriage was a mis-
alliance, in view of the fact that her
ladyship Is not only a peeress in her
own right, but Is also heiress to two
other baronies. My answer is that de-
cidediy her marriage is not n misalh-
ance any more than were those of Wis
count Vaudeville, Lord Randolph
Churchill and other aristocrats who
have married Americans. Some
Americans try their uttermost when !
abroad to prove that their particular
families in America are better than
the common horde by reason OF an |
derived as thus and thus. |
All folly Who among them could |
hope to outshine an Astor, descend |
ant OF poor old fur dealer? And |
what is the ancestry of the Wander !
bits, except the commodore, who ran
a boat between New York and Staten |
Island and gained wealth thereby? |
These references to family greatness
by Americans are in the worst posi- |
BILE taste, and always arouse sarcastic |
criticism in Europe.
A misaliance Is, speaking generally.
the most unfortunate circumstance
that can bcfali an arisepcratic family.
Death is mere passing sorrow.
Like leaves on trees. the race of man is
found,
Now green In youth. now whitening to the
ground:
Another race the following spring supplies.
They fall successive and successive rise"
But the misalliance withers the sap
OF the genealogical tree. For husband,
a wife, and for children mother, who
is not received at court, is n family
full of bitter humilia-
ton. which prevails not only through
their contemporaneous history, but
endures so long as that history con-
tinues TO be recorded.