Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-06
A SOCIAL SHOCK.


after Mrs. Washington Mostyn entered
the drawing-room, and indeed it APP
peared that the party were only await
inc her arrival to put an end to classic
bad quarter of an hour.
My dear, ;" whispered Mrs. Kendall,
Il am going to send you down with a
most charming young man, Algie Up
ham, cousin of the duchess of Liver
pool. | think he's quite one of the
incest men in London-and so artistic,
don't you know"
Mrs. Mostyn raised her tortoise-shell
lorgnette in the direction of the gen.
tleman indicated, and was pleased to
make an inspection and give an opinion
in not more than two seconds.
Charmed, am sure. What good
looking young man. All, l see-race
aud intelligence"
Yes, both. But allow me to intro
duce YOU" said Lady Kendall In an
other minute or so the women were
trailing their silken and velvet skirts
downstairs to the dining-room.
Mrs. Washington Mostvn belonged to
the -Four Hundred" of New York, if
not by birth, at any rate by wealth.
Her husband, who was content to pur-
sue operations in Wall street most of
the wear round, was wont to leave the
cultivation of society to his handsome
wife. Their brOwn-stOne mansion on
Fifth avenue was as gorgeous as many
of their richer neighborS, and no one
understood better the art of blooming"
an entertainment and getting herself
talked about than Mrs. WASHINGTON
Mostyn of New York. And then her
cottage" at Newport, was it not cele-
brated in every paper throughout the
length and breadth of the continent?
1t was there that she entertained lavish
migratory members of the English
aristocracy in quest of amusement,
wives, or sport-thereby forming con-
nections which she meant to push
vigorously now that she had actually
arrived in London.
Had not Lord Birkenhead the duch-
ess of Liverpoors oldest boy, been one
of these feted and tlattered young
sterSP And was not the dear duchess
proportionately grateful and inclined
to open the ducal arms in manner
that she was not wont to do with GER
tain dear friends and rivals from New
York and Washington? And as to the
society of which this fastidious lady
was SO distinguished an ornament. was
it not the most select aud enlightened
as the transatlantic scribe would put
ito be found on the same continents
But Mrs. Washington Mostlyn had still
one unsatislied ambition, and that was
to become as much of LOndoner as
her fair friends and neighbors had con-
triyed to make themselves. To London,
of course, like every other Self-respect-
ing American, she had been, but it was
with the London Of hotels, parks. and
theaters only that she was familiar.
Into its society she had never pene-
trated.
And so it came to pass that Mrs.
Mostyn, leaving her husband to per-
form bis vocation of bear in Wall
street caused several enormous trunks
to be packed. and, arming herself with
introductions to some of the best PEG.
pie in London, betook herself, hel
maid and her courtier by the next
steamer to Liverpool. landing on these
shores by the beginning of May. Lady
Kendall, who loved above all things 6
new lace, H;tu D0Gu Que Oh lue HIS
hostesses to make much of her.
1t was rather an amusing table
though it somewhat shocked Mrs
Mostyn's fastidious sense of the socia
proprieties. Looking round, she was
struck with the familiar look of the
faces. and, as matter of fact, she
could have seen most of the person;
present by taking walk down Bone
street and CHANGING in the photograph
er's windows as she went along.
Lady Kendal's parties were cele
brated in their way. for she was wha
an irreverent modern journalist ha
not inaptly called "miXer." Sh,
would send down famous poet witt
an ambassadress. cabinet ministe
with a pretty actress or consign
great lady to a fashionable singer. |
was social salad, and people wer
pleased, once in way, to meet cele
brities of whom they had heard grea
deal. Now Mrs. Mostyn, like other
of the -Four Hundred. knew little
and approved less of mixing" Sh
would as soon have asked Ii Sing, he
laundrvman, to dinner as some of thu
actors, journalists, and painters whom
Lady Kendall liked to see occasionall
at her table. Tonight, for instance
across the banks of mauve and whit
orchids, Mrs. Mostyn could catch tn
profile of her grace of Liverpool smilin
on a handsome Polish tenor who ha