The morning call., 1891-11-09

In her manner she repeats the fascination
Of her personnel She is simple and I'M
affected, and possesses the happy faculty,
grand dame though she be, OF putting One
at ease in a moment She talks well and
vivaciously and with vein of quiet humor,
inherited doubtless from her Quaker an
cestors. Lady Heske;h was Miss Florence
Sharon, the daughter of the wealthy and in
tiueutial United States Senator for Nevada.
On her fathers side she comes OF good old
Quaker stock, one of her ancestors going to
America at tie time of the great Penn i'm
migration and settling permanently among
the " Friends" in Pennsylvania. Her
grandfather never rehnquished his connec-
ton with them, and his descendants own to
this day certain birthrights" in the So
ciety. Her mother was a native of Quebec !;
young and beautiful girl when she mar
RED. she died when her little girl was barely
years old, and Mr.. Sharon then sent his
daughter abroad to be educated, where she
divided her time between the Convent of
the Sacred Cpur in Paris and one Of the
same ORDER at Roehampton, completing her
scholastic studies at the religious house Of
Nntre DAM, San Francisco.
Sir Thomas FermOr Hesketh, best known
to his many friends by the s0briQue. of
''the Commodore is the seventh 6arOnet
in lneal descent BE succeeded his brother,
olT L !Ould5 llSlIN EblUlpT IlPSktIU, IN
1876. He was formerly ensign in the Rife
Brigade. and Major in the Fourth Bat
TALON Kings UiverpooD Regiment. The
family IS very ancient one; there have
been Hes keths at beautiful old RuffOrd
Hall, Sir Thomas Lancashire estate, for
the past 700 years.
Easton Neston, Northamptonshire, Is truly
one of 1.-THE stately homes of England" Tn Q
present mansion was built some two cent
uric, ago by the Fermor Of that day, who
pulled down the older house and erected
this beautiful imposing pile in its stead 1t
is purely Italian in architecture, with a
wide noble facade, flight of semi-circular
steps sweeping up on either side to the en-
trance-doOrs, balustrade embattement,
and open stone loggias, guarded by colossal
classic statues, cast in lead.
As we drew up before the circular steps
stood for moment on the wide terrace to
feast my eyes on the smiling prospect before
me, so truly English and hOmelike, aud in
the distance two small gray figures mounted
on spirited little ponies career j0yousy
across the short turf. They are Thomas,
the young son and heir, and Frederick, his
brother, aged respectively 10 and s. the
only children Of Sir Thomas and Lady Hes
keith.
| was received by Lady Hesketh with
frank cOrdalIty. Later in the day, as she
was showing Ine through her home, she
said little sadly: NO, have not been
back to America since my father died. My
attachment to San Francisco ended with
his death, and now my English home alb
serbs me more and more. On. yes, indeed,
L love hunting better than anything, especi-
ally Irish hunting. We are in the Grafton
country here, and we also have the Bictster
and Warwickshire packs, and the North
Warwickshre from Rugby, and we certain
ly get most excellent runs and great deal
OF pleasure out of them"
And now here we are at my bed
ROOM" said my guide, and truly it was
seductive chambre coucher into
which we came, large and lofty and
full of sunshine, The walls are covered
with replicas of RaphaePs Cartoons. the
story of fair Helen of Troy; the bed is a
dream Off epose, made arter Vatican model
and draped in pale blue brocade; the CARPET
is an AubuSsOn, strewn with roses about the
chimney shelf hangs Venetian mirror sur
rounded by draperieS of pale blue; the CELL
ing is frescoed. depicting Jupiter, Venus and
Mercury. In one window stands the m os
luxurious of dressing tables, made from
Lady Hesketh's own design, being double
sided, with everything upon it in silver :;
also duplicated, SO either side can be used
at pleasure. A sedan-shaped couch in yieux
rose velvet, cunningly cont-ived acts as a
screen as well. and two old-fashioned FIRE
screens, IN the form OF a quaint little man
and maid, printed to the life, particularly
pleased me. Books. flowers, an ormolu es-
cretolre. fitted with every conceivable lux
ury. tables holding photographs, bonbon-
nieres, and hundred petty trfes. were
everywhere. IL was all charming and har-
monious, and / could not but think how de-
Hghtful sleep must be in such surroundings