The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-04
CAVALIERE SERVENTES.
CaATs ABOUT THE PREVALENCE
OF A DANGEROUS CUSTOM.
Men Are to Blame for Allowing Flirta-
tious wives to Continue In Their
Evil Ways to Verge of a Scandal
Interesting Cases IN Point.
(CopUrfoht1

Interesting Cases IN Point.
(CopVri0Atl
New YORK. April 2.-Are Mr.. Deacon
Coleman Drayton and Lieut.. Hetherinston
the three husbands whose marital misfort-
unes have attracted such universal atten-
ton during the past few weeks. deserving
Of popular sympathy or notl That is the
all-absorbing question of the momept, not
only in this country, but also in the old
world. The general feeling, especially In
the cases of Mr.. Deacon and Coleman Dray-
ton. appears to be that they are altogether
unworthy Of any oommiseration. This ia
due to the fact that both Of them have
prat tically admitted that they had been
aware Of the misconduct OF their respective
wives, months, nay, even years, before
they thought fit to take the radical
steps which they have recently adopted for
the purpose OF avenging their so-oalled
honor, Indeed, an impression prevails on
both sides of the Atlantic that MIR. Deacon,
as well as Coleman Drayton would
have continued to play indefinitely the role
Of the mari complaisant," had they not
been made aware that the publicity Of their
wives intrigues had become such that all
further pretense Of ignoring their own dis
honor would be- regarded as willfuI toiera.
ton, involving their social ostraclsm and
their expulsion from the clubs 90 which they
belonged, on the ground of conduct unbe-
coming of gentlemen.
Few pretty and elegant women OF the
world who shine in the higher ranks Of
European society are without their cava-
liere-servente, and to a certain extent the
same state Of things prevails here. The re-
iattons Of the caValiere-servente % the lady
who is the object Of his devotion are not
necessarily Of a culpable nature, but they
are in great danger OF becoming So In
fact, It's no exaggerstion TO declare that
in ninety cases out Of every hundred
they do end In that way. IL is
almost inevitable. For mankind Is
but human, and the so-called Pla.
tonic friendship between an attractive
woman AMI man who is ever ID hand to
show her all those thousand and ono alton
ttoRs which are the cream OF existence to
the fair sex, and which the husband has neg
lected since the wane of the honeymoon, can
only ue compared to skating on the thiDnest
of ice.
Many husbands like to see their wives
thus attended by a cavaliers-servente, since
il relieves them Of duties that they are
always delighted TO perform for other pretty
women, but which they consider arduo S
and tiresOme where their own wives
are concerned. Their pride would be
hurt were they to see the
ladies bearing their names without these at
tentions, and vet they woaiA consider it q
bore TO themselves TO be obliged TO Furnish
them. Hence they are disposed co regard
with good will the friend who appears on
tho scene to relieve them Of the duties in
question and 10 assume the role OF the cav
aliere-servente.
Onos the latter is established 10 attend-
ance upon the wife, the husband feels
himself free once more to consult
his own selfish tastes and amusements
as he was wont to do before bis
marriage. He Is at liberty to spend all the
time be wishes at his club with his friends,
aud to pursue his favorite avocations un-
hampered hy the thought that his wife is
alone and left to her own devices. IL the
cavaltere servente, with a view Of pleasing
the object OF his dovotions, presents her
with handsome jewels, why should tho hus-
band object, since it dispentes with the ne-
cessity of his purchasing precious trim kets
for her and enables him 20 spend his money
elsewhersa
Some OF the floest Jewels that Mrs. Dea-
con possesses were given to her by her dead
lover, Nj. Abeile, and Mr.. Deacon himself
admits that over year ago he was cog
nizant of the fact that the magnificent dia-
mond riviere worn by his wife was a gift
from her cavGliere-servente. Nor does the
latter appear to have conteuted himself with
presenting Mrs. Deacon with jewels. No
secret Is made OF the fact that he paid some
of her very heaviest dressmsker's bills as
well. This is duty which frequently
mounds to the oavaliere-servente
Pretty women who shine in society
rarely possess much knowledge Of
the value of money, and no matter
how rich, are often, very often, embar-
rassed for the want ot funds. What more
natural than that they should turn for o..
sistance in their difficulty to the one friend
OF all others, who, they know, is most aux
ious to lend helping hand TO oblige theml
The great couturiel s Of Paris and London
and thUse of New York no doubt, too, are
fortunately bounl down to professional ss-
crecy much in the same way as doctors and
priests. Otherwise they could furnish an
interesting chapter on this particular sub
iect.
One Of the most remarkable things about
the cavaliere-ssrvente is the extent to v hich
bis existence is recognized by society. Iu
Paris, for instance none Of Mrs. DeacoR's
foreign friends and but few of her Ameri-
can intilnates would have dreamed Of ins
viting her to dinner without ct
the same time asking NJ. Abeille. In
London it is impossible to meet the
charming Mrs. Singleton, better known by
her pen name OF "Violet Fame" at any so-
cial entertainment without indiug Sir Philip
Currie OF the foreign office in the i'm
mediate vicinity, while during the lifetime
of the late Duke OF Manchester bis wife
would never be invited to join any house
party IN which the Duke Of Devonshire was
not included.
In the same manner the late Duke OF Rut-
land was the cavaliere servente OF Lady
Miles, who figured so amusingly In the Colin
Campbell divorce case, and her easy going
husband, Sir Philip Miles, did not even
object when her ducal admirer presented
her with q magnificent steam yacht and
lent her for the period Of his lifetime the
whole Of his superb collection Of the Rut-
land family jewels,
l might cite hundreds, nay thousands,
more Of equally well-known cases Of socie-
ty's liberation Of the presence OF oavaliere-
servente in the household,
it would seem that it is sindispensable that
they should be either very rich
or very poor-that they should be
either the doncr or the recipient Of gifts
The fact that the affection between the lady
aud her cavaliere-servente does not in the
long run remain altogether Of disinter-
ested nature appears In many cases to en-
dow q more or less platonio intimacy be-
tween the two with additional piquaucy.
The responsibility for this state OF affairs
rests with the husband, and is in almost
every case attributable TO his selfish regard
for his own tastes, his own tnolinationS and
his own pleasures. Were 1t not for this 1orm
OF ogotisIn, be would not be so ready to
tolerate aud encourage the presence OF q
cavaliere-servente IN his wife's train. If
~k-... Nkas.s