New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-31
" LADY A."
THE FAIRY GODMOTHER OF ENGLISH
SOCIETY.
A KIND OLD GOSSIP-SHE MIGHT HAVE BEEN
DUCHESS OF WELLINGTON SOME
AMUSING; ANECDOTES

AMUsING ANECDOTES.
II ever there woman In London society who
mcritcd to be styled the fairy godmoher. 1t the
old DOwager MarchlOness OF Alesbury. who has just
passed away leaving void In Mayfair that II will
le exceedingly difficult to fiji. She held in society
an absolutely unique position which nobody was ever
known to challenge and which everybody gladly ac-
ccp'd Though an intimate friend of the Prince
and Princess Of Wales the one hand. and OF Mr..
and Mrs. Gladstone the other she belonged to
no clique. She knew everybody If by right: was
a welcome and honorcd guest everywhere never
w'aiid OF helping Others, and although paSsionatev
fond OF gossip was never known TO say word TO
harm or hurt single soul. Innumcrablc people
now prominent in English society are entirely indebt
I'd to her introduction recommendation and support
for the position which they now enjoy, and, I'M
like other similar social sponsors and fairy god
mothers whose names figure in the pages OF Burke's
q" Pcerage,' one has vcntured 10 insinuac
that her interest In her procges prompted by
anything else than that ana generous heart
for which she famous. 1t was, perhaps.
attributable to this conviction that society Invariably
responded TO her recommendations and opened It's
doors To those who were fortunate enough to be taken
under her wing
Like all the great ladies OF her day-she was born
during the reign Of George III. and Old enough
at the time to remember the day Of her death the
Examinations In London in honor OF the victory OF
WatcrloO-shc exceedingly picturesque In her Ian
guase, and did not hesitate to call n spade spade.
or 10 swear like trooper when she lost her temper
have known her once. at party given by Loru
Spencer TO curse hr fooman roundly for his delay
In finding her carriage. while the Prince and Princess
OF Wales and the Duchess Of Tcck endeavored In vain
TO conceal the mcrrimcnt caused by the vchcmcnce
Of the old lady's expressions Nor did she know
how to write English gammatlcally while her orthog-
raphy was extremely defective. But then. In the
days OF her youth. the great ladies OF England were
not expected to know how TO write their mother
tongue either gracefully correctly. Her voice
and loud. and yet wthal. very sweet
toned. and | ran hear II now with the kindly "My
dear that often prcfdced her remarks. The "My
dear often lnnrguratcd lecture to a Young woman
on the way In which she dressed her hair to
young man his or his extravaganza; yet
she made an enemy She treated English So
cicy as II its members were college undergraduates.
and Vanity Fair ma: be said TO have accepted her
almost the head Of the college.
Having Il remarkable memory. and having known
throughout her long life everybody who was worth
knowing, she most interesting takcr, and pos
scssed 4 store OF Accordingly valuabl, "reminiscences
According TO stories current In London she narrowly
ESCAPED becoming the first Duchess Of Wellington.
In 1888 a lady called upon the old Duke. with whom
She was on term, of intimate friendship she at
once introduced the conversation By saying:
"IIave YOU heard the news 7"
What Is 1t, asked the Duke.
"Oh. Maria Tollcmache is engaged to Lord Allies
bury"
The luke said nothing. but rang the bell vlo
lcnt.y. \ servant appeared. Bring back that let
ter Just CAV. you for the post addressed TO Miss
Tollcmacle.7
Then. turning TO his informant. he said 81 do
not mind telling you that in that letter made the
Identical proposal in which Lord Mlcsbury has fore
stalled mes
Lady A., as stated above remained 10 the last
warm ard Intimate friend OF Mr. Gladstone her con.
temporary In point Of age. and one whom She had
known since childhood. She was never weary OF
champlonng his cause. even At time, when he had
almost the whole Of society arraycd against him.
IN one occasion. after animated discussion with
Icrnal Osborne the subject Of the Grand old Man.
she wound up by saving: Well, at all events. he Is
IN. people, william
And YOU rctortcd Osborne, with low bow, are
the peoples Maria
Her appearance remarkable in It's way rs
her character and would have commanded attention
In any assembly OF the world Her tall. upright
figure put the lie the popular belief that tn" girls Of
to-day exceed In stature their great grandmothcrs and
her lnordnatc yigOr. her Od-worl manners. her old
fashioned colffuic and her stern and reSouc. yet
kindly face distinguished her from everybody. She
had learned the Of growing old gracefully II ever
a woman did and the exceeding sofncss Of her skin.
which was like that of child constituted u most
remarkable evidence of the nsclcssncss Of cosmetics
and the advantages OF soap and water.
Although She enjoyed n jointurc Of 10000 year, aS
widow Of the late Marquis OF Acsbury. yet owing
10 the cNrnvasancc and bankruptcy Of the present
peer OF tn" Title sshc often subjected 10 financial
s,raits-sras due. In great measure, too, TO her
large hearted generosity. The result that her
clothes, old fashioned and therefore, conspicuous. were
frequently terribly shabby; but this did not prevent
her from looking the stately grandc dame that she
really was.
Throughout the London season she the go7
from morning 10 night. no luncheon parry, > O'Clock
tea: dinner dramatic first night bah being com
pcic without her and Notwithstanding that she would
stay almost to the last AT dances, yet She W., up with
the lark on the following morning and driving about
town doing her shopping and looking after her poor
Everybody. the people in the streets. knew her
and her extraordinary and complicated brown wig,
often awry by reason OF III" Ni>aciiy Of her gestures
was Il landmark 10 rich and poor alike. As soon as
the London season used 10 break up Lady a. would
Of visits to the various country houses
where, by reason Of her 'hccry good humor and her
w.t. She was In great demand. one Of her habits
was To get hold of all the society paper, AS soon as she
entered the house and after She had cnlcd the news
from them would sit Oh them, In order To prevent amy
body else from obtaining thereto until She had
had an oppOrtunity Of relating their contents, win
characteristic and picturesque comments OF her OWN
\ great favOriic OF the Queen, ana 0nr or the lew
English ladies admitted to the intimacy OF the Prin
cess OF Wales, she besides. warm friend OF tie
Duchess Of Tcck and Of her daughter. Princess May.
whom she The first 10 congranlu on The occA-
sion Of her bcirotha 10 Prince George. Apropos OF
her Intimacy with the Duchess OF Teck, remember
"A somewhat amusing story. \ friend Of mine re-
ccvcd one morning two invitations to dinner, one
from the Duchess OF Tcck, the other from old Maria
MarchIonc-s Of Ailcsbury. or course the royal "com
audr had 10 receive the preference and accordingly
my fair friend inditcd letter TO Lady Nlcsbury de
poring her inability 10 accept her invitation on the
ground that She was obliged TO dine with Fatty ns
she rrcv,rcntly Designated her exceedingly stout Royal
IIishnc.s Princess Mary Of Great Britain and Ireland
Duclics, Of Tcck Unfortunately, she put the letters
into the wrong envelopes. sending the one destined Tor
the Warehouses 10 the duchess. and vice versa or
this however she was not mnde aware until the foi
lowing morning. when she received note from the
Duchess telling her that she did not wish to deprive
"a ~ hprc