New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-18
HOLMES IN LONDON.
LOW LONDON LIONIZED HIM AND OVER
WORKED HIM-LADY ROTHSCHlLDS
AND LADY ROSEBERY'S PARTIES
HIS AMERICANISM AND THE
GENERAL EFFECT OF
HIS VISIT

HIS AMERICA\ISM AND The
GENERAL EFFECT OF
HIS VISIT
London. November ..
With such fame as his and in such circum-
stances. It was of course. inevitable that the
dear old man should be lionized The process
has its pleasures, but is apt to be eXnausthS
At first he seemed not TO be aware that there were
limits to his strength. He accepted everything
or everything was accepted for him. including
some invitations which he might just as well
nave refused from people who had no claims on
him and nothing to offer him. His good nature
vas inexhaustible. though his strength was not
He has recorded in his book some of the occa-
sions on which his strength was unduly tried
He might have told much more had his good
nature permitted. There always people who
try to attach themselves to a celebrity. They
think Of themselves not Of him. and they make
the most unreasonable demands He suffered
from these and the fatigue showed itself early
Nor did he always realize how readily in Lon
don he might refuse to submit himself to the Dur
dens imposed nim And when he was told oil
It, he still preferred to think that the motives OF
his tormentOrs were good. He would not aiio"
them to be called tOrmentors His faith IN hu-
man nature and his disbelief in the selhshness
of others survived every trial simply because ne
was himself never selfish. and perhaps never
thought of himself lion at all
/ used to call on him in the afternoons in the
rather dingy rooms. he occupied at NO ID Dover
st Piccadillv on the ground floor. Not ray of
sun found its way into them They were con-
venientlv situated and toleraby clean and COM
fortable-that was all that could be said Tor them
After week or two. London and the lonizing
fripn
To dine out and after dinner go to two or three
parties was no light tax on man Of ms age
used TO the simpler pleasures and much earlier
hours of Boston. and its much less complicated
social arrangements. He felt the loss OF sleep
more than the fatigue and used to have maps
in the afternoon. The people in the hotei
thought nothing of disturbing him or OF bringing
in cards and letters while he was slumberng. /
asked him why he did not give orders not TO be
woke IN ooh" answered the kindly doctor. no
body likes being turned away from the door and
YOU know people are nice 10 me. nave
known him go off into doze while he was talk
ing and in the middle of sentence. He knew
he was overworked but finally he knew also
that ii was not altogether for his own sake ana
he submitted with that amiabe consideration LOT
others which he never forgot
What Holmes did not record and could not
on this weary world of London: a world ever
grateful to any who will provide IT with
new sensation. The mere list Of his engagements
would show in what request he and what the
hest people tried to do for him. He speaks OF
concert at Lady Rothschd's Probably he did
not know quite how much his presence at that
concert signified. He knew that 1t was a very
brilliant occasion He speaks of the Prince ana
Princess of Wales of PATHS singing. Of the royal
table at supper and other incidents which struck
him. There had been dinner TO the Prince ana
Princess Of Wales. and to the concert when iol-
lowed about ninety people had been asked. Nine
hundred others had. as sometimes happens In a So
ciety which exists in order TO be seen at the lsnt
place at the right moment asked to be asked The
only addition which Lady Rothschild ma lie to her
original list was that of Holmes and his daughter
who had lately arrived in London. The nine hun
dred who were on their knees for invitations
were left on their knees not one Of them saw the
inside Of the marble palace at No. l4S Plccadlly
on that evening II Holmes had been told Of
the exception made in his favor 1t might have
pleased him. and would have stirred his sympa-
thies in behalf of those left out II is the am0i-
ton of many London hostess that her enter
tainments shall be small and smart If they
are really smart. nothing is more difficult than
position is such that she need give herself no
concern about such matter but many people
do concern themselves.
What Holmes saw on that rather memorable
evening was one OF the most brilliant companies
ever collected remarkable for beauty for rank
for distinction Of many kinds including that
which attaches to the wearing Of well-nade
gowns and Of priceless jewels; including also the
distinction which was lent by the presence OF
some Of the foremost in the public life II
England eminent not by rank merely or mainly
but by abilities. character, great services, and
the confidence of jealous people. Amid that
gittering company Holmes was the lion. That
Is to say. he was the stranger, the one unknown
or little-known celebrity. He was the centre OF
many a group during the evening. The pretu-
est women in the room clustered about tn. little
man. and some Of them looked down on him by a
head. one in particular whom, since ne names
her | will name. the Countess de Grey. Some
OF his countrywomen who for years before had
lighted up London with their beauty and ANNA
ton were there Lady Randolph Churchill was
one. and a girl then think in her first London
season Miss Langdon. Mrs Royal Phelps
Carroll the more remarked because she sa
with few other ladies at the end of the draw
ing-room facing the audience For the benefit OF
the virtuous Republican who thinks it impossible
to mention the Prince Of Wales without grovel
ling before him. will quote what Holmes says:
How we two Americans came to be in Sc
favored position l do not know; all / do know
Is that we were shown to our places ana fouhC
them very agreeable ones In the same row Of
seats was the Prince Of Wales. two chairs on
from As seat Directly in front OF A
was the Princess of Wa,es. in ruby velvet, viii
six rows OF pearls encrcng her throat and t~'
more strings falling quite low.
Well, 1t is evident that Holmes took pleasure II
finding himself in this great house and in roya
company, as he did when he went to the Derby