Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-24
BEATRICE POTTER.
She Is Nov Mrs. Sidney Webb and a
Beautiful Socialist.
HOW She FIRST BECAME FAMOUS
r,.h W. R,cb. Fashionable, and n Dis
cipie Of Herbert Spencer, - s"ciM
Iconoclast.
,corre,nondence OF the Dlspatch.)

oCorrespondence OF the Dispatch)
LONDON. ENG, July I3.-The most
,aIked-about book issued from the Lon
don press this season IL great ""o-pase
volume entitled THE History OF Social
ism" by Beatrice and Sidney Webb. Inc
London Times says of this book:
"Mr. and Mrs. Webbs book Is mas
terIy piece Of work; and even those VINO
utterly dissent from their underlying as
sumptIons cannot afford to disregard the
facts and figures they have accumu-
lated
While the Daily Telegraph is OF the
opinion that:
From many points Of view II deserves
10 be attentlvely considered not onlX be-
cause of the conspicuous ability with
which It has been written. but owing TO
the vast amount Of labor 1t has involved,
and the extraordinary accumulation OF
facts. which. in the course OF some $40
pages. It has epitomized. The whole SUBJ
feet is laid out by the authors in mas
terly and comprehensive manner"
Beatrice Webb, whose name stands
first on the title-page. first became IA
nous as Beatrice Potter. and Is the rich
est and most beautiful woman in the
ranks Of the Socialists. 1t IL said Henry
James had her in mind when he wrote
THE Princess Cassimassirna." and nat
she also inspired william Blacks SUM-
rise"
She IL the youngest OF the nine Pretty
Potters," as they were called in London
some years since-nine sisters, all dark
and handsome and the children OF a
wealthy Lancashire manufacture, and
of the woman who was the most init
mate friend Herbert Spencer has ever
known. Her mother was "a woman OF
remarkable learning. Though giving birth
to ten children Ohe only son died young
and being the very competent head OF
her household. she had "A profound knOwl-
edge of Greek and Latin. read her Bible
in Hebrew. and was the chosen intellect
ual companion Of George Eliot as well
as of Herbert Spencer. She was. how
ever, decidedly eccentric. one of her hor-
rors being Of any excess OF flesh. She
looked upon being fat as only short II
being criminal. and declared IL was i'm
possible for her TO either like or respect
"A person who had any excess Of adipose
tissue. 1t is said that no one ever saw a
fat person i'm her house. She allowed
herself and her children only fixed
number OF ounces Of food a day; having
ascertained what weight OF food was
necessary to health, she was OF the opin-
ion that another mOuthful more Was
mere grossness and not to be permitted
RUDY AND BEAUTIFUL.
Whatever one may think of this theory
II is certain that the nine daughters
grew up tall. wholesome. ruddy. and
beautiful. They were all women Of SUI
perior intellect and marked talents. and
the eight elder sisters married men dis
tinguished in law, medicine, literature
and politics.
The youngest. Beatrice, was easily the
most gifted ana beautiful Of them ALL
and Mr.. Spencer was so delighted with
her intelligence that he made her educa-
ton his special charge. and strove in
every way to develop all her capacities
II was supposed her wealth, beauty, and
brains being considered. that she would
probably make the most brilliant mar
riage OF all the sisters. and might look
for a coronet. 1t is certain that she was
had distinguished offers. but before she
was % she was suddenly seized with a
disgust Cor her brilliant surroundings
and began to visit and work in the
slums of East London.
She became much excited over the
conditions OF some Of the workers, and
finally putting on the garments of a
workng-girl. sought employment in the
shops where undergarments were made
Her experiences were carefully noted, anG
she tried a week or ten days in each OF
four or five trades. At the end of hei
explorations she wrote a trenchant story
of her experiences. giving the exact
facts and figures she had been able e
accumulate, sent 1t TO leading review
and went away for walking-tour In
Switzerland, 10 clear her mind and lung.
Of the foul airs and sights OF the East End
sweating shops.
ENGLAND AGHAST.
"Her article was printed at once. ant
all England was aghast. Parliament tool
the matter up. and appointed d committp
TO investigate her charges, with the result
that whole series of laws were passet
regulating the employment Of labor by
the Sweaters" Miss Potter returned
from England to find herself famous. Bu
associates. She Joined the ranks OF tn,
Socialists. and devoted herself to the tasi
of overturning the present constitution
of society. All the long haired politica
refugees became her friends, the Russian
exile, Prince Krapotkine, among them
and she took up her residence In n cheaJ
hotel in the Fast End. where she wa.
always in conference with trades union
lists. reformers, and the whole race o
those who had n grievance against SO
ciety. Naturally a young and beautiful
recruit with wealth with which to for
ward their schemes was soon the queer
of a motley court of the disconnected
She found time. however to do some eX
cellent work in her contribution TO Mr.
Charles Booths valuable statistical vol
umes about trade and labor, and she be
came more and more absorbed in her nev
life. RumOrs OF her eccentricties driftet
to her friends in the West End from tim
TO time. such as that she had-mucl
against a natural distaste--learned L
smoke, so that the shrt-sleeyed gentle
men. with pipes in their mouths, who 81
| constantly surrounded her, would fee
completely at their ease.
SURPRISED THEM.
1t was always hoped by her friends tina
| she would eventually grow tired Of he
| within, and return to them, but tw
years ago she surprised every one by
| sudden marriage to Sidney Webb. Il httl
| frowzy dusty. shabby-lookng Socialist
| of that milder type, known as Fabian.
| Her West-End friends did not scruple {
| say that he had a very respectful appre
| citation of Miss Porter's large fortune, an
| might gradually bring her back TO IN
| flesh-pots. However. that may be. Mrs
| Webb had plainly no idea of coming. Sh
| determined TO try the experiment of Twin
| on f5c0 a year. set up housekeeping. 4
| a little East-End lodging. and plunge
| into the preparation of n great history o
| the trades unions, for the completion O
| which she demanded her husbands aid.
Now her work is out, and again he
| name is in every ones mouth, and yer
| respectful admiration has she called fort
| by her scholarly and exhaustive labors.
| When Beatrice Webb's friends read Mr.:
| Humphrey Wards story of 'Marcela.
| they sighed. and said How like Beatrice
| If only she could have ended like that.