The herald., 1895-04-04

In this house, which was home to her,
just as four walls and tiny rooms are to
most women, her little babies were born.
In the great sunshiny nursery they played
the livelong day, and in the quiet night
nursery the mother often stole to watch
them while they slept. In the great hall
way the children played about their
Christmas trees or danced at the chill
dren's parties Mrs. Vanderbilt was so
fond of giving. Only a month ago, and
in the midst of the great trouble, she
gave lovely birthday party to her
birthday the second day of March. She
has kept the shadow from the young lives
of her children Just as much as possible
and at the birthday party all made merry
over a wonderful cake, which cost a thou
sand dollars. For this tall mound of rich
plum cake held Jewels inside. diamond
ring, piece for the young man and maid
den who would first be We'd a iewelled
gold thimble for the old maid-to-be, and
a long gold darning needle for the bache-
lor who would have to sew on his buttons
some day, theoretically, of course.
Such wealth of memories. of home
ties, social triumphs and magnificent en-
tertaining, and of every day sorrows and
trials, which are no easier to be borne bv
the millionaire than by the humbest
toiler! 1t is no wonder Mrs. Vanderbilt
is going away, and that she will carry
nothing from the great palace into her
new home life, except her personal be-
longings and the portraits of her children.
The new home is very modest man
sion compared with the palaces which
Mrs Vanderbilt has been won't to occupy
all over the world, but she had selected it
herself, and so it surely meets all of her
needs and purposes. The house fronts 48
feet on Seventy ysecond street and runs rs
feet on Madison avenue. 1t is an English
basement building i'll the severe style of
t he Italian renaissance.
The basement floor has a magnificent
broad staircase. and on the right of the
entrance are reception rooms fitted in
white and gold, and on the left is the bill
lard room, fitted in solid mahogany with
a raftered ceiling OF the same beautiful
wood On the first floor is a fine, large
main hall in the style of the Italian re-
naissance.
The drawing room is exquisite with it's
dainty coloring, taking its tone from the
Louis XIV period. The dining room is in
the period of Henry ", and the fittings
are massive and heavy, after the fashion
of that time. The library is the gem of
tile suite; it is in rich, dark green with
the gold wreathed decorations which be-
long to the first empire.
On the second floor is lovely morning
room, all rose color, white and gold. The
floor will be covered with carpets of rose
colored velvet, and the same exquisite
color will be repeated in the upholstery
of the easy chairs, lounges, window seats
and draperies. Mrs. Vanderbilts S desk of
inlaid mahogany will stand in u sunny
corner. and she will receive all her init
mate friends here, informally.
Back of the lovely room is Mrs. Wander
bits own room, a spacious apartment,
decorated in pale green and gold. Open
ing out of this room is an exquisite bath
room, of cleaning white marble with
fixtures of porcelain and silver. The end
room of this suite, which is on the Mad
ison avenue side, is TO be furnished for
young Master Harold Sterling Wander
bilt, who is now a great boy of eleven and
has outgrown his nursery and his nursery
governess and is ready for his own room
and his tutors. All of the woodwork in
this pretty room is of oak. and the car
pets and fittings will be of bright rich
| crimson. The furniture will be in oak
and will be Just as complete as any full
grown gentleman's room in the city, be-
sides holding many things which every