The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-20
WILL SHE WED THE DUkEs
Miss Vanderbilt the Most interest
ing Character in Society.

To Miss Consuelo Vanderbilt. daugh-
ter of William Kissame and Alva E. Van
derbilt of New York, belongs the signifi-
cant distinction of being for the moment
the most interesting young lady of her age
i'll the United States. VIII she wed the
duke? The purely contingent nature of
the reply so far possible to this query con-
stitutes the foundation Of temporary at
tention to her personality. The duke is
the Duke of Marlborough. The lady's
dover is S10,000,000, with as much more
to inherit Thus does Miss Consuelo be-
come a parsonage.
She is very young-remarkably young
70 De attracting such universal observa-
ton. ConsuelO Vanderbilt was born
March 2 1871. She is. therefore but a
little more than eighteen years of age
she was christened Consuelo in honor Of
the Duchess of Manchester. who had
been Miss Consuelo Yznaga. In return
ghe Quchess named one OF her twin
daughters AlVas after Mrs. Vanderbilt.
Ihere has been a great deal of confusion
as to whether Miss Nanderbilt's name is
Consuelo or Consuela. The former is
the correct name. The latter is a Cuban
spanish variation merely, and although
strictly speaking, the duchess name
ended in "a, she changed the final letter
to 20" and Miss Vanderbilt changed
hers in honor bound. There was some
thing of a chill in the Vanderbilt house
hold when Lady Alva Montagu died. This
fifteen, and according to the fanciful no
ton prevailing in such matters, the two
girls-Lady Montagu and Miss Wander
bilt-should have pretty much the same
sort of earthly careers. The early death
of one should, therefore, presage the
early death of the other. Nay. a fortune
teller Of gypsy origin, who came TO the
country seat of the duke, made just such
a prediction. The lives of the two girls
were always deemed, so to speak, tan
gled. Their respective mothers had been
school girl friends and greatly devoted to
each other. The death of the daughter
of one was naturally deemed an evil
omen for the daughter of the other.
However, abandoning this element of
pure conjecture, let US glance at the
character of the young lady. She is very
democratic, and that fact makes her
strong contrast to her mother. Never
theless, the two are very devoted TO each
other, and are in truth practically insep-
arabic companions. Personally, Miss
Consuelo is a most popular young lady.
and is endowed with strong equipment
Of what in homely phrase, is termed good
has a will of her own, and many anec-
dotes are related in evidence of this cir
cumstances. Some few years ago, for in
stance, there was a somewhat rigid ETH
quette as to the manner in which ser
wants were to be treated. Miss Consuelo
was told that she committed an error of
taste in saying thank you" and IF you
please" to the servitOrs of the family.
The young lady was incensed at being
thus corrected, and Immediately became
very particular not TO omit saying 'Lndnk
you" and IF you please" whenever she
addressed even the humblest mental. The
consequence was that COnSuelO Wander
bilt has become known as Miss Thank
You among the servants.
1t is needless to say that Miss Wander
bilt has received a most finished educa-
ton. She was carefully instructed in the
most polite accomplishments both here
and abroad. She speaks French and
plays the piano and sketches as a matter
Of course. Most of her training was re-
N ~ cd 70 h.r nd
the decree of divorce secured by her
mother provides that she shall be edu-
Gated in this country. Miss Consuelo is
practically, If not officially out in So
ciety, and her education may, therefore,
be deemed completed
Her early life was passed in New York,
Newport, Islip, and now and then in Eu-
rope. She was always very fond of her
fathers beautiful country home at Islip
and learned to ride there. She was never
very fond of Marble House." the famous
Newport palace of the family. This au-
tumn her town residence will be in the
new home of her mother at the south
west corner of Madison avenue and Sew
enty-second street. The finishing touches
are being put upon 1t now and Miss Con-
suelo has a superb suite of apartments
in it. The house was originally built
for the wealthy Mrs. Brune-BS0wn, who
afterward decided not to occupy the
place. so. Mrs. Vanderbilt bought 1t
last March for $25O0O0 and Immediately
set abOue refurnishing it. The mansion
is really rather plain affair." being but
a IOuf-SLOfY American basement eQlflce.
Its architecture is of the Italian renais-
sance style, and the materials employed
in its construction are yellow brick and
Indiana limestone. on the first floor are
the reception room, parlors, dining room
and billiard room. The three other floors
are devoted to bedrooms. In all there
are nineteen rooms in the house. The
dining room is fitted up in the style Of
Henry ", the library after the fashion
of the first empire, and the reception
room after the style of Louis XIV. OF
pO1 lDvrYh M In
does not compare with the Fifth avenue
palace she formerly lived in, but the
heiress is not one to care much about
that.
There is a great deal of uncertainty as
to whether Miss Consuelo will, after all,
really marry the duke. It seems that her
mother favors the match, being socially
very ambitious. To have her daughter
duchess would materially assist Mrs. Van
derbilt in the great campaign she IS car
rying on against her husbands family.
But Miss Consuelo herself is not very
ambitious socially. However, the engage
ment may be announced at any moment.
There was, to be sure, story abroad TO
the effect that Miss Consuelo would wed
young John w. Mackay, Jr., son of the
great California mllnonalre. ana there Is
no denying that he was for time very
attentive. But he appears to have been
given the mitten, or perhaps we should
saw of such wealthy people, the kid glove.
II iS worth while mentioniny that or
late years a GOODNESS grew up between
the Duchess of Manchester and Mrs. Van.
derbtlt, and consequently tIe laIter mas
been at a disadvantage In making her way
socially abroad. Her daughters wedding
with duke would remove all obstacles
to foreign conquest Mrs. Vanderbilt's
annual Income is $4,000 a year. Her
three children will divide $S0,000000 or
their fathers money at his death. Miss
Consuelo has no sisters. Her two broth
ers are William K. Vanderbilt, Jr., now
in his seventeenth year, and Harold s.
Vanderbilt, who is IL. All the children are
given to their mother by the decree OF
court.
Miss Consuelo is thus the heiress of the
year In all American society there is
scarcely a more interesting figure. And
nothing connected with her is more in
teresting than the question: VIII she
marry the duke?
Arithmetic Up to Date.
From the Chicago Record.