Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-09

u BIZ OE ~
years ago II cost exactly tloco a yard.
or $500 for the piece. To-day its value
Is between $500 and 5000.
For some years the fashion Of wearing
costly laces has been allowed to die out,
perhaps because so few women could
AFFORD to indulge In IT, no matter
how great the riches OF their husbands
or fathers. The wife Of the ordinary
one-time millionaire can no more afford to
accumulate costly laces than a much
poorer woman. for the simple reason
that II would consume her husbands
entire fortune I'm a very short time. IL
has been a fad OF royalty for number
less years. but the kings and queens
spsnd other peoples money 50 they can
afford to be luxurious.
An effort is making now 10 rehabiitate
the lace-wearing fashion. and IL It be
successful IL Will draw a very sharp dis
tingulshlng line between millionaires and
multi-millionaires. The women members
of families who have been rich for many
generations win have an advantage over
others. as In the days of our grandma
theirs and at-grandmothers the owner
ship Of fine laces was a social necessity.
A FORMIDABLE POOL.
The Aston collection OF laces, for in
Stance, II very me ana IdIhS WITH any
Of the private collections abroad. At the
time the laces OF the Empress Eugene
were sold az auction the Astors were
heavy buyers. They pooled with the Van
derbits and the ROthschilds. 50 as TO
avoid bidding against one another. These
three great families selected an agent 10
do the buying, and at the termination OF
the sale the purchases were divided into
thirds. Eugene, Of course, was not
galner by this, but she could well afford
the loss.
The six yards above mentioned were
part OF the pool purchase at this sale,
and we're subsequently sold by Mrs. Will
liam H. Vanderbilt to Mrs. Corning, the
present owner
A PRETTY LEGEND.
There are many pretty legends OF the
origin OF lace-makng, and one OF the
prett.est Is that OF the story Of the Vene-
tian sailor, who, on the eve OF sea
voyage. gave TO the woman he loved
piece Of beautiful sea-weed, to keep while
he was absent In memory or him. lie
sailed away, and the girl cared for his
pfft with constant devotion, superstl-
tiously fancying that upon its preservation
expended the safety OK her lover or the
endurance Of his love fer her. There
fore, when she discovered that me sea
weed was slowly drying up ana faiiing 20
pieces she caught the fine leaves and
branches with thread against piece OF
linen and thus invented lace.
Too much confidence must not be placed
in this pretty legend, however, for some
fine examples OF the lace-makers' art nave
been traced back to the period OF ABOUT
100 years before Christ While the art
ia an ancient one, the finer qualities oid
not anpear until after the htteenth CEN
tury. The most celebrated lace collections
are those of the South kenslnston
Museum In London, and the brases
Museum. although the Cluny Museum III
Paris. contains inestimabie specimens Oh
antique lace.
yIcToRIA's COLLECTION.
French women are notably fond OF
lacss and a valuable piece Is handed GOWN
from one generation to another with al
most religious care. The Famous ROM
ton set Of Queen Victoria Is OF such IN
calcuIabie value that her Majesty mas
worn IL only four times-at her own anu
other royal weddings. No greater eVi-
dence of the favoritism OF the Queen for
Princess Beatrice could be given than
her immense concession in allowing these
remarkable founces, veil, and bodice
trimmings 10 be placed on the wedding
gown OF this Princess. The queen OF
Italy is particularly well endowed Win
this de icate fabrcr and the cream OF her
collection consists OF superb pieces OF
Maltese lace. some Of 1t said to be 2'0OO
years old.
Mrs. William III. Vanderbilt Mrs. VIII
liam Astor. and Mrs. Hicks-Lord are. per-
haps, the owners OF the finest laces ID
New York Mrs. Aston Is credited with
owning a lace gown, which cost some
where between $4,000 and $4,000 She has
never been seen to wear IT. but II she
did there would probably be some broad
but polite smiles in the fashionable as
semb age. In the first place, the gown
would be sadly out OF date, and, notwith-
standing her riches, she would not be so
sxtrayagant as to have the laces cut up
In an effort to fit them to the prevailing
mode.
Mrs. A. I. Stewart was. In her life
time, the owner Of the finest laces In the
land. As the wife OF the great merchant
prince. she had unusual opportunities for
picking up odd but valuable bits IN all
parts Of the world, as her husbands buy
ers always had a standing order TO buy
when they were certain Of the quality.
At thu time Of her death these laces were