New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-06

BY ]. Fitzgerald Moloy Two vos, c Nnsa'o'
Pm xiv aO7; vii. 226 Charles Scrioher So"S'
IT,. ",,os, c.oreeo,s LADY Blessington' needs a
h,cvrsnher who Is not easily dazzled. MI }. f"@-
Gerald Molloy Is very easily dazzed. His one tone
Is the superlative. Even his villains are Poo ..
or all the characters that throng MS pax
is hard to find one that lacks conspicu,E' a,,,,.
ever he touches Mr. Moloy would make P,e-.''
NON, With such zeal for eulogy, his at'itu"e Wv
erd Lady Blessng;on Is not surprising, eh
people her attractions were at least VI i -,
cartIva,ed DR. Psrr. the stern ola Sc"oo' -,
eighty " lrs who first bestowed on hel , ~,
$50, o,,,c, she captivated even tho outspoKen
and irascible Iandor on acknowledging onv 49,.
hooks certainly not readable to-day lie 80 Ws nr
estlv write: This Is the first time IN III! "e :,
,os IN q hurry 10 put end even TO my part u
...o,to, with Won but really. look every mo
-, ,,o,r .be paper to the book with gruusl"s
.vo and cannot but think that am playing '"e '00
who writes when I could he reading u.os
JJer career lent her a romantic interest," ,.,
~ douoh,er Of an impoverished. irasclDe i'si,
sou,reen and had been forced IN me ealis ,tn,od
80 o,r,,eh beauty TO marry Irish captain .'''..
With madness or the ten years mat P"S9 81
ner flight from him biography Is ro'ce'', -
from an estate certainly unconveh'on', az ,<
,J, embarrassing she was elevated 10 DO NV
- ,oy,sb Irish peer Lord Blessington. ma" %
.~aracan, and ingenious humors' ierHe ."
ecbenes for showing his affection ana ',,a ~,
Iuvur,es upon her. In the midst OF MS oe'.
u,hisked him off the scene. ana men, Dis .t,
bis the greater puIh'" Va 49,
M piecemeaL From extravasan' "e''' s,onoa
,,,oss,,c+on descended 10 afluence. from aH'ue"oo
- deh,. thence came bailiHs foreclosure anu eNpa
triation. 49,, ,s,. re,a,ned her
,rish charm Msfortunes she accepted n,
,.. orocefullv Her gorGeousness mao i'o'''''e
g., common with the sordid osten'atoh VI nv
o,o,v ambitious 1t was simply inc nature 90 i 70.
nv ardent Irish temperament. Tier love "a 49,,
r,nto,ny ,ros quite as spontaneous In her soios
81
- ro,ob,os that loved 10 mix their ART laSino"
srd literature For literary worth 'he 90 ,. os.
hooeted Of Dickens. Bulwer and Disrhel' as . -.
,ror, members did not equal the set 'ha' 'ie.
7 d,. hollands: Il did not compare WIZ wv s
.. -. -. ,ir,o or another had visited ChalIos "''U
- r,n IN their shabby lodgings; u was ""'o''
iroh6ack rs comoared with the slu'o! a. .
,on,ons that had gathered about Dr' 'o"" 80 .ho
.v,, years before al the TURK lheau w tr
-. nv. with all It's artihciauty' II wa ~
Nlue' Uu. ta1so Tia members were quite as
49, =. tho average OF mortals ana "eIe "o'e'
,oora themselves than wheH IN net u'" ,,or Tho
For LADY Blessington was no mere lIo" annra-
s,ro,r. the freedom OF letters, she "Pr'S
,a..d unite as much as their dls'llcuo'' ,orioo,
c'd''I ro,,,. free The arbitrary ana mec'"io",
n'.,a.tors which society introduces mo W. -,
e,.ndords affected her judgment ou' my. how
-, enough. OF the rehnemen's Oh so0e'''
.ver she abated not one )o' $500. IL o.,,e- al.
o.o,.or might be said OF her taste u, 4o.
NHd''.. o,,on there she was, If anything ANY
4 -
IeO"0 - zee social aspects II was lmpcC''"
~, 80, preserved her feminine ah'1P""' -. A.
..ohoro,rahle odor Of cigars. She hau 80 ,r T.,
80 ~ deoth which is most conducive ~ 1al hnr
nan or woman If her principles heN'' os, ,hov
- t,exncdient questions about s"oS'' ~ ~
.ro,c enough TO keep her own tone ANU -
49,, q, ber nresenCe, pure and above iep' 49,
49, yrae thoughtful enough to DC Inu'''O-
u.,s eufrciently flexible Of nina TO ~ "N'i =
", 49,. 80, en- serious hut that she could ASSUME "
On
u,os not so frivolous but that she couiu io'
self in il
\. p. Willis wrote OF her: -.o,,, u.oe
bl picture 10 my eyes. the door GpeIieui N M
TTss{hricd in fautea of Yellow satin rr&o'nS bs
magnificent lamp suspenee1 rom itor ma and busts
arCn1r d j,l rather a crowded sumpt n0 ;uS
through the room en ,19es ia cycry corner and
decate white hand. relieved on NE pa 49, ~ s
to which the eye Vas ,bn eervant mentioned my
,n sha rose and give me her hand very cor
1rht ,r.e certainly an effective meeting for the
~ ,oc,,,.cl, Of .Marmaduke Herbert or,
- 14o,ol score, and its American contemporary
1Tauehs Have Put a Pen To" Jeer as we may
however Lady BlcssinSton deserved ana "on Wv
resnoct If men Of letters. Her achleVemeh's ioi
All their bulk were in quality inconsequen"a', 'u'
she had frank and open aspirations. IN 'heSe'
,r,oad with good common sense. lively VII anu
gererous admiration for those qualities in others
which she could not parallel in herself heS inc
secret of mems intellectual sympathy win hei
,rhero are few men. indeed to whom admiration Is
M, nm acceptable substitute for competition III
,he v,t and humor of the drawing room. however
she was more than a match for some of her con-
,cuporaries. 1t would be hard to say no" largely
~. charm OF her features and the vvacity OF her
exnression reinforced her jests. but the modern
readers of her books may be pardoned FOR surmises
Her mock seriousness persuaded Byron that MS
living so continually fish had resulted IN mis- fond-
ness for and his skill in swimming, ana Der Iaugh
that followed made the Jest palatabe. AT tunes
her Celtic love Of practical Jokes would carry her
unite beyond what AngloSaxons would count the
hounds of fairness For she was naturally creat-
ure of impulse But charming were her apologies
when impulse had led her too far astray on" such
apology is worth quoting. IL was addresSeI 10
conscientious but tacless friend who had taken her
10 task:
7 have been wondering why have been so long
without seeing YOU and had known your address,
which vd naq 10 G sav So 40 not lightly
form friendships, and when formed 90 not aIIoW
ANY tbHm have known You 100 long and too Wei
not 10 feel a lively interest in your welfare however
saw YOU / was suffering such ANNOYANCE from be-
ing above year without reGevimg is 0 my n
the subject on which we conversed 1t was how,
ever but rnomentary. and never could produce any
change i'm my sentiments toward an old and es-
teemed friend
Tact was Lady Blessingtons browning virtue
.She never lost an opportunity" said ono OF he,
friends "of doing gracious &C; or saying gra-
cious word" Her seyerest censurc was for such
"envious spiteful old maids as Horace Walpoie-the
designation and its application are both hers. AS
for herself, she appears 10 have been as tender OF
others reputation as most women are OF their own
She never lost her desire TO please The part which
every tactful matron plays among her own children
she played IN the brilliant circle that gathered un
der her hospitable roof She always at her best
IN drawing out the difldent and quoting the self
sssertive in dispellng enmties reconcilins natural
antipathies and stimulating the mutually Indifferent
into mutual friendness Even her chdinss and
discipline she was apt 10 administer with something
OF the appeal Of the reasonable mother.
In brief she was unconventional. with Zest for
societv and the fashionable literature OF her day