The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-18
S0CIETYS HIGH PRlESTESS.
SHE IS MRS. WI. ASTOR, AS THE
FIRST NIGHT AT OPERA PROVED.

\
SOluteIy Necessary To-day to Have
old Family Servants to show on
state occasIOns-They May BE Hir-
ed or Borrowed, II Necessary-A
Little Scene at Col. RooseveIt's
Country Home Last summer
Proves That He Believes Implicit
" in Domestic Discipline, and the
Same Principles Applied TO once
VIII Make Him Great Governor.
New York, Dec. 16.-NIrs. John Jacob
Astor is certainly a radiant creature. on
the opening night of the opera, she showed
not a trace of her recent illness. and the
regal figure in the soft gray satin dress,
| with the tiara and ropes Of diamonds, was
The cynosure of all eyes. She attracted
more attention than Nine. Emma Games
upon the stage, and whispers of How
sweetly pretty Mrs. Astor looks tonight!
were heard all over the house to the
| strains of Wagnerian accompaniment.
During the entractes the Astor box was
filed with the handsomest and most bril-
liant men in the house. for Mrs William
Aston is without doubt the high priestess
of New Yorks fashionable society TO-
day. A bow, a cordial smile Of recognition,
! but above all an invitation to one Of her
ceremonious dinners gives man a cachet
! that nothing else can supply. With the
/ stamp Of Astor approval debutantes and
| beaux can feel assured of their social
position.
/ Mrs Astor is as popular with the older
men as she is with the young ones, and
/ to be seen in her opera box is kind of
| patent of social nobility, and an intro
duction to her is a very important item
/ in a young mans social equipment, for
/ whatever she does at once becomes the
| fashion It is rarely that a woman SO
| frankly worshipped by the masculine half
| of the world is also a favorite with her
| own sex but Mrs. Astor's high-bred face
| and gentle manners arouse more enthus-
| iasm than envy even among women less
fortunate than herself.
Col. John Jacob Aston is also immensely
popular just now, for the halo of the mill
tary hero is around his head. His pa
| triotism and the soldiery simplicity of
| his bearing during the late war earned
| him more friends than were ever attract
ed by his millions, and the fact that Re
neither asked nor wanted any reward in
the way of political preferment added
! greatly to his popularity.
Col. ROoseveIt's seIf-DiscipIine.
Though 1t is a trife late In the season
| for stories about Col. Teddy Roosevelt at
| the beach, 1 want to tell something that
| happened at his place at Oyster Bay last
| summer, which shows the character of the
man and his stern self-discipline better
| than anything else 1 have heard during
the war or the late political campaign:
/ H. l.
one afternoon I learned that he was down
! bathing in the ocean, 80 decided to wait
| on the veranda till he should return.
Pretty soon his square, broad-shouldered
| figure was seen coming rapidly up the hill.
| After learning my errand, he excused him
self for a moment and went upstairs, and
| when he came down again Mrs. Roosevelt
said:
Teddy, did you bring up that wet bath
ing suit?"
"Oh, no!' he said, with a comical little
gesture of self-punishment II forgot it."
Then I'll send a servant down to bring
1t up" said Mrs. Roosevelt, FOR it will be
ruined if it is left to lie down there all
wet with sea water"
you viii do nothing Of the kind" said
the colonel, "for I am going 10 bring it
up myself" He started down the path,
but she called after him:
Teddy, have you got the key to the
bath house in your Docket?"
He turned and came back to the house
II left it upstairs just now, when I went
after a handkerchief, he said.
Il win run up and get it," said Mrs
Roosevelt 1t win only take a moment"
She had her foot on the first step when
her husband caught her and plavfullv
pulled her back.
You are not going upstairs TO get that
key for me-" he said. II left the bathing
suit in the bath house, and I am the one
TO go after 1t. I left the key upstairs and
/ am going to get that myself, too 1t is
quite time 1 learned 10 be less thought
less"
They had quite a little argument as to
who should get the key, but he finally
cut 1t short by bounding up the stairs.
two steps at a time, and immedia tely
bounded down again, swinging the key in
his fingers.
He never will let anybody walt on
him." said Mrs Roosevelt as the colonel
started for the bath house.
In a few miIsates he came up the hill
again, looking bright and happy, and hold
ing a sloppy flannel bathing suit at arm S
length.
1T doesn't do for a man to humor him
self too much" he said, smiling at Mrs
Roosevelt. IT would never succeed in
, breaking my bad habits If I allowed you
to spoil me-.
That rigorous self-dlscipline doubtless
contributed a great deal toward making
Teddy Roosevelt so good soldier, and
; it is sure to make him a good governor.
and possibly a good president after 1900;
but no matter how high the position he
! may be called upon to fill. his best role
will always he that of husband to the
modest little woman at Oyster Bay.
: The old Family Servant.
e Those people who pride themselves on
e the perfection of their menage, but who
+ do not happen 10 have a number Of old
S family servants, are now trying to sup
n ply the deficiency by borrowing them
' from other members OF their family who
may be more fortunate in that regard. II
- they cannot borrow them of relatives
e ! they viii buy them or hire them but "a
e be without them is to be quite out of the
T | fashion il doesn't make very much diff.
y ference, so long as nobody knows il