The record-union., 1898-01-30
SHE DAZZLED ROME.
Mrs. Draper's Beauty and Her Su-
perb Toilets.

The charming wife of the new Amer
ican ambassador to the court of Italy,
General William F. Draper, is to-day
one Of the most talked of women on
two continents. AT the recent brilliant
state function at the Quirinal, in Rome,
her distinguished beauty. the elegance
| of her toilet and the magnificence of
her jewels made her easily first among
the many other lovely women who were
on that notable occasion the guests of
royalty. The beautiful American, we
are told by the cables, made a most
marked impression upon her majesty
Queen Margherita, who, were she not a
woman of broad and generous senti-
ments, might well have envied the ad-
miration showered upon the wife Of the
new Embassador by the entire assem-
blage.
Of course, no one here who knows
Mrs. Draper is at all surprised at the
favor with which she was received and
the social success achieved by her in
Rome. AS a diplomats wife she is to
the manner born, for she was Miss
Susan Christie Preston of Lexington,
KY, her father being the late General
William Preston Of that city, Minister
to Spain during Buchanan's Admins
tration.
Mrs. Draper is indeed an excellent il
lustration of what distinguished wo-
men America can produce. A member
of family of Southern statesmen and
public men, allied by blood and mar
riage with the Carlisles, Breckinridges,
Clays and other leading families of
Kentucky, she possesses the inheritance
from distinguished ancestors of fine
presence, keen wit and gracious per-
sonality. The Prestons of Kentucky
were as notable for military as for
civic success, exhibiting in each field of
public endeavors a singularly high de-
gree of ability and achievement. She
was born about forty years ago.
Mrs. Draper was educated almost
wholly abroad, receiving a careful and
thorough education at the Convent of
the Sacred Heart, Paris. She has re-
peatedly been abroad before and since
her marriage, on May %, 1890. Prior
| to her marriage she was one of Ken
tucky's leading bellies, justly enjoying
the highest social distinction of the
most exclusive society of the State. She
frequently came in summer to Eastern
watering places, and in 1889 met Cen
eral Draper and others of his family
at Narragansett Pier.
Soon after the marriage ceremony, at
the family mansion, in Lexington, KY.
General and Mrs. Draper went to Eu-
rope, where they remained that summer.
On their return from Europe, General
and Mrs. Draper occupied General Dra-
pers residence in Hopedale, Mass,
which had been thoroughly remodeled
and largely rebuilt and refurnished dur
ing their absence. Mrs Draper proved
most gracious and welcome addition
to Hopedale's social circle. She exhib-
tied under informal social conditions
most graceful tact, and won the hearty
commendation of those associated with
her The simple life Of Hopedale she
admirably supplemented with increased
care of and for those around her.
When General Draper was elected to
Congress, in 1892, Mrs. Draper filled
with singular ability and perfect tact
the difficult role of hostess and enter
tainer at Washington, and the Draper
entertainments and dinners were nota-
| bly, successful.
Mrs Draper is of commanding phys
iaue. dignified mien and charming man
ners. She is thoroughly familiar with
court etiquette abroad, has repeatedly
attended drawing rooms Of Queen Vic
toria, is a brilliant conversationalist,
speaks fluently French and other Ian
guages, and is in every way. the ideal
wife of United States ambassador.
Her education naturally cultivated her
tastes along high planes of literature,
art and music, but her chief attractions
are social, with and for the human. She
frankly admits that her delight In Civ
ing pleasure to others is much keener
than she derives from book, song or
statue. although she is not indiffer-
ent to the charms of either.
With General and Mrs. Draper is, of
course, their little daughter, Marguerite
Preston Draper, the kindergarten asso-
ciate of the Cleveland children, one Of
the cheeriest children that ever bright
ened Washington society. Until three
years ago Mrs Draper was assisted in
her social duties by daughter of Gen
eral Draper by former marriage, " no
was married in February. 1895, to
Montgomery Blair, member of the
family prominently known throughout
the District of Columbia and Maryland.
New York Herald.