Evening journal., 1899-08-25
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
LILY LANGTRY.

clteu as much comment as ala her
more or less undoubted histrionic abll-
ity-has just led to Ehe hymeneal al
tar Mr. Hugo Gerald de Battle, heir to
Baronetcy. Rumor has it that Mr..
de Battle was practically disinherited
by his father sometime ago owing to
his rakish proclivities BE that as II
may, the course or descent of the title
lof Baronet cannot be diverted by the
present holder: and Mr.. Hugo Gerald
de Battle provided he outlives his
'os, a respected Crimean veteran,
viii, some day or other, enjoy that
somewhat inferior grade title or dis
ltinction. We don't particularly desire
the death Of this young Absalom but
we incline to the belief that the Eng
lish aristocracy would "moult no
feather" were the Hon" Hugo Ger
aid de Battle to become IA hangel'
prior to the present esteemed Baro-
net being gathered to his fathers. In
fact, we have a very decided opinion
that Mr.. II. G. de b., like the freaks
enumerated by our old friend Ko-Ko.
never would be missed
Tho Kaleidoscope career OF Mrs.
Langtry savors OF the romantic. and
illustrates the well-nigh illimitable
power OF handsome face, coupled
with n winning personality and an in
satiable social ambition. But, then, the
destinics of nations have, now and
lagain, been decided by the caprice Of
lovely woman therefore, the fact
.of Mrs. Langtry haying held, as it
were, in the hollow OF her hand, the
disposition of the lives OF few brain
less specimens of humanity need OK
cite no especial wonderment, Prince
Paul Esterhazy--a Langtry-crazy
the late Squire Abingdon Baird. Sir
George Chetwynd, Bart, Bobby"
Peel, the vacuous and unworthy de-
scendant of the great Sir Robert Peel.
Frederick Gebhard ,et al-all have
basked in the sunshine OF Mrs. Lang
try's favors, and all, after dallying in
the primrose path. have eventually
retired with exchequers greatly de-
pleted. What fools these mortals
bel" No wonder that the stars never
cease their mirth as they look down
and view the manifold and diversified
follies OF our kind"
Mrs. Langtry was ever mercenary
woman, representing a type exceed
ingly common among women. OF all
the lordly or aristocratic scalps hang
ing to the belt of Mrs. Langtry, it
would be difficult to recall one wear
ing the inconvenient crown OF poverty.
IN the vulgar vernacular, Mrs. Lang
try had no time for a poor man. These
fne-feathered, soulless sorlots never
have. Indeed, they are made OF stern
er, coarser stuff than the frail femi-
ninities whose unmercenary infatua-
tions cause them to imagine "the
world, well lost" But Mrs Laagtry
was a sort OF femininely graceful
vampire, sucking the financial life
blood OF her victims. only to throw
the dried-up carcases OF those victims
to the dogs-otherwise and in some
eases, the Bankruptcy CoSrt.
Mr.. Edward Langtry, the first and
now deceased husband OF Mrs. Lang
| try. and who took to drink when his
wife deserted him, died in the gut
ter. We don't use the noun in its fig-
urative, but in its literal, sense-for
Edward Langtry dropped dead in the
gutter Of an English town. We be-
lieve that Mrs. Langtry did, now and
again, throw a financial sop to her
bsoken-down husband-that pitiable
specimen OF her own fine handfwork
much after the same manner as one
pitches a bone to hungry dog. What
a magnanimous womanl What a sam
pie of self-abnegation! What an OBJ
iect lesson in the noble art of self
sacrifice.
/ I nA HuuihAu uuif luonoNonbhn tAloltnNt
OF life with Edward Langtry, after
she had absorbed his once modest
competency, CALLED this modern Hell
enc, this embryo woman OF society,
lThe respectability Of comparative
poverty, after she had caught a
glimpse of the higher social world
had no attraction for Mrs. Langtry
THE remembrance OF q highly respec-
table, II somewhat obscure. lineage:
the refined environments of a godly
home; and the recollection OF a saint
lly father-all fell before, and becam,
subservient to, the vaulting ambition
, and inordinate appetite for social dis
tinction Of Mrs. Langtry. Edward
Langtry, however, made up his mint
that he would never accede to hi
4 wife's manifest desire for a divorce
He lived and died wih that determi
nation: and although Mrs. Langtr!
/ procured, some years ago, divorce pa