The times., 1899-04-02
First American to Receive the
Royal Kiss.
Her Popularity in England Is Some
thing Marvellous.
4 Schooimate Gives Many Incideuts
to show the Diplomacy
of the Nicereine.

pretty Chicago girl was destined for a
brilliant career
1t was not so much because the Letters
were wealthy and their daughter de-
lieiously beautiful creature said this ex-
schoolmate of Lady Curzon, but chiefly
because when she wore her hair in a pig
tail and her skirts at her shoetops Mary
proved her gifts as a society diplomat.
She had gay. caressing. persuasive, vet
perfectly dignihed. way with her that quite
enchanted all those on whom she cared to
| exercise her charm. As early as thirteen
years she had definite ambitions and il
anybody wonders that the yicereina knows
how to bear herself so irreproaehsbiy un-
| der her almost regal honors in India the
mystery is explained when / assure you
she was literally trained for society by
/ lady of royal birth.
Instead of putting their eldest and Mr.
Letters favorite daughter at finishing
school, Lady Curzon's parents secured as
her tutoress Fraulein Elise Won Rotch
Moewis. who comes of the royal Prussian
! house and lived all her youth in palaces.
From such a governess Lady Curzon learn
( ed the sort Of lore that has helped per-
y haps more than anything else 10 make her
I welcome at Buckingham Palace and Queen
Victoria one of her stanchest friends. No
| duchess ever came to court better equip
ped than Lady CurZon 10 make her way
successfully. and though she is in no sense
learned lady she has all the accomplish
ments necessary in brilliant society, while,
of course, her looks serve as powerful
lever in her favor.
Not one of her pictures do her Justice
because they fail to show her coIoring
her faultless hands. and the poise of her
| lovely head She is slim and tall, full
| five feet seven inches. blue eyed, brown
haired, and like sensible woman she gives
lots of attention TO clothes.
After establishing herself socially in
| Washington, when Miss Letter appeared in
| New York. even women of the smartest
| society We have in America and certainly
the most luxuriously costumed creatures in
! the world, opened their eyes very enviously
at the new bellies toilets.
1T was not jewels this young lady spent
/ her tremendous allowance of $50. 600 year
on but the most perfect and artistic studies
| in color and drapery that Paris could pro-
| vide. What further more opened the eyes
| of New Workers was the quite royal meth
DDS Miss Letter adopted in considering her
comfort through a gay season. She had
nothing to learn in the way Of bIissful
luxury, or the machinery of social duty
| from English, German or even Russian
| princesses. From her early youth Miss
Letter enjoyed the ministrations of her
I own body of servants. the use OF her own
| carriage, and to see her attend as many as
| five entertainments in night was simply.
a lesson in how to accomplish the most
enormous amount of fashionable duty at
the least loss Of nervous energy. spirits and
| physical vigor.
ITO go 10 a dinner the opera, appear at a
! musicale and at least two balls was often
| an evenings diversion for this young lady,
and it usually took three persons to help
| her do il. An accomplished maid always
stood wraps in hand at the dressing room
| door when Miss Letter wanted to leave, 4
| footman gave her his arm to lean on down
| the stairs, her carriage warmed and pill
| lowed. was exactly at the moment at the
| foot Of the steps and so. borne about on
| rose leaves, she was able to accomplish
| twice as much as the average society wo-
man who does not study her comfort or il
] not able to afford such luxuries.
| OF course by these means Miss Letter
| got through most arduous seasons with
never the loss OF tinge of color. and yet
| in spite OF her great income she never had
| quite enough money TO spend. She cher
| ishes a passionate love of flowers and her
rooms are always redolent of the freshest,
| handsomest roses. She has a prncely dis
| regard of the value of things. When she
shops whatever pleases her she buys and
bears off, superbly Indifferent to its price.
Then too. she is absolutely generous, de-
lights TO have lovely, artistic, unique OBJ
jects about her, and is as carelessly i'm
patient as a child. On occasions when a
half dozen entertainments are on her cards
in day it will require two maids to ac-
complish the task of merely taking off or
putting on a gown with celebrity to suit
the wearer.
Though a froek be worth many hundreds.
is fresh from its designers hands. Lady
Curzon, when in haste, will gayly rip, snip.
and tear away its silken bonds il time
presses and my lady wishes TO make double
haste. With her time is everything and it
is far more important to be prompt for an
engagement or ready TO score a notable
victory than to stop and unravei the ms
and outs of a complicated French toilet.
In the days when she was an American
miss, these victories were purely social
and all Washington wiseacres predicted a
foreign marriage for Miss Letter. Now her
victories are genuine diplomatic triumphs
and perhaps the finest feather in Lady
Curzon's cap is the frank good will. the
genuine unalloyed affection, even, she has
won among English women.
Conservative. critical proud, and reserv-
ed as titled English women are from the
queen TO a knights wife. they have only
words of praise for this particular young
American woman. and have accorded her
the most unusual privileges. Lady Curzon
is the only American girl whom the Queen
ever saluted with a kiss on either cheek;
Furthermore, she is the only woman OF our
nation who has ever been admitted TO the
Queens bedroom, and after whose welfare
majesty thinks to inquire.
Perhaps a more emphatic sign of her
popularity was the cordial interest and
good sistership showed when Lady Curzon
began openly to court at her table and
drawing room the favor OF great parliament
tary powers for her husband and when she
went about soliciting votes. Influencing
votes is one thing the English woman con-
siders her special privilege. and Lady Ran
dolph Churchill, popular as she is only at
tempts TO do so within bounds. The duch-
ess of Marlboro and even Mrs. Naylor-
Layland would hardly venture 10 try pow
erful as their social positions are; but
while still simple Mrs. Curzon this fair
Chicagoan not only ventured her skill
among the voters. but she was aided and
abetted by her feminine English friends Of
the parliamentary circle.
Not the least interesting side of Lady
Curzon's character is shown, too. in her
ardent affection for the land of her birth,
in her devotion to her family her husband
and her two little daughters Enough gIo-
ry has shone round her 10 turn far older
head and Lady Curzon is only twenty-sev-
en- years of age. but she is the same gay,
frank, clever girl OF her less brilliant years.
Between Lord and Lady Curzon the clos
est bonds of affection and interest exist
His lordship's fayorite name for his pretty
wife is .Kinky." because of her curly,
wavy locks; but, frivolous as this may
sound, it by no means bellies the affection
ate admiration he feels not only for her
looks, but her mental abilities. A wife as