The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-22
MRS. KERNocHAN's DIAMOND.
known internationally rs the Fn-
nous Light of Asia"

New York. Jan. 21-Mrs. James Loril-
lard Kernochan, now that Mrs. Paran Ste
vens is gone, furnishes the New York
smart set with its ideas. Like Mrs. Ste
vens, Mrs. Kernochan, who was Miss Lo-
rillard before her marriage, and who IS
one of the wealthiest dowagers, has a
candid and witty tongue, and the stupid
conventionalities IN no wise disturb or
repress her original genius. Next after
Mrs. Astor, she gives the most sumptuous
dinners OF the season. Her banqu-ts are
conducted on the English plan with liv
cried footman to nearly every chair. and
show of massive gold plate that cannot
be rivaled in any other house in America.
Unlike Mrs Astor, though, this hostess
originates dinner fashions of her own, and
If novelty in table appointments is seen
anywhere in society. ii Is safe to conc.u lie
that Mrs. Kernochan made it popular. 1t
was she who this winter first served small
perfumed napkins with different courses
who adopted tabourets in place Of the
usual high-back chairs and inaugurated
the custom OF sweeping away finger to Wis
and passing III their place a large silver
basin OF water, into which guests We're in
yited to dip their fingers and dry them
on a small bunch of lemon verbena laid
beside each dessert plate. Her enterprises
in search of novelties do not end here.
for when motor cabs appeared in New
York, Mrs KernoChan was the first fash
ionable woman who rode about the town
constantly In one, went a-calling, to church
and to the opera in it, and thereby in
spired the rather timid conservative So
ciety folk 10 adopt this mode of convey
ance also.
If you see Mrs. Kernochan at the opera,
howeyer-and she is fond Of gay scenes
and music-you will not find her in ap-
pearance by any means likeness Of her
predecessor, Mrs. Stevens, She is a large,
handsome woman, whose abundant gray
hair is always rolled up to a lofty POM
padour, whose evening gowns are as SPLEEN
did as those OF an eighteenth century
French Marquise. and about whose white
neck is apt TO be strung the Kohinoor of
American diamonds. This is big white
stone nearly as large as a hickory nut, and
registered in all the capitals of the world
as the famous Light OF Asia. So unusual
a gem was an inheritance from Miss Kath-
arine Wolf, and it easily outshines any
| special stone that has been yet shown
on either side of the water by private
! individual.
AS brilliant a figure as she is in New
I York during the winter, Mrs. KernOchan
| is In her best element at Newport in the
season. There she takes the lead and
( teaches the bored fashionables how TO
/ find amusement in novelties. She it was
! who made Bellevue Avenue open its blase
/ ewes at the sight of her splendid victoria
drawn by four horses and driven, not by
! the conventional coachman on the box, but
| by a liveried postillon. while two tlunkeys
/ stood on the stage behind her.
Not only did Bellevue Avenue open its
| eyes, but a number OF wealthy women in
( stantly followed in Mrs. Kernochans lead
1 just as they all got page boys into turbans
/ and Turkish slippers when she did, and
. learned to keep man in livery to deliver
their notes and letters and invitations be-
cause this lady. with the eccentric and in
ventiye mind, insisted that IL was a rude
ness to use the malls for other than bust
ness communications.
The latest contribution Mrs. Kernochan
has made to the entertainment of her So
cial equals ID TO be inaugurated at Newport
next spring, when n whole drove OF Egyp-
tian donkeys are to be brought over for a
novel purpose.
During a recent sojourn In Egypt, Mrs
Kernochan rode about sight seeing by the
shores of the Nile or a tourist donkey
and SO well did that means Of locomotioI