The evening times., 1899-08-17
MRS. LANG9RY'S MATCH
She Aspires to Crown Her Husband
With Thespian Honors.
The Prince of Wales Said to Have
Been an intermediary Between the
Actress and Her SpOuse-COngrat-
uinfions Sent TO the Groom Are
Held Rack by His Titled Father.

New York, Aug. 1.-THE Journal this
morning publishes the following despatch
from London:
The indications are that Mrs. Langtry
will seek TO make an actor out Of her
youthful husband, Hugo Gerald de Battle,
and that an irreverent public will learn to
apply to the baroaet's infatuated son the
undignifed pseudonym, Mr.. Langtry."
1t is accepted as a fact that young De
Battle is indebted to the Prince Of Wales
for his bride-in other words, that His
Royal Highness good naturedly assumed
the role of a schatchen for the sake of old
times. The match is a better one for the
Jersey Lily than might appear at first
sight, for though her husband is for the
present dependent on his proud and wrath
full old father no amount Of parental or
social disapprobation can rob him Of the
title at the death of Sir Henry Percival de
Battle
He and Mrs. Langtry met at Goodwood
during the races two years ago. The Prince
of Wales made them known to each other.
He afterward had opportunities to watch
the ripening of their acquaintance into
love. He was in the confidence of both.
His attitude was benign, paternal. He
was one of the few who knew of the mar
riage beforehand, and he wrote to each of
them a warm letter full of congratulations
and good wishes.
Those who know Mrs. Langtry well say
that she wishes TO begin now where most
women begin when they leave the paternal
rooftree for the altar-to have a freside,
a husband, a routine of agreeable obliga-
tions social niche, a tranquil drifting
into middle age.
Just for the present these things are out
of reach. but they are by no means out of
sight. Old Sir Henry has vowed not to be
reconciled to the daughter-in-law for
whom he is indebted to his heirs impul-
siveness, but Mrs. Langtry-nobody thinks
of calling her Mrs. de Battle yet-is very
rich woman, SO she and her bridegroom
are spared the discomforts that attend
most runaway matches
Her reported intention to introduce the
lieutenant before the footlights in conjunc-
tion with her own temperance is quoted
as another instance of her business acu-
men. II is held that the prospect OF in
specting this young scion OF most ancient
house, whose wife will one day be entitled
to the prefix of Lady" will add greatly
to the public interest in Mrs. Langtry's S
stage performances, especially in America,
to say nothing of the additional salary TO
trickle into the domestic treasury.
But when this period of hard work and
continued publicity has been ended by the
death OF Sir Henry Percival de Bathe. who
traces his line back to one of Strongbow' S
companions-in-ar arms. in the twelfth centu-
ry. the famous woman who will then be
Lady de Battle and chatelaine of more than
nil h-x an
to turn her back on past full OF variety
and color in order to taste the tranquil
pleasures that belong to aristocratic ma
tronhood.
Meanwhile the more punctilious element
of society is censuring His Royal High
ness for having engaged in the polite di-
verscn of matchmaking.