The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-08-09
SEASON IN LONDON
DRAWING TO A CLOSE

London, July 3O.-(Special Correspond
| ence.)-The season in London is drawing
| to a close, the lights are out and the cur
tain is rung down. Now fashionable folks
are fiocking out of town, many to meet
again at Goodwood and at Cowes; many to
Hamburg, Carlsbad and Marienbad, to
| drink the waters and recruit after the sea-
sons exertions, gastronomic and otherwise
| The great hostesses have all entertained
| the Duchess of Devonshire, the Duchess
of Westminster, the Duchess of Suther-
land, Lady Burton and Lady Iveagh have
| given balls to which were added the at
| fractions of illuminated gardens.
| Although circumstances have prevented
| the season being marked, 1t often has
been, by a garden party at Marlborough
House, or at Buckingham Palace itself,
there was royal garden party at Clarence
House, and one at Kensington Palace The
many noted Americans in London this sea-
| son have added to the enjoyment of a sea-
son which on the whole is pronounced
bright, pleasant and prosperous. However,
there are a few" American notables left
who take more interest in the sights of
great London town" than they do in the
| BdTueH parties Oh even TOya1ly llSell, anu
hither and thither they may daily be seen
on top of bus and inside of bus feverishly
trying ito do" London in the given five
days, seven days or perhaps fortnight
They seem omnipresent, everywhere you
| go the place is full of them, but they gen.
orally know what they want to see and
| they see it. Unlike the ordinary tourist,
| the American is well read, thoroughly post
ed, and even if he does carry the much
| ridiculed Baedeker under his arm in his
| true Yankee fashion he proposes to see it
all in the least possible given time.
| All Baedekers were laid aside however,
| and in best bib and tucker every American
! in London, l am sure, attended what was
| considered the event of the closing sea-
| son-the Athletic contest at the Queens
| club grounds. Even the Belle of New
York. company, which though a failure in
New York, has had a most phenomenal sue
cess here, gladly give up their matinee to
witness the contest between Harvard and
Yale and Cambridge and oxford. The
Prince of Wales and Duke of York mani
Tested great interest the contest,
which was evidenced by their remaining
through the entire performance. A couple
of days afterwards they, together with the
Duchess of York and Duke and Duchess
of Devonshre, went down to Goodwood,
where they will be the guests of Mr.. and
Mrs. William James, at West Dean Park.
1t is said that the Goodwood meeting is a
wonderfully pleasant one, as there is a
slight air of unconventionality about it
which is peculiarly acceptable. Here pic
mics under the trees frequent, which,
In addition to being pretty and picturesque,
permit of indulgences in the conventional
mode of dress. The Prince of Wales, it is
said, right gladly avails himself of the OPP
portunity to attend in a tweed suit and
round hat 1t is rather remarkable that
Notwithstanding the intense heat of London
which for the past two seasons has been
phenomenal, the Englshmen make no
change in their clothing. They wear the
same weight of clothing all the year round,
so from tradition seem averse to making
any change. 1t is rather a painful sight
to see them in stately frock coat and tall
hat while any sensible American would
very promptly court comfort and ease in a
thin sack coat and straw hat.
The wedding this past week of the Mar
quis of Tullibardine was a specially inter-
esting one 1t took place in st. Margaret's
close by Westminster Abbey. asked a po-
liceman the hour of the wedding which he
very promptly told me, and asked in a
jocular way If l wanted to see the pretty
clothes. Well, of course, l couldn't admit
that, but we were interested in a marriage
in high life for various reasons, so we made
1T convenient to be near the abbey door and
watch the arrivals. The bridegroom is well
known as a very plucky soldier He was
at Omdurman and wears the Distinguished
Service Order, so it was interesting to see
the attendance of the soldiers, who, during
the service lined the aises of St. Margaret.
The new marchioness is highly accom-
plished, and a great favorte in society. In
| addition to bride, bridesmaids and attend
ants we enjoyed equally sight of what we
knew was the SWEETEST equipages of Lon
don, and equally swell were the pepow-
dered coachman and footman, who seem to
surpass even royalty itself in the dignity
and pompousness of knee breeches and
high top boots.
The Duke of Westminster recently pre-
sided over meeting of the executive COM
mittee OF the National Memorial to Mr..
| Gladstone, when there were also present
Earl Spencer, the Earl of Crewe, Mr.
Burt NJ P; Mr.. ]. G. Talbot, NJ. P, and
others. The subscriptions received and
1 promised for the Gladstone monument now
1 amount to G32,0iS, or about $160,24O.
| There seems to be very heated discus
sion taking place in London at present
! within the Established church in regard to
i confessionals. In view of all this agita-
J ton and unrest between the ritualists and
8 the ant-ritualists the Rev. Joseph Parker
has a good deal to say on the subject. DR..
I Parker is considered of the leading
/, ,diyines of London. He is a Congregation
y alist, but of the advanced liberal type. He
: breaches at the City Temple in High Hol-
born, and his church is weekly thronged
! with admiring Americans On Sunday last