Arizona republican., 1900-07-29

and young Cornwallis West, one would be tempted to imagine that such mar riages are not merely rare but almost unique. On the contrary, unions be- tweer elderly matrons and youth of tender years have become so frequent in the highest ranks of English soci- ety, that they no longer attract great attention, and certainly no condemna- tion on the part of society.
 True. there was a great outcry when Lady Burdette COutts conferred her hand and a portion of her fortune upon MT. Ashmead Bartlett, who was forty years her junior. But that was be- cause he was looked upon as an Amer ican, lis parents being New England people. and be himself having been born in Brooklyn. When, some time afterward the aged Dowager Duchess of Mcntrose, who was over seventy five. and who will b. familiar to many American playgoers as the original of The Sporting Duchess" married young Harry Milner. brother of Lady Gerard and Lady Durham, not a word Of criticism but only a little kindly chaff and indulgent merriment was heard, although the disparity of years between the duchess and her husband was at least ten or twelve years great CT than that between Lady Burdette COutts and Ashmead Bartlett mow Burdett Coutts). Milner being but twenty three. That a society which accepted without a single word of pro- test a marriage between a youth of about Jwenty-three and and appoplec- tic old duchess nearer eighty than sev5nty-five should raise objections to the union of a very attractive widow of about forty-five to a young fellow twenty years her junior, indicates the existence of a pretudice against the lady due to her not being English born or belonging to the British arfstocra- cy by blood.
 It was but few months ago that the widowed Mrs. Sloane Stanley, sister of Sir William Rose. led to the altar Mir. Shelly B5ntein, who is twenty-four She is at least ten years older than Lady Randolph Churchill, and not only has sons and daughters married. but likewise several grandchildren. Yet all society wished her good luck on the occasion of her second matrimonial venture, and even the society papers re- ferred to it in the most sympathetic fashion
 Lord Beaconsfield's wife was his se- nior by at least twenty years. and whereas he had no income save that which he derived from his books. or from the emoluments of occasional of flee, she possessed Q handsome fortune to counterbalance her homeliness. Yet no one ever uttered a word of reproach about this marriage, which was inva- riably described alike by society and the press-the latter reflecting public cpinion-as a very romantic and de- lightful union.
 Mrs. Langtry married young Hugo Ge Bathe last year, and the difference between her age and that of her pres ent husband is at least as great if not greater than that between Lady Ran dolph Churchill and young Cornwallis West. Yet if any objection was raised to the match it was not on the score of the difference of years so much as on account of the gossip concerning the lady during the lifetime of her previous husband.
 l could mention scores and scores of analogous mating between masculine spring and feminine autumn-or. let us call 1t Indian summer-among others that of the old Duchess de Persigny to the Nicomte Ge Sombreuil a nobIsman exactly fifty years her junior marriag- es which excited no i'll will on the part of society, no reprOach, and certainly none of the protests in print that have characteriZ5 q the projected match of Lady Randolph. I cannot say. having Known the Cornwaliis Vests for more than twenty years. that I myself look lpon the match with much sympathy. But it is impossible to deny that of all the matrons of forty years and up- ward who have married quite young men, Lady Randolph is by far the most comedy, attractive and well preserved. and the very circumstance that she should be made the object of a regular outcry on the part of London society solely because she is not English born and does nCt belong by blood to the