The Savannah morning news., 1902-05-18


are men, noble, high minded beings,
who will always guide and teach and
protect you. These other are women,
lovelier than everything else And so
on. Fiction without discrimination is
fed to the girl who looks with heaven
given trust into the eyes of ner we'll
meaning teachers. And when she be-
comes a woman, the habit has sent its
roots into her soul. and be she happy
or pensive, she reads fiction. With men
it is different. They do not expect from
life what women do. When they read
novels 1t is TO forget the rigors of bus
mess, to enter deliberately region
which they know does not exist. But
women can seldom quite believe that
ii does not exist. To them life is ro-
mantle. If it does not turn out well.
so much the worse for life, and they
turn to books, where the happy ending
is fairly sure to be counted upon. In
women's love for fiction there is some
thing more than is specifically appar-
ent.
What the premier of Great Britain
is to the king in matters political the
duchess of Buccleuch is to Queen AL
exandra in social affairs-a sort of
foil or go-between to shield the throne
from disagreeable contact with the
outside world, a dictator of propriety,
an authority on precedent. AS mis-
trees of the robes she has had
her hands about full for some time
with the care of Queen Alexandra's
wardrobe, not only for the coronation
ceremonies next June, but also for the
series of evening drawing rooms" to
be given by the king and queen during
the year. She is a sort of prime min
lister for the queen.
The duchess of Buccleuch-it is pro-
nounced Buc-lew, not Buocluch-is one
Of the greatest ladies in the kingdom.
She was three times mistress of the
robes under Queen Victoria, and was
Continued in office" by the present
queen when she came to the throne.
AS the holder of this exalted position
the duchess has authority over the
several distinguished ladies of the bed
chamber, the bedchamber women, the
maids of honor and also two high
born male officials, known respective
ly as the groom and the clerk of the
robes.
The duchess of Buccleuch not only
has a duke for a husband, but one
for a father and another for a grand
father. Her father was the famous
duke of Abercorn, viceroy of Ireland,
who used to be known as "Old Splen-
did and her mother IS the not less
famous dowager duchess of Abercorn,
whose chief celebrity comes from the
fact that she has a greater number OF
titled descendants than any other
woman in England. Six of her daugh-
tiers married noblemen-one duke,tw
marquises and three earls
The duchess herself Is called the
most exclusive hostess in London"
The entertainments given by her at
Montague house. the dukes mansion
in Whitehall, are renowned for their
brilliance. AS mistress Of the robes II
is the duchess privilege to give din
ner to the members of the government
on the evening before the opening OF
each parliament. At court or at state
ceremonies 1t is necessary for her to
dress in black. Her grace of Buc-
cleuch is VIGOROUSLY much laughter
and more dignified than any of her
titled sisters, but that does not pre-
vent the mistress of the robes from
being addressed by her intimate
friends as Tiny" although her Chris
tian name is Louise.