The San Francisco call., 1903-09-20

4 ONDON, Sept. 19-Mrs Henry Hig-
gins, formerly Mrs. Breese of New
- York, and Miss Parsons of ColuIn-
bus, o., has been doing some smart
entertaining at her pretty town house
near Portman Square. She has now. how
ever, gone with her family to their place
in the country near London and will have
a number of house parties. Mrs. Higgins
eldest daughter, Miss Eloise Breese, is
making quite a stir since her recent de-
but. She is an excellent taIker and an
extraordinarily good horsewoman- The
younger Miss Breese will be out soon and
Mrs. Higgins boy, who comes between
the sisters, is now of age.
Mrs. Higgins is as strictly "in it,
any American woman in London. She is
an intimate friend of Lady de Grey. Lady
Charles Beresford and others of "the
opera set" Until her marriage with Mr.
Higgins, five years ago, the then Mrs
Breese. rich and pretty. was besieged
with offers of marriage Her vogue in
Rome and in Paris was one which smart
people remember. She could have had
title many times over had she desired it.
But instead she came to London and met
again Harry Higgins, solicitor. musician,
devotee of the opera. Higgins was a
suitor of his wife while she was still Miss
Parsons. His love lasted and after her
first marriage and many years of widow
hood, Mr. Higgins himself a widower by
then. renewed the suit and won.
Mrs. Higgins is sister-in-Iaw to that
clever lady, Miss Polly Higgins, whose
dinner table talk is the admiration of all
who hear it Miss Polly has long since
passed matrimony up for good. She de-
lights in being a maiden lady. She lives
alone. in a tiny little house on the border
land of Chelsea. But the tiny little house
Is the scene Of innumerable gay gather
ings. Miss Polly Higgins cares naught
for dress, but she has great friends. no
tably Lord Rosebery and his daughters.
Lady Constance Mackenzie, whose re-
cent polo playing in the United States
won her the admiration of all beholders
has reached India in the course of travels
Lady Constance expects to return to Eng
land in the winter and will then go to
America again She is said to have
adopted the United States. Its freedom
appeals to her more than any of Eng
lands ceremonial. Lady Constance is
heiress to her sister. the little Baroness
.
right, and who is a Literary lady" Lady
Constance evidently intends to initiate Ger
sister in that particular. She is going to
write the history of her travels. Both
these girls, who have led rather untram-
meled lives, are wards of the Dukes of
Sutherland and Argyle. and these gentle
men have trembled frequently at the es-
capades of Lady Constance. She has al
ways ridden astride and in the most mas
culine attire. At deer stalking she is
adept and her hunting tours into the
wilds of India are even now exciting the
young lady's friends She is still in the
early twenties. OF schooling and chaper-
q =. :. :. !.
plain. elderly lady and clothes concern
her little. With the exception of the least
ornamental of evening goWns Miss de
Rothschild's wardrobe consists principal
ly of straight sack coats and short skirts.
Miss Alice de Rothschild was much
criticized in the neighbornOod of Waddes-
don Manor at the time Of her brothers
death for doing away with what was
known as "open day" at the manor.
Baron "Ferdy." who was as good ma
tured as he was rich. let the country
people and anybody else who wanted to
enter the house and grounds one day
week Miss Alice believed that more BEN
eft is derived by selecting ones guests
and entertaining such as need the enter
tainment with the same lavishness of hos
pitality as is given to the most impor-
tant person who comes there. Miss de
Rothschild has but to like a poor girl
who comes within her notice. and presto.
she has invited her to Waddesdon Manor
for change of air and needed rest. A
certain chorus girl. neither very talented
nor very beautiful. once attracted Miss
RothschiId's attention She sent behind
the scenes, got acquainted with the girl
and took her home with her. She has