The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-07-05
THE AMERICAN PEERESSES.

An anonymous writer in London
daily journal, says the PHILADELPHIA
Ledger, recently made a savage at
tack upon the manners of American
women holding British titles. After adj
hitting that there are some excellent
American peeresses, the writer-who
is apparently a woman-says the va
riety 'he" objects to are the hybrids,
The Chicago ark-Lane-four hundred
-upper-ten variety" and adds: II ac-
cuse this hybrid of striking at all that
is most cherished in the home life
OF England. at all the most modest,
unselflsh and reVerential. | accuse her
OF introducing the apelike decadence
OF New York society, where extrava-
gance is distinction, display is nobili-
" and notoriety the ideal at which to
ann. She is a snob to her finger tips.
ana her tuft-hunting struggles for
social advancement are based on the
american plan of getting there She
mas no scruples in her methods, apply
ing TO social life the ethics of modern
hnance. She has no conception of
home life; her husband is a partner to
De thrown over if tending to bore. She
neglects or spoils her children. She
considers knowledge of domestic econ
omles degrading for a wealthy lady,"
The writer denounces American women
generally for extravaganza, lightly ad-
Vertslng their charities, gowns, din
ners and incomes.
This assault upon the character of
American peeresses Immediately evok-
ed the following reply from a woman
signing herself: AN American Peer
ess. She writes: II am personally
acquainted with every American wom-
an married into the great families of
Britain, and their department, man
ner of living, modesty and expendi-
ture, considering their great wealth,
are a standing reproach to the ma
jorlty of English women of the same
class l know no American bridge
gamblers. We don't dread them. There
may be such a class in New York
but we don't call them Society. They
are drones in America, cut from the
same cloth which gives England her
bankrupt peers.
MY father was a businessman. I've
become a business woman perforce, be-
cause my husband had neither the in
clination nor the brains to attend to
his affairs. My husband brought me
title which 1 neither scorned nor
disliked. 1 brought him sufficient
relatives and hangers-on from bank
ruptcy, and, what's more dreaded,
honest work. I paid the debts of his
estate, bought back the pictures which
had been pawned. replacing a thou
sand things which vandal hands had
destroyed through a greedy craze for
money.
IF I were of your nationality, 1
should put every American woman up
on a pedestal and worship her, for
if 1t had not been for us, your women
would still be the dowdy, frowsy,
badly dressed, down trodden house
keepers of former days. 1t is not true
that we rule our husbands except
where our husbands are unable to rule
themselves. 1t would have been a fine
thing if l, with my money, had allowed
my husband to spend it in riotous liv-
ing. I did not marry him for that
I became a peeress, firstly, because
wanted a title, just as much as every
English woman wants it: and, second
ly, thirdly, fourthly and lastly, I saw
before me an opportunity to rehabili-
tate a physical, moral and financial
wreck-truly, a better and nobler task
than to shipper about over teacups
criticising our betters. Finally, / wish
to state 1 have presented my husband
with several sons. 1 am taking care
they shall not become noodles. MY
eldest son will live to see the day when
he will shout: Thank God, my
mother was an American London
society is as busy guessing the identity
of the author of the scathing answer
as of the writer of the equally vicious
attack on American peeresses.