Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1904-07-07
Lspecial Correspondence.I

the metropolis, is scarcely more osten-
tatious in her daily life and tastes
than was the late Queen Victoria, with
her little, old fashioned bonnet and her
four shilling parasol.
1t is her very humanness which has
given Mrs. Astor her remarkable posi-
ton. Her leadership has not been won
by beauty, nor is 1t due to the prepo--
derating influence Of the Astor mill
lions. 1t is rather the result Of her ina-
mite tact, her simplicity and genuine
ness, her generous and sympathetic
nature and her culture.
Mrs. Aston spends every summer at
Beechwood, her beautiful palace at
Newport. where many of the greas
events of American society history
have. had their scene, and part of every
winter. In New York. She has been for
many years an important member ct
the exclusive set of Paris, composed of
the old nobility, and frequent visitor
at the great country houses Of British
dukes and earls. In Europe, as in
America, she is known as the Mrs.
Aetor
But It is her town house, at the cor
ner of Fifth avenue and Sixty-ffth
street, overlooking Central park, that
she makes her home. Here every Jan
uary is given the Astor ball, an invi-
! tation to which constitutes the acme
of social distinction In this house are
the Astor art gallery and the famous
Astor tapestries, with the lares and
/ penates of the first family in America
i And here Mrs Astor lives that life
which is scseened from the general
gaze and in which she finds her great
est pleasure.
Mrs. Astor rises at o'clock every
morning, like ordinary folks who have
/ to work through the day. She is one
/ of the most systematic women in New
| York. Routine Is one of the secrets of
her success.
Generally she breakfasts alone or
with her secretary, sitting at a small
table and eating not from the famous
4 gold service or monogram plates, but
from set Of simple Old fashioned
china which has graced the Astor home
table for many years. After break
fast she reads the morning papers or
has them read to her, not combining her
self to the society columns, but TAX
political affairs of the day.
| At $50 she is ready to give orders to
her household Mrs, Astor is proud
that she is u grandmother and at 10
o'clock Is playing with her small
grandchildren either in her own house
or that of her son, John Jacob Astor,
which adjoins it and which on great
occasions Ia saade one with her own by
means OF the magnificent marble stair
way which connects them After this
happy hour she gets down to hard
work, the reading and answering of
her enormous mail
Her wardrobe ii not d large one
though she must change her gown al
least i've or SIX times every day Ev.
erythtng she wears Is quiet and rich
the only approach to ostentation being
her wonderful jewels. among which
are a stomacher Of thirteen rows of diff
ferent hued stones which was once the
property OF Marie Antoinette and q
bowknot OF diamonds presented tt
Richelieu by Louis XIII.
The picture gallery Is the great treas
uTe Of the house. It contains many Of
the most noted paintings OF European
artists which have found their way tt
America, and IN this gallery Mrs. As
tor often sits FOR long evening hours
with her pietures. which. she says
have become real friends to her.
The dining room, massive in its ebo
nv furniture, Is hung with the Beau
yais tapestry. The drawing rooms ar,
spacious, with the same elegant .ant
artistic effect which pervades til.
| whole house. and filled with fine mar
/ bles and other gems of art, chic
among them the fun length portrait b
Mrs. Astor ii the prime OF her youth
painted BY Carolus Duran. The recep
ton room is distinguished BY exquisit,
pieces of rertu ana curios of great age
SUSAN PEPPER.