The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

toria wrote and published those two
unassuming works, Leaves From a
Highland Journal" and More Leaves" :"
she had no idea what a remarkable eff
feet her example would have. Prob
ably it never entered her royal head
that titled folk of every rank on this
side Of the water would take the tip
from her and that after a while it
would be an uneventful week that did
not produce novel, a book OF poems,
or at least magazine article by one Of
them.
That's the state of things at present,
however. There appeared recently-all
within a few days of each other-a
novel by the Earl of Iddesleigh. a his
torical work by the Countess of War
wick, and a collection of poems edited
by the Duchess of Sutherland. And
within the past week there have been
announcements to the effect that Lady
,Jeune is writing a society novel, that
Lord Ellesmere is doing the same, that
Lady Colin Campbell is hard at work
ON an emotional play, and that Lady
Betty Balfour is collaborating on a
comedy with Mrs. Alfred Lyttelton,
wife of the Colonial Secretary
STARTED BY VICTORIA.
1t is all Queen Victorias fault Up
to about twenty years ago, although
members of the peerage frequently pat
ronized men Of letters, they made no
attempt to shine in the literary firma-
ment themselves. Women of title, es-
pecially, let the business of authorship
severely alone. Count D'Orsay's fair
friend. the Countess of Blessington,
was an exception, it is true, but she
was always more or less of an out
sider." In fact, so far as can be re-
membered, up to the time mentioned
the one and only work of any i'm
portance published by an English
woman of high rank was that rather
grewsome novel. Ellen Middleton"
written by Lady Georgiana Fullerton,
sister of the famous Lord Granville
and it appeared anonymously.
Almost Immediately after the ap-
pearance of Queen Victoria's book,
however, a number of women belonging
to the court world followed her exam
pie by giving TO the world portions of
their distinguished diaries and amiably
written accounts of their travels, and
after a while two or three members of
: the peerage, both men and women,
came out boldly with novels. Others
tried their hands at poetry, and still
others had go at writing for the
stage, and of late years the thing has
become so much the fashion that the
list of titled scribblers includes one
Duke, three Duchesses, four Countesses,
five Earls and plain lords and ladies by
the dozen.
DUCHESSES AS WRITER'S.
Frankly, the Thames has yet to be
set on fire as the result of a work by
any member of this illustrious aggrega-
ton. But if the literary, poetic and
dramatic work produced thus far by
British titled folk isn't on the whole so
very good, it isn't so very bad, either,
and there are perhaps a half-dozen
men and women of title among the
number who have no small share of the
real stuff of which successful, writer's
are made.
First and foremost among these
comes the youngest of the three Ouch
esses mentioned-her Grace of Suther
land. She was the eldest daughter of
the fourth Earl of Rosslyn, and is
sister of the present erratic bearer of
that title, who also has had a shy at
F.. literature and likewise at acting. but
who is perhaps best known as one of
the men who didn't break the bank at
Monte Carlo" The Duchess Of Suther-
land is distinguished in a number of
ways She is a beautiful woman, and
since her marriage has dispensed hos
pitality at what is called the finest pri-
vate residence in the world. She has
done a lot OF really important social
work, too, and her widespread philan-
thropy has earned her the title of the
Charity Duchess
Her first book was called How 1
Spent My Twentieth Year." and was
quite an original little piece of work,
though OF no great strength. Not till
ten years later-the Duchess Is now 3d.
did she publish anything else of any
Importance, but then her novel, "One
Hour and the Next" came out and was
Immediately recognized as a serious
and thoughtful book and one to be
reckoned with.
TELL OF HUMBLE LIFE.
,fhe Duchess of Leeds is another
Englishwoman Of title who has real
literary ability. Unfortunately her
health is extremely delicate, a fact
winch mas prevented ner lIoH uoiuB
any great quantity Of writing. She is q
daughter of the late Earl OF Durham,
was one OF rather remarkable family
Of thirteen brothers and sisters and is
married to one of the greatest Of Eng
lish mobiles. The Duke of Leeds is a
descendant of Charles IFS famous Min
lister and he owns "a. 800 acres.
The Duchess first important literary
work was novel called "A Lover of