The San Francisco call., 1906-05-05
Life OF Duchess OF
ROXburghe Is a
Quiet One.
Blame Is Laid on
Husband, Who Is
a Scot.

LONDON. May 4.-Never did an
American peeress prove sadder disap-
pointment to British society than the
young Duchess of Roxburghe. Because
of her vast wealth, great, elaborate, in
deed unique, hospitalities were expected
of her. There was an idea that she
meant to outdo all her eountrywomen
as social leader. Her friends were
all convinced that she intended after
her marriage to rent, or build, a great
town house and make it a center of
gaiety. And what has she donef
Practically nothing, at all events
nothing big. Her luncheons and small
dinner parties at Claridge's for her
immediate friends have been greatly ap-
preeiated by them. Her tiny house
parties at that huge Scotch palace,
Floors Castle, have certainly been any
thing but gay and even her Grace's in
Inmates have felt lonely and "out of
il - in that great barracks desolate
enough to be prison
Society is yet again faneying that the
Duchess means to take up her position
this season as one of the great hostess
es. She has no such intention. 1t is
even doubtful that she viii take a
town house.
The real truth in the matter is that
the Duke of Roxburghe hates Society
with large S. 1t bores him; it both
ers him. To use his own countrymen s
definition he is somewhat fsdour" in
temperament. Seotehmen are inYaria-
bly, difficult, and even an American wife
has her hands full if she hopes to man
age one. Although usually kind-hearted
they are as obstinate as mules and those
who understand the Scotch character
best will tell you a Scotchman never
tells his wife he loves her until he is
on his death bed, yet he loves her de-
votedly all the time.
The Duke of Roxburghe has been a
soldier, much accustomed to give orders
and to be obeyed. Even his pretty
American wife obeys himl So far there
has never been hitch in the domestic
machinery, for the excellent reason that
her Grace has fallen in absolutely with
the ways Of her Lord and Masterl That
is why she is such disappointment to
British Society.
The practical joker has been having
some fun lately with the typewriter.
He issued a large number of invita-
tions couple Of weeks ago to a lot of
nobedies for ball at Sunderland
House. The invitation explained the
dance was to be an informal one and
but tBenty-four hours notice was CIV
en-, while there was no R. s. V. P. in
the corner. Elated, honored, delighted,
the recipients in all theirs war paint
arrived punctually-a nobodies always
do-at the time indicated. MANY of
the invited had never even seen the
Duke and Duchess Of Marlborough
through a telescope).
The Duke and Duchess had a small,
quiet political dinner party the same
night and were still in the dining-room
when their guests for the ball began to
arrive. 1t is well-known among his
friends that the master of Sunderland
House has no sense of humor. He was
furious when he saw the invasion and
heard every moment the sound of car
riage wheels.
1t was the Duchess who saved the
situation. She had all the electric
lights turned on. She received every
guest, shook hands with him or her,
offered refreshments and having more
intuition than anyone else soon "tum-
bled" to the trick. No one was humil-
lated; everyone went away charmed
| with her tact and her kindness. hear
the Duchess is in a chronic state Of
laughter ever since the performance
and she has told her friends she never
enjoyed anything SO much since she
came to England.
Had the people upon whom this joke
was played the slightest knowledge of
the fitness of things they would have
realized it was impossible for the Ouch
ess Of Marlborough to give ball with
in something over month of the death
Of Lady Howe, her husbands aunt.
But the majority of those invited had
never even heard of Lady Howe.
The sender of the invitations is we'll
known at the Bachelors Club and on
the night of the "party" he and his
confederate watched in the bitter cold
the arrivals, and they must have been
very much annoyed and puzzled at the
INV IN which fba or,1aG+uyt nara 70