The San Francisco call., 1906-10-22
SMITH IS A NAME
TOCONJURE WITH.
James Henry's Bride Is
Assured of All Sorts of
Pleasures in London
PRE-MARITAL GOSSIP
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE CALI


SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS OF THE CALL.
LONDON. Oct All the excite
ments and pleasures of London
life are in front of James Henry
Smiths bride, for she knows very
little of them. She has never been
a London hostess, and 1 doubt If
she has been presented here at court.
When in London she has mostly stayed
with her sister, Mrs. Anthony Drexel,
who knows every one and does some
magnificent entertaining. The Smiths
are bound to take a London house, as
Mrs. Smith will be bringing out her
girl, who, l am told. is very good
looking. She has been educated under
the direct supervision of her mother,
who has views of her own on what
girl should know As Mrs. An
a daughter in the spring, these two
girls are in for a good time. Both
viii in time be immensely wealthy, so
II only from that fact great interest
is bound to be taken in them. In the
matrimonial market of London the
debut Of American heiresses is
booked with as much exactitude in
social notebooks as in the entrance of
Derby runners in sporting circles.
The brides intimates here say Mr.
Smith proposed twenty odd times to
Mrs. Rhinelander Stewart, as although
they were great friends and compan-
ions she did not want TO marry again,
merely desiring a platonic friendship,
but, of course, you can accept as much
of that as you like. One thing is GER
tain, Chicago Smiths" nephew could
have married into the peerage a dozen
times over had he desired it. All the
matrimonial agencies used to deluge
him with offers of introductions to the
flower of the British aristocracy. but
- L. la5 I,r-
sending back through the postof1ce
piles of these communications and said
IL they continued he would prosecute
those who forwarded them for making
themselves a nuisance!
Mr.. Smiths sister, Lady Cooper of
Hursley Park, had views" for his
future. She was eternally attempting
TO marry him to some friend or an
other and at one time ii was thought
she had inveigled him into proposing
to a Dukes daughter. She tried him
with girls in their teens. mature spin
sters and charming dowagers, but
nothing availed, his countrywoman,
Mrs. Stewart, having won his heart.
Miss Aimee Meter is carrying all be-
fore her at Baden Baden. She is the
mirror of fashion, the most beautifully
dressed girl in the place. Her sayings
are quoted, her gowns copied and her
photographs are in every window. Her
vogue is complete and quite unique for
a young girl, for in these days it is
generally the young married woman
or the mature spinster who has IL her
own way and becomes the fashion.
OF course Miss Meters case is an
exceptional one. Long before her ar
rival at Baden Baden news of her sue
cesses in Paris and on the Riviera had
preceded her. At the latter, the King
of the Belgians gave brilliant festivi-
IN har Jn 10 Oo11 hnr
a pocket Venus" and openly gave it
as his opinion that she was ''irresist-
ible." All this, however, never turned
the head of the beautiful American; on
the contrary, it seemed to show her
her power and she soon realized that
she was in position to snub the frisky
monarch, which she did when his at
tentions became boring. Thinks he
is going to flirt with me because he is
King-no fear" she said. The snubs
she administered to King Leopold only
made her the more bewitching in his
estimation. This slip of a girl was
one Of the very first women who had
dared to keep him at arms length.
He was in turn enraged and amused
Once when he came to take her for a
motor drive she sent down to ask if
he wished Princess Ourossoff (who
chaperons her so much) also to come
Leopold replied that he was sorry, but
-.
Then 1 am not going was her an
swer-
1t was at Dublin Castle last season
she made her debut, but she will no
doubt appear at the court of st. James
later. London society is looking for
ward with interest to her advent, as
here she is practically unknown, save
to those who remember her as a little
girl in short frocks. She has GER
tainly been well launched and she
could not have had more influential
chaperonage than that Of Princess
Ourossoff, who knows every one worth
knowing, more especially on the Con-
tinent
The American girl is making her way
into the ranks of the French aristoc-
racy with praiseworthy determination
The engagements Of several French
noblemen to girls from the United
States will shortly be definitely an
nounced. This week that of Miss Mad
cline Goddard. daughter OF Colonel and
Mrs. r. H. Goddard of Providence, r.
l.. and the Marquis Rene d'Andigne of
Chateau Monet in Anjou comes to hand.
hear the Goddards intend that the
marriage shall take place in America
some time in November, and mean to
make 1t gorgeous affair. The BRIDE
groom elect comes of one of the Oldest
and most aristocratic families in
France, and in his picturesque chateau
in Anjou things are done with the
greatest stateliness. Already another
American has married into this old
house, for the Viscountess Louis dan
digne was a Miss Coleman of New York
before her marriage
Mrs. Cavendish- -Rentinck's dearest
enemies say that this clever American
woman had much higher aspirations
for May than John Ford. Be that
as 1t may, there are plenty who are
Of opinion that Miss Cavendish- Ben
tinck has done remarkably well. Mr..
Ford is a universal favorite wherever
he goes, and a born diplomat who is
bound to make a big hit in the service.
His father, the late Sir Glare Ford,
was ambassador at Rome, Constan-
tinople and Madrid, while he himself
is first secretary of the British Lega-
tion at Constantinople, where Sir Alan
Mackenzie, whose wife is an American,
is Embassador Lady Mackenzie is
just now entertaining thea bride-elect
and Mr.. Cavendish- Bentinck The
King has promised the brides mother
that he will be present at the wedding.
Mrs. Marshall Field has gone ito