The San Francisco call., 1906-07-08

lowed to do much entertaining in the
evening, or to stay up late, she is de-
cidedly better Miss Van Wart, who
halls from Washington, has the distinc-
ton of being the most successful spin
ster hostess of any nationality in Lon
don at the present moment. For some
reason, which il is impossible to ex
plain. the hostess who is neither
matron nor widow is rarely a success
in London. Ask why, and no one is
able TO answer you, but it is never
theless admitted.
The lady who presides at 80 Curzon
street is a remarkable exception and
her parties either in town or at Wind
sor have been extraordinarily popular
and successful and left the most i'm
portant married hostesses completely
in the shade. The King has frequently
been the guest of Miss Van Wart at
the chic little dinners for which she
was famous before her Illness. His
Majesty once remarked after a bridge
party at Curzon street, How does
that woman manage to keep unmar-
ried? She is one of the jolliest and
brightest I know and I expect she must
have had hundreds Of offers
FAMILY JEWELS PAwNED.
At a recent ball given by Lady
Iveagh in Dublin an expert in jewels
who was present said that there were
not twenty women in the room who
were wearing genuine precious stones.
This did not alter the fact that there
were scores of what seemed to be very
magnificent diamond tiaras, pearl
necklets, ruby stomachers and brace
lets and rings galore on fair wearers,
many of which gave the impression of
/ being family heirlooms." But, alas,
most of them were but imitation repli-
cas-, the genuine articles being stored
away in pawn shops If not already sold
at Christie's in Londonl
This state OF affairs is consequent
on the terrible hard up-ness" of so
many Of the best Irish families, the
majority of whom do not know where to
turn for money. These people are at
their wits end to know how to stave
off their creditors and women with
family jewels have risen to the occa-
sion and done with them the only thing
! left in the circumstances
At this moment, not few daughters
of Irish peers are working as hard as
/ they can endeavoring to learn the art
Of making Irish lace and Irish crochet.
Some have already become experts in
order to give themselves dress allow
ance, their only means of acquiring it.
Little does the smart Partisan and chic
American dream that the exquisite
Irish embroideries which adorn their
gowns have in many instances been
made, not in the cottage homes of Ire
land. but in the ancestral halls, and
wrought by fingers that have in them
the blood of Irish kings.
DUCHESS sHUNs SOCIETY.
The Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe
are at present at Ems and intend re-
naming there until the middle of July.
/ The stories which have been circulated
concerning their intention to entertain
I in London on a large scale this season
have no foundation in fact. They have
no London house and have no intention
of taking one. The Duke has always
detested society and the Duchess seems
to fully share his aversion to it-at all
events the sort that congregates In
the modern Babylon.
An American peeress with no end OF
money, who has never given even one
large party; has never gone to court,
except on the one occasion when she
was presented on her marriage has no
box at the opera, no London house, and
prefers the society of her husband to
any and all forms of fashionable dis
/ traction is certainly a rara avis
I'VE are as happy as the day is long"
1 she tells her intimates, but that does
not prevent her from being a tragic
disappointment to those who counted
| on getting a lot OF enjoyment at her
expense. Modern society has no excuse
for Darbys and Joans.
! One ot- -kAe aEst things the Queen did