The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-07-01

appeared a short while after dinner and if the lookout on the captains bridge above was accompanied by a watchout for each other in a game of bridge be- low-well, that was not the concern of the idlers in the moonlight along the rail.
 At table, In one of the large alcoves, decorated with American Beauties In fun ny, chunky pitchers, MT and Mrs. Long worth, with MT. and Mrs. Orme Wilson and MT. and Mrs. Van Rensselaer,, of New York, made jolly party. None Of the ladies dressed for dinner except to change their heavy deck garb for sim pie gowns, all high in the neck, doubt less because every one wanted to be out on deck all evening.
 '@The first real excitement of the trip came when we reached Plymouth, and the little tender which came alongside to take passengers to Plymouth was seen to be crowded with people who had come down with the expectation of seeing the 'Amerlcan princess" as England Is still calling her It was Imaginable to see them all strainng their eyes up at the great steamer, searching for their American guests while all the time Mir and Mrs. Longworth, hatless and leaning careless ly over the rail- looked down at them un- recognized.
 The tribute paid to them everywhere Is very pretty, and the hearty spirit of welcome was written over every English face we passed as we came Into port at Southampton. The moment the gangplank was slipped across little party of Eng lish people came on board, and made their way to Mir and Mrs. Longworth. The Mayor of Southampton, a sandy lit- tic man, with a pleasant pompous man. ner, made q little speech. full of such very sentimental phrases, such congratu- lations and such compliments that poor MT. Longworth wriggled uncomfortably at the bride-and-groom flavor of the re- marks, and Mrs. Longworth suppressed a twitching at the corners of her mouth. We thought she looked very slim and simple and pretty in her light checked tailored gown and big black hat, especial ly among the group of English women, who were arrayed in gowns of the most elaborate colors and flouncings, each plump pink face set off by a white feather boa.
 Indeed. the whole of London seems to have gone mad on the subject of the white feather boa. They are simply om- nipresent, and as universally worn as were the long black lace gloves in America this spring. High and low, rich and poor all womankind sports the white feather boa. The East End girls display long. stringy, pathetic affairs, with a limp | feather every inch or two the Park Lane aristocrat seems buried In a fluffy mass of down; but they all do 1t, every one and even we are beginning to feel that to be in London without a white feather boat is to be without the pale of bare responsibility. All over again one Is i'm pressed with the confusion of the Eng fish woman's dress. In her cheaper guise she Is tawdry and oddly put together like a patchwork quilt: if she is rich she Is a sumptuous muss, q beautiful chaos. This was especially noticeable when the train from Southampton drew in at the Waterloo station In London The whole place seemed full of rolls of lace, pillows of chiffon, rivers of feather boas, but out of these showed the deli cate faces of these pink and white Eng lishwomen whom I at least shall spend the rest of my life envying.
 .gThe royal carriage which had been sent to Southampton to meet MT. and Mrs. Longworth-that Is, the royal rail- way carriage-differed from the other compartments only In Its inner finishing It was furnished In old gold satin, boasted little center table, loose chairs and oth- CT comforts A great bouquet of lilies of the valley stood on the little tahle. and several of the Southampton party es- corted the guests up to London, the Mayor and "Mayoress." as she Is seriously call ed, and the United States consul, MT Swain, being among them.
 .~The meeting between the Ambassa- dor and Mrs. Reid and MT. and Mrs Longworth was pretty Mrs. Reid Is so handsome. with her bright gray hair and her graceful carriage. Miss Reid Is ex- traordinarily pretty-very slender. and