The Washington herald., 1906-11-02
win Our Girls Ever Learug


II will do no good, of course. but merely
for the sake OF participating a little in a
current discussion that is sure TO arouse
natural but unnecessary choler, we desire
10 inquire why so many American girls OF
large inherited wealth marry Europeans
Of inherited titles The inquiry. We say. is
useless. because at the base OF the diff
Guilty lies that most mysterious. most in
comprehensive, most aggravating prob
lem with which the good LORD. has seen
III to beset His creatures-a woman's
mind. Philosophize about it as We may.
indulge in metaphysical speculation to
our hearts content. probe 10 the bot
tom the tmmeasurable store Of wisdom
produced by the worlds Iogicians
through all the ages, and We arrive at
no more satisfactory a re- II than the
trite and petulent conclusion Of the wise
man who declared that when a woman
viii she viii, and when she won't she
won't, and that's the end of it"
We do not mean TO say that proportion
ateiy there are not as many gentlemen
among the titled nobility OF Europe as
there are among the untitled millions of
men in the New World. as well as the
Old Your gentleman is born. Nor rank
nor title can make a gentleman out Of q
rufflan, any more than a silk purse can
be made out Of a sOw's ear. But the
feature Of annoying interest is that so
many Of our girls seem to think in their
blessed souls that because q European
who comes seeking them-or their money
with an inherited title, he is 4 gen
tleman; that he is tender. brave chiv-
alTous' that he will be ever loving. and
kind, and consideTate; that his rank and
station VIII bring to them happiness and
social prestige which IL is impossible for
them TO attain In this country Of demo-
cratic institutions. Probably parents and
guardians could prevent some of the mar
ital mistakes made by our girls if proper
effort were made. We do not recall q
single case Of an elopement by an Ameri-
can millonairess with a European duke.
or prince, or count, or whatnot. This
seems to argue that in every alliance Of
American millions with Old World titles
consent of the girls protectors was OBJ
tained.
Cases in point arc the shocking revela-
tons in the marital relations Of the
Duchess Of Marlborough and the Countess
de Castellane Both OF these American
women are living apart from their un-
worthy husbands Each is seeking legal
separation There is really little Of gen
ulity at the fountain source of either OF
the noble" families into which these
young women married. The founder Of
the Marlborough house was one of the
worst old rakes Of his day While he was
great fighter. he was also nonumen-
III CRATER. Most Of the battles he lost
l.-a received filthy money for for permit
ting the enemy TO win. Castellane at best
is soi-dislnt count. Titles Of nobility
"a France were inguIfed in that awful
torrent OF blood produced by the French
revolution-the most horrible tale in all
the annals of The human race. Away back
IN history when the Roman empire was
tottering 70 its fan, there was a Castel-
lane who sprung up above the pygmies OF
his time. and It is probable that the cas-
tellanes of this day trace their origin to
that source. On neither case ought any
body to be puffed up by bearing the
name.
But, of course. it is not this that at
tracts the American mi!lionairess-who
sister in poverty, by the way. would also
be attracted Just as strongly II she had
the opportunity. Nor will the unhappv
experiences of the daughter of the Van
der5ilts or the daughter Of the Gou!ds
who are now stirring our national sensi-