The Washington herald., 1907-02-17
Heard in and About Washington
Writer Recalls Christening of Dorothy Whitney

person among the hundreds that MT at
the American Ambassadors palace.
Radiant Is the one word that ade-
quately describes the future Empress OF
Germany. Sine is young, buoyant fun Of
charm, vivacity, energy, and enthusiasm.
lady. who met her not long ago. said
she reminded her Of nothing 50 much as
an energetic American college girl.
She has big. inuuiring eyes. q clear and
fresh complexion, and she dresses simply
and unostentati0usIy. ard often outTages
the strict and severe court IN which she
lives by the unconventional things she
does. She is a woman OF conviction and
opinions, whose influence viii be felt
around the globe later for she Is the
daughter Of that Anastasia, a descendant
Of the ROmanOffs. a sister OF the Grand
Dukes Nicolas. Michael. and George. who
has remained q Russian. despite her mar
riage with the late Grand Duke of Meek
lenbuTg and her constant residence in
Germany since 1873 she is q pure nom
cOnfOrmist and the Germans never have
accepted, and never VIII accept, her. It
is not to be disputed that she IS the most
unpopular royal parsonage in Germany,
yet she has the best Of hearts. IS clever,
interesting and brilliant II is said that
her only bachelor brother. the Grand Duke
Nicolas, viii leave his entire fortune 10
the Crown Princess Cecile, and this was
one Of the conditions, her Inheritance OF
his Russian millions, on which the mar
riage was made.
The second brother Of the Duchess
8nastasia. the Grand Duke Michael Is
mOrganatically married 20 a Swiss, who
was created the Countess Of Torby, and
they have three children-Anastasia,
named f0E her aunt, the mother Of the
crown princess Of Germany; Nadejda, and
Michael. who IS now nine years old, and
is reported 10 be clever and interesting
and a possible future factor in Russian
politics.
Il is q heartbreaking little story. that
Of Jessie Lincoln's marriage 70 BecBwith,
the football player. who is now suing her
for a divorce, for desertion, probably.
II seems only yesterday that Jessie Lin
coin was a gladstone child here in Wash
ington when her father, the eldest son OF
Abraham Lincoln, was Secretary Of War.
A few years later she was. as the ddUgh-
ter Of the American Minister, a prominent
figure at the Court Of St. James, cOurted
and nattered. II seems strange that she
should have turned away from rich and
titled noblemen to wed the obscure son
Of an obscure family, whose only recon-
mendation was that he had made Il record
as a football player. But that is what
happened.
The little Lincoln girl, who had had the
world al her feet, who could pick and
choose among the nOblemen Of England,
when on a visit to her maternal grand
father. former Senator Harlan, OF Mount
Pleasant. Iowa, met and fell in love at
first sight with this knight Of the pig
skin and promptly eloped with him. II
is needless TO dwell on the SORROW this
caused her parents, who are conventional
people. but they promptly forgave her
and received her back with her football
husband They lived together. Mr.. and
Mrs. Warner BeCkWith, for three years.
One child, q daughter, was the result Of
the union, and then there came a
separation-a separation that was in
evitabIe, according TO the opinion OF
the people Of the world. And now
the football player is suing the grand
daughter Of the greatest President the
United States has ever had for a divorce.
It is a trite saying, surely, but truth is
so much stranger than fiction.
II never properly understood the value
Of chestnuts until tried them on the
people over in Europe" said retired
general, who has just returned from a
trot around the globe. why, ] made my
self an everlasting reputation for brill
fancy by relating over there some Of the
jokes so old and moss grown they would
be received with groans here. When I
was in Sweden it was my good fortune 70
be invited 10 go hunting with the King.
who in spite Of his royalty, IS a very
charming man. We came in from long
run one Gay. hot and tired Sim glasses
holding cool drink were passed around.
l empued mine in one swallow, and as
passed II back for more, said: Well, gen
tlemen, I would not sell my thirst for
$40 4 cry Of delight went up from all
the men in the room They repeated il
over and over. and now that venerable
joke is the last and mest fashionable
slang in Stockholm"
And then he went CT 70 tell about a
little man who lives in Washington. but
who did not always spend his summers on
the Continent. or travel with valet This
little man, whose name is not Smith. has
a reverence for everything new. and no
reverence for anything old. They were
together in Genoa. Here" said the guide
TO the little man, whose name is not
Smith, here lived the great Christopher
Colombo"
who lives here?" asked the little man
whose name is not Smith; who lives
herc?"
re great Christopher Colombo lived
here. sir; ze great discoverer Of AmeriqUe
lived here 800 years ago.
o nj rfrr ~Tr-
but d-n il. VINO cares about 400 years
ago? What want to know is who lives
here now?"
One Of the pleasantest occurrences in
society this winter has been the visit OF
the Hon. Maud Pauncefote. the eldest
daughter Of the late former Ambassador
10 America, 10 Mrs Townsend Nothing
has been left undone by her friends to
contribute TO her pleasure and she has
been much moved by the pains that have
been taken to make her stay here a
pleasant one. Miss Pauncefote has
changed very little since her fathers sud
den death caused his family 20 leave
Washington She is a little gTayer, per
haps little more serious, but she is the
same hearty, wholesome, unaffected
woman that charmed Washington more
than a decade ago. II is said that Miss
Pauncefote is writing some "reminiscences
of her life In Washington, and that shs
will give an extended account of her dis
tinguishod fathers career, who, il Will be
was for many years an I'M
der secretary in the foreign Office, and
one of the wisest and most TO be de-
pended upon man IN that important bu-
reau. That he lacked the brilliancy and