The National tribune., 1907-03-21

400 at present. That Mrs Astor, on
account Of her advanced age and deli
cate health, has slept down and out
there is no doubt, but upon whom her
mantle shall fall is the poser. 1t is
universally conceded that Mrs. Astor
was great leader of wonderful tact,
and great kindness of heart. Always
dignificd and in perfect taste, she had
the faculty of drawing to her the most
interesting and distinguished people
with whom she came in contact, The
most logical successor to Mrs. Astor
would seem to be her daughter-in-law
Mrs. John Jacob Astor, who is beauti-
full, accomplished, charming and most
graceful hostess; but there is a cold
ness and aloofness about the manner of
the younger woman which will prevent
her from ever becoming generally pop
ular. While several very charming So
ciety women are under approval, so to
speak, for this position, Mrs. Cornelius
Vanderbilt, Jr., seems to be the one
upon whom the majority have settled.
Her fame as a hostess has been her
aided for some time, and Is second to
none in the Metropolis. She has all
the necessary attributes-beauty, great
wealth, talent for entertaining and for
wearing tasteful and elegant toilets,
and a warm, genial disposition. IT
seems rather odd that Mrs. Astor's own
daughter. Mrs. Orme Wilson, has never
been considered at all as a possible
candidate. While this question could
hardly be called vital one, nor one of
national Importance, New York will
probably feel better when 1t is settled.
Whats in name?" exclaims the
poet. Alas, there is often a great deal
which makes for satisfaction or bitter
dissatisfaction. No one can fail to
deeply sympathize with John Doe, who
lately applied to the courts to change
his. Everybody looks upon it as JOKE
he says. and he always has been, and
always will be, handicapped so long as
he bears that popular cognomen. He
has the melancholy satisfaction of
knowing, however, that the Richard
Roes are having just as bad time of
1t as he is.
George Gould, brother Of Anna, for
mer Countess of Castellane, denies the
story that her lawyer, Mr.. Edmond Kel-
ly, formerly of New York, has sent in
bill of s175.000 for legal services. He
says Mr.. Kelly's fee was a much smaller
sum, and that he has made no criti-
cism whatever of the lawyers charges.
1t keeps the nt-Vanderbilt-
Marlborough combination pretty busy
denying things. Now Mr.. Belmont saws
there isn't word of truth in the state
ment that the Duchess of Marlborough
has engaged a suite of rooms in the
Martha Washington Hotel of New York
City. That the Duchess will soon visit
her native city is not denied. but 1t is
thot she will not remain out of Eng
land long.
Dan r. Hanna. Mark Hanna's son,
appears to be entertaining thots of a
third matrimonial venture, if his pres
ent wife succeeds in getting her divorce.
1t would seem to the moderately-mind-
ed person that he might be content to
rest on his apparently easily won lau-
rels and give Cupid and Hymen the
cold shoulder for a while, but it seems
he thinks differently. Possibly he be-
lieves in the luck of odd numbers. The
lady spoken of as the future Mrs. Dan
is the beautiful divorced wife of Frank
Skelly, one of the office staff of the
Waldorf Astoria.
A rather amusing precedent was es-
tablished in the Army a good many
years ago by Col. Loomis of the 5th
u. S. The Colonel was a very religious
man, and on a certain Sunday he had
the men lined up and put the church
question to them. Most of the soldiers
decided they did not care to attend di-
vine service that day, whereupon the
Colonel ordered that all such should
remain in line and listen to the reading
of the Army Regulations until the re-
call from church was sounded. This
worked exactly as he expected it would,
and the men found that there were
things far more tedious than attending
church.
Largely on account OF his beautiful
American wife, Mary Letter, we, on this
side of the Atlantic, have watched with
considerable interest the contest be-
tween Lords Curzon and Rosebery for
the Chancellorship of Oxford. Ameri-
cans are therefore pleased that Lord
Curzon "won OUT by vote of LII
to 430. Lord Curzon is now in very
good health, has just past his 4Sth
birthday, and is one of the most brill
liant scholars of the day in England.
His three little motherless girls are
with him.
Considerable excitement was caused
in art circles by the announced discov-
cry Of Raphaers long lost Holy Fam
ily." This famous painting was found
in Belgium lately, taken to London,
and submitted to undoubted judges who
have pronounced 1t genuine. This pic
ture was known to exist, but its where
abouts have been unknown for. years.
Roger Fry. the celebrated English az