The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-03-13

III "y oSoi oAo, - pCL
Phreposterous." The Duchess of II.
slingstown sighed and leaned back in
her chair. II cannot think what the
world is coming to, or what the poor
4 Duke would have said"
The Dowager Duchess Of Illings-
town had only lately come over from
/ Illingstown, where she had spent the
last few years in strict retirement on
her Irish property after the old
Dukes death, when her son, the
present Duke of Illingstown, had
married. The Dowager Duchess had
made the excuse of w~idowhood a rea-
son for her %seclusion. Now, however,
the young Duchess having been very
/. ill, she had consented to come and
stay with her three little %grandchil-
dren while her son had taken his
wife abroad.
The Dowager Duchess, a great and
4 dear friend of my mothers, was old
/ fashioned in her views, and belonged
to that nobler school of dignity and
I gentlehood that one sometimes fears
is becoming extinct-not that there
is any real need for fear, as it is,
of course, only the blatant and vul-
gar few who apparently submerge
the more retiring and refined of their
sex.
It was a matter of horror and
amazement to the Dowager Duchess
to find that several of her younger
Relations had either opened or gone
into shops, and it was this discovery
which had elected her angry remarks
to me.
$50 many people are in trade now
adays," 1 murmured, apologetically.
",Certainly-why not?" said the
4 Dowager Duchess calmly; but they
should not expect to be in society,
too"
But they are" I murmured.
"They were not in my day." said
the Duchess stifiy; and the way
they tout for work is absolutely scan
dalous. Just look at this bundle of
letters. Here is Sophie actually ask
ing ME to go to her shop and buy a
bonnet, and Edward asking me to buy
\ milk from his dairy-and the worst
it is that several of the letters
4 have been sent to the housekeeper.
/ felt positively ashamed of some of
nay relationships look at this!'
She handed me another letter. 1t
was from Lord Ernest Illingsworth
saying he had bought the Fresh
Rosebud" laundry, and hoped his
agreat-aunt would give him a turn.
"What an expression" sighed the
fDuchess-then she smiled a soul but
dignifed smile-"but I think I'll give
them all a turn, my dear Everard;
those sort of people want showing
their place. Just make a complete
list of them for me, and put the diff
ferent businesses under each of their
1 names" She rose with dignity, and
turned toward the door. by the
way. will you lunch with me on
Thursday at 1 O'Clock? Good-day,
my dear boy" and, smiling, she dis
missed me and slowly assembled the
great staircase, her head erect, and
her figure as upright as ever, in spite
of her age.
1t was 1885 when l presented N.Y.
self the following week at Illings-
town House. l was shown into a
small sitting-room, and the Dowager
Duchess received me with an air OF
ceremony that, alas. is becoming
rarer every day.
"How do you do, Everary-a fine
day-sit here" She waved me to a
seat. II am giving a party to-day to
some poor people-we will see them
LATTER luncheon"
The Duchess's philanthropy was a
byword on her Irish estates, but
Wondered how the innovation would
Fuit the younger Duchess retinue OF
bervants; what they would think OF
Having the lower classes at Illings.
i town House.
9he Duchess was In high good hui
mQr. and had momentarily torgottan