The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-28

Stephen Mason, the first United States
Senator from Virginia; her brother.
'.the boy Governor OF Michigan" and
her niece. Miss Kate Mason Rowland.
the well-known writer.
Miss Mason thoroughly enjoys her
home, to which. as she says. she can
invite just whom she likes, and consid-
ers single life for a woman. not only
the most independent, but the broad
est. Few Americans have travelled so
extensively or seen SO much of social
life abroad. She has made the trip to-
Europe upwards of fifty times; lived
| fifteen years in Paris, and spent TWEEN
ty summers in foreign travel. going to
Gibraltar, Norway. Sweden and Dem
mark, and three times through Spain.
/ While there she was associated with
/ James Russell Lowell then the Ameri-
can ambassador: knew personally the
Marquise de Calderon. dame d'honneur
| to the 1nfanta. and stayed at the
same hotel with the Earl of Roslyn
and his grand suite, special ambassador
| from Queen Victoria. bringing wedding
| gifts from herself and the Prince OF
Wales to Alphonso Gather of the
present King) and Mercedes. She also
witnessed the splendid pageant on the
occasion OF the marriage of the royal
pair. having n full view of them in
their glass coach surmountcd by n gold
crown. and drawn by eight milk white
Arabian steeds. and later. in Paris,
attended tho same church with the
lQueen.
Miss Mason has also met Eugcnie
and was presented at the Austrian
court, where she moved in tho most
exclusive circles. lunchinE and dining
with imperial archduchesses, whose
manners she describes as resembling,
In their simplicity, those of well-bred
Virginia ladies'. Her superb court dress
OF crimson velvet was afterwards worn
at an assembly ball In Richmond, but
tho occasions upon which such gorge
GUS apparel was appropriate were so
few that she finally presented it to
la Roman Catholic church. where it
was wrought into sacred vestments.
Although descended from long line
Of Virginia ancestry, Miss Mason was
lborn in Lexington. Ky. OF which State
her father was marshal. When she
was a few weeks old. however, the
family returned to Virginia, and after
remaining there for fifteen years, re-
moved to Washington. Miss Mason re-
membcrlng every President (incudins
Lincoln) from Monroe to the present
day, and spending winters at the
Capital during the administrations OF
jackson, Van Buren, General Harrison,
tyler and Buchanan. In her glrlhood
she was occasionally with her brother.
then Governor OF Michigan, whore she
received at the Executive Mansion.
During the Civil War she was placed
l 4,
with 500 patients under her care.
Here" she says II sometimes soothed
despondent r.en with the promise that,
should they ole. l would look after
| their children. and while in Baltimore,
soon after Lees surrender. thirty or
phans claimed this pledge. Ten OF
these were taken in charge by wealthy
Southerners living In St. Louis. two
being educated at the Convent of the
Visitation of that city. A number
were provided for In Baltimore. and
others by friends in New London,
Conn, the railroads furnishing trans
portation In every instance. All turned
out we'll. some getting positions as
teachers and others marrying"
The latest public demonstration at
which Miss Mason figured was the
dedication in Richmond on last
Thanksgiving Day of the beautiful
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart when
she was the guest of her sister, Mrs
Chiffon. and Of Mrs. Chilton's daugh-
ter. tho widow of General Peyton Wise
Between the life Of Miss Mason and
that OF her distinguished neighbor and
contemporary, Mrs. Beverley Kennon
Of Tudor Place. the great granddaugh-
ter of Martha Washington. and her
only living descendant In the third de-
gree, there could scarcely be greater
contrast. Mrs. Kennon having lived
almost continuously for ninety-two
years In her present ancestral home.
Here. on January g. 1915, she was
born, her marriage to Commodore Rev
erley Kennon. son OF General Richard
Sennon, of Washington's staff a char
ter member of tho Cincinnati and
, grandson of Sir William Sklpwith, .oo-
curing in the drawing room of the
historic mansion.
. Speaking OF foreign travel, resi-
} dent of Washington said: "While I have
!. mot been to Europe, Europe has come
to no." and Mrs. Kennon has numbered
among her acqualntances tho choicest
representatives OF all Municipalities
brought to The Capital by changing adj
{ ministrations. Among these was Gen
eral Lafayette. WHO was n guest nj
, Tudor Place In 1924. IIonors, too
have continued to seek her out. and
few women have filed so many posi-
, tions OF responsibility and distinction
, A number of these have been relin-
, Lqulshed with increasing years. She Is
, board OF lady managers of tho Louise
1x,1, fn1, lhr Ntra NJ NJ