The National tribune., 1908-04-30

in recognition of her rescue of Is per-
sons from a watery grave, and she also
enjoys the distinction of being the first
woman to be admitted to the American
Cross of Honor Society.
The truth of the bromidic saying
that you never can tell what the day
may bring forth" has just been most
strikingly impressed upon us by the
tragic termination of the honeymoon
| of the young Duchess de Chaulnes.
Alone with her husband of scarcely
three months, in their apartments in
Paris, the Due was suddenly stricken,
gasped for breath, and was gone. Altho
not a very strong man, with a weak
ness of the heart which had given him
some concern for several years, the
Due seemed to possess ordinarily good
health, and his youth gave hope that
he might outgrow this weakness. He
was 81 years of age, and his bride,
Miss Theodore Shonts, several years
his junior, and naturally the young
couple felt that they had many years
to spend together. They We're married
under brilliant circumstances last Feb
ruary, and were very happy. Each
was devotedly attached to the ether.
After their marriage they spent a
month in this country, then went to
Paris, where they were living rather
quietly, that is, quietly for people in
their high position in a city where the
Due knew everyone of social impor-
tance. The course of their love did
not run very smoothly at first, for the
father of the Duchess, Theodore P.
Shonts, did not want her to marry a
foreigner, but the manly persistence
of the titled suitor finally won Mr..
Shonts' consent. If the newspaper re-
ports are to be relied upon, as of
course they are in most cases, the
young Due was good deal of fell
low, as the saying goes. Her certainly
had enormous debts, but that. sort of
thing is not looked upon in Europe as
1t is here. The great majority of the
"gilded YOUTH" whether they belong
to noble houses or not, have their
debts, but mean to pay them off some
day. The Due de Chaulnes had shown
that he possessed not only persistence,
which is an excellent and most useful
trait of character, but an appreciation
of the seriousness and real purpose of
life. He was very anxious to take his
place among the workers of the world,
to give up his aimless life of pleasure
and begin the more dignified and inn
portant one OF honest toll Probably
he wanted to pay off those debts with
out calling upon his wife's income for
that purpose. Mr. Shonts, his father
iH-ldW, Hdu procured MOST Suitable
position for him as European repre-
sentative of Wells, Fargo & Co., and
the Erie road, upon which he was
about to enter. He was the only son
in his family, and had he lived would
some day have fallen heir to much val
liable property. His dukedom was an
ancient one, being created in 1921, but
the French Revolution wiped it out
and it was only revived in 1869, by
Napoleon III, to reward his father, a
leading figure in French politics, for
some service. His mother was a Rus
sian princess. No family in France
stood higher taan his, and the young
Due had the entire to the proudest and
noblest houses of Europe. Just what
the poor little Duchess will do is not
yet known. If she has the ambition
to play the part which goes with her
rank she will remain over there. 1t
is difficult to be much of a Duchess in
America. Her father, mother. and sis
ter have gone over to her. According
to French traditions the funeral will
be most imposing affair. Repre-
sentatives from all the ancient families
of France. with most of whom the Due
was connected. will be present. and
much pomp and ceremony characterize
the mournful occasion