The Washington herald., 1910-11-22
LAD Y DOROTHY
UNDER FIVE REfGNS

reignsl should have singled out such ex-
treme characters as Mr.. Joseph Cham
berlain and Mr. John Burns as two OF
the most interesting people she ever met.
and she certainly knew everybody who
was anybody during the Victorian era.
one OF the photographs in her new vol
ume shows her standing arm in arm with
the president Of the London governing
board, for whom she says she entertaius
the highest admiration. although she
we'll remembers him being considered
terribly revolutionary" while she pub
fishes several particularly interesting let
tiers from the veteran member for West
Birmingham
One of them relates 10 Mr. Chamber
iain's third marriage. that 10 Miss Mary
Endicott OF Boston, IN 1855. Writing IN
that year to Lady Dorothy. he said:
Il am going to America to marry Miss
Endicott one of those American girls
whose importation into this country you
deprecated once so strongly in my hear
ing You said I Ike the Americans very
well, but there are two things / wish
they would keep 10 themselves-their
girls and their timed Holsters. am
ready TO give up the lobster, so you must
Lady Dorothy also tells an amusing
story about DR. Woln, father OF Sir
Henry Drunmond Wolff and husband Of
her aunt. Lady GeOrgiana Walpoie. Lady
GeOrgiana first was captVated by the
doctor at an, Exeter Hall meeting. In
an outhurst CT Oratory he waved his arms
and struck a lady on the cheek. Pausing
moment. he asked In a whisper who
the lady might be-
Lady Georgiana Walpole." was the
reply
THAT woman shall be my wife, he
said And quietly went on with his
speech.
II was some little time before the two
met again. but ultimately DR. Woln sat
next 10 Lady Ceorgiana az a luncheon
party She. CHANGED to drop her fork.
The doctor bent down TO pick 1t up and
pinched her foot
THAT kind Of a caress." says Lady
Dorothy. entirely novel TO Lady Georgi-
ana. made such an impression upon her
that she actually fell IN love with IT'S
giver and very soon they became en-
gagged. The child of that marriage was
Henry Drummond Wolff"
AprOpOs OF luncheons and dinners. Lady
Dorothy quotes an amusing story which
was told in connection with the widely
divergent types Of guest who were won't
10 assemble at the house OF Lady St.
Heller Lady Frances Jeune). one OF Lon
d0n's most famous h0stesses
An explorer. who had ventured into a
particularly wild and hostile region. hav-
ing been captured by It's savage and
cannibal inhabitants. was bound 10 a tree
lsgr 4h1ea fsa-x - hrf Cd
and eaten. At this critical moment their
chief appeared, who. on seeing the un-
fortunate explorer. addressed him in fair
English.
Il know your face he said; I'VE have
met at my friend Lady Jeunes, and so
Instead Of dining OF you, ! shall ask
you 10 dine with me and tell me all
the London news
The book contains also a good post
prandial story OF Whistler
On one occasion. when asked 20 din
ner by a somewhat punctili0us host the
party. after waiting for an unconscion-
ably long time eventually sat down 20 din
ner. Soup and fish were served, and
still no Whistler; and when at last he
arrived the host was in anything but
the best OF iempers. as his countenance
showed Whistler. however. was in no
wise disconnected for cheerily grasping
the somewhat limp hand he ratified out:
Don't apologize for having begun with
out me; I am not offended in the very
least" After which. taking his seat, he
became the life and soul OF the party
Among her personal friends. Lady
Dorothy OF course. numbered Lord
Beaconsfeld, in the days when he still
was Benjamin Disraeh IN his House Of
Commons days, she says, he was very
self-confident and quite assertive. Once,
however, when addressing the speaker, he
said: Mr. Speaker, I have SOME mod
esty. I hope" \ voice from under a
hat below the gangway snuffied out;
Your hope tells a very fiattering tale,
I am afraid"
Referring to the story OF the old lady
who. attending a funeral and being told
that Mr. Gladstone was present, said
oh. / do hope he won't make a disturb
ance," Lady Dorothy mentions that dur
ing the general election that year. great
crowds having assembled AT Ipswich. n
certain old lady was convinced that they
were caused by the opening Of the quarter
sessions. They are only waiting for Mr.
Balfour" said an Acquaintance, well, -
replied she. I suppose If the poor man
has done anything wrong he VIII have 10
suffer FOR. it now
Yet still another political story in Lady
Dorothy's book tells how Sir William
Harcourt and Mr.. Caldwell exhibited
some nervousness when addressing a
meeting In a country town, which led TO
local tailor remarking atterward: You
thought too highly of them. gentlemen.
When ] speak TO such a crowd I treat
them as so many cabbage stalks"
II is a curious commentary on society
Of to-day that Lady Dorothy has no sym
patty for what nowadays is called the
smart set" The adjective would have
conveyed 10 the ladies of other days the
idea OF some kitchenmaid dressed up in
her Sunday best They certainly would
not have regarded it as a fattering
description Of lady or Of a gentleman, -
she writes.
As 20 the money spent by society
women on dress. Lady Dorothy recalls
that when she came OUT her allowance
was only s45 sterling a year, and her
mother spent on dress, &c, only about
$500 a year, which was considered ample
for the wife of a wealthy peer. But
now" SAYS Lady Dorothy, II fear that
c3,000 year in great many cases would
be below rather than above the correct
figure"
She mentions that Queen Victoria, as a
young woman. always was simply
dressed, and at a great ball given in her
honor at Stafford House, when the
Duchess Of Switzerland wore most
magnificent dress glittering with dia-
mouds, the Queen. who went in simple
muslin. embroidered in eolors, remarked
on shaking hands; 'r come from my
house to your palace.
II is not a great many years since Mr..
Il I Dl1reen the millionaire art dealer.