New-York tribune., 1910-04-24
Anglo-American Memories
ThE SOCIAL CAREER MRS. AND LADY
sr.
Copyright 1910. by oeors. w. sm.il.y.


shall like TO meet BY the side Of
il. At a dinner was next a lady who
knew everybody. and there was a man
at table whom she did not know. She
asked:
Who is that
Mir Justice stephen"
why have I never seen him7 He
looks a man everybody ought to know
But IL is a rare pleasure to meet some
body you Go not know
win give the other side in another
anecdote. A smart party. A stream Of
guests coming up a famous staircase
Two in a balcony looking down on the
arrivals.
He: Who is that7"
She; Il don't know"
He: But you know everybody"
She: Nobody knows everybody"
There spoke the voice OF authority.
Society in London is now so multitudi-
nous that even a bowling Acquaintance
between its less conspicuous members is
not universal II was Lady Jeune's mis-
sion 10 bring together those who stood
apart She swept into her net many a
foreigner who but for her might have
remained a foreigner. 1 will venture to
guess that Lady St HeIier's invitation
is one OF the few unofficial invitations
v hich Mr.. Roosevelt has accepted for his
too brief stay in london. They met
twenty years ago or more. when Mr..
Roosevelt was in London. and made
friends. He used to make friendly in
quiries about Mrs. Jeune, as Mrs
Jeune did about him. year by year. and
l often carried friendly messages from
each 70 the other. She will surround
him with delightful people, among whom
there will be one or two or three he had
never heard of: and when he has met
them will wonder he had not known
them always
Lady ST Heller has published a book
OF "reminiscences which have not yet
read I am therefore borrowing a little
OF her courage in giving my own account
Of some matters which she may have
dealt with: and perhaps from a different
point OF view. But must take that risk.
prefer taking il II my testimony, or
anybody's testimony. is 10 have any
value IL must be from its independence
Mrs. Jeune lived for many years in
Wimpole street; then moved 20 Harley
street. and then. after Lord ST. Helier's
death. in 1905. 10 Portland Place. Their
place in the country was Arlington
Manor. near Newbury in Berkshire. the
scene of the battle. in 1s43, in which
Lord Falkland. despairing Of peace. says
his biographer, threw his life away
There stands a monument on the battle
field erected not many years ago with
an inscription by the late Lord Carnar-
Won, himself kind OF nineteenth century
Falkland. who threw away his political
future in an impossible attempt 10 come
TO terms with Mr.. Parnell. Lord Car
narvon also despairing Of peace. The in
scription is a piece of literature forever
At Arlington il was Lady Jeune's de-
light TO gather about her some OF the
men and women she really liked. and
who really liked her. The house was
not large and was devoid Of all other
splendor than such as the beauty OF its
position and view and park and gardens
gave IL. But IL was the home of com
fort and charm. Now IL has passed into
otler hands. and Lady St Heller has
built herself another house, known as
Cold Ash. But the memories Of Airing
ton will never pass.
Perhaps ii was in Arlington that Lady
Jeune's gifts as hostess were to be seen
at their best. II is one thing 20 take
charge OF q dinner: another 70 handle
q difficult team from Saturday 70 Mon
day or often longer. Freedom Of choice
is a thing which has TO be paid for. But
TO her this was no task. She had good
hands, and a touch so delicate that YOU
were guided without knowing you had
bit in your mouth. II was a skill which
all depended on kindness and sympathy:
and these belonged 10 her in overfoving
measure
There is a story or two I should ike
70 tell; there are incidents which befeIl
beneath one or another Of these roofs:
there are other things TO be said. But
not to-day. and whether they or any of
them are TO be said some other day is a
point viii consider. G. VS.