The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-05

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country that this enterprise of his vii
excite widespread interest here, and
he likewise counts much on tho sym
pathy and good Will OF tho leadinp
/ scientists and scientific institutions IN
| the United states.
May Not Profit by Death.
Old Mrs. Frederick Leyland was not.
as has been stated, the mother IN Law
OF the American born Lady Naylor
Leyland, formerly Miss Jeanie Cham
| berlain, of Cleveland, o., but her aunt
by marriage. and 1t is doubtful Wheth-
er the death of this aged dame VIII
prove of much benefit. financially
Speaking. to either Lady Leyland or to
her two boys the eldest of whom. Sir
Albert Leyland, is now within "a Few
months of attaining his majority. l;ady
| Leyland's motner-in-law. Mrs. Tom
ILeyland, so noted for her fondness for
| litigation, died some eight years ago
land the Mrs Frederick Leyland who
| has Just passed away at the age OF
nearly eighty was the widow OF Fred
erlck Leyland. the one-time friend ana
| munifcent patron of james Mcneil
| Whistler
Fred Lcyland, who owed his fortune
to the Leyland line of steamships. had
one dream which obsessed him, name
+! ly. the wish to live the life of a Iner-
| Chant prince of old-time Venice in
modern London. His house in Princes
| Gate was Il perfect storehouse OF ar
tistic treasures, and it was there that
Whistler produced his famous Peacock
Room. the decorations of which are
now, I believe, in this country. Ley
land was brought into contact with
Whistler through purchasing picture
by the latter of a Japanese girl enti
tied "Princesse du Pays de la Porce-
laine," which he hung over the ire
place in his dining room. the walls
OF which were covered with valuable
old Spanish leather. Whistler having
inv OIL nv / ays nd n ffp
picture in its new surroundings, COM
planned that the red flowers on the
leather spoilt the effect OF the painting.
and Leyland thereupon commissioned
Whistler to decorate the room as he
pleased, so as to be in Keeping with
the painting. Whistler went to work.
the splendid old leather wall covering
was sent ruthlessly by the board and
commenced to cover walls and ceiling
with japanese compositions, the chief
motive of Which We're peacocks and
their feathers. Over the buffet at one
birds: one of unruffled elegance was
said to represent the artist: the other.
with disordered plumage, standing on
Il pile of shokels, is alleged 10 have
The effect of the decoration was SUI
perb. But it brought death to ono
man, the Well-known architect. leclsyll. |
who had previously been engaged in
was responsible for the old leather
coverings of the dining room walls |
He was not permitted to see Whistler's |
transformation of the dining room un- |
til 1T was completed. In fact. no one
was allowed to obtain even glimpse !
of the work while IL was in progress |
But when Jeckyll at length was ad-
mitted, and saw the peacock harmony |
that MINISTER'S genius had produced on
the golden background, he went |
straight home, and began painting the |
floor of his bed room III gold. On the |
following day 1t became necessary to |
commit him to an asylum for the in
sane, where he died a few weeks later,
raving mad.
Whistler also painted portraits of
Mr.. and Mrs. Leyland, which were ex-
hibited at the Royal Academy in 1874.
and also portrait OF Baby Leyland,
afterwards the wife of Val Prinsep
the Royal Academician. This picture, |
however, Whistler cut up and destroy |
cd, II was one of the pictures which |
led to his memorable suit for libelous
criticism against Ruskin against |
whom he obtained a verdict of dam
ages to the tune of one farthing, |
which coin. which had cost him SO
many thousands of pounds to obtain.
he Wore ever afterwards fastened to |
his watch chain. 4
J With regard to young Sir Albert |
Le Sd his coming of ago will mean
err financially speaking. especially
when he narr!es. For in the many
In which Mrs. Tom Leyland
and her daughter, Mrs. Richard Chef
brought to light that Sir Herbert Ley
land when dying. had made no pro-
vision for his widow, beyond the $15.-
goo Of jointure settled upon her at
berts will entailed the whole of his
very large fortune upon his two sons,
with the instructions that they should
enter into possession thereof at once
also intimatcd that In the event OF
their death while minors, the whole
Of the property should pass to his sis
ter. Mrs. Richard Chetwynd, and to her
Yet Lady Leyland nursed Sir Herbert
last Illness and under tho circum-
stances this failure to provide for her
amount OF criticism and
ak, some people ascriblng 1t to the
'act that sir Herbert had never been
altogether himself after tho tragedy
Ie had tho misfortune to shoot the
I'D gentleman accidentally, by mis-
akins' him for a stag, While out deer
stalking in the Highlands Tho affair
vas terribly tragical. But somehow
rlyolous and worldly society in that
ieht. In fact, people were actually
Inclined to make a joke of the af-
air, and endowed Sir Herbert with
he cruel nickname of Bag Dad"
'a,is stuck to him to tho end Of his
Hestowal of Orders-of Ilnishthood.
me right 70, bestow orders OF
and decora lions IS RESTRICT
%. To- reigning soNeretgns. who are
'iilolally described as the fountain Of
many OF whom, however,
he Cabinet in office before they can
,onfer a distinction OF the kind. Tho
orerogatiye Is also enjoyed by the
, = ,,ti governments in tho person Of
Pope, who has retained this soveretgn
,,rerogatlye, and by the Sovereign on
ler or Malta. which still retains a
luMDer OF OTHER Soyereiern nraro 90 |