New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-04

London, May IL.
1adv Ribblesdale, who died last week
,.s always been a figure in the world
.hough always outshone by two of he
.,sters It is impossible to think of hel
.vcept In connection with them; many
a, we're her claims to be thought If fol
hsrser. Laura Tenant, who became
Mrs. Alfred Lyttelton; Charlotte Ten
amt afterward Lady Ribblesdale; Mar
so, remnant. now Mrs. Asquith-thret
daughters Of the late Sir Charles Ten
,snt-there were hardly three more orig
;nal characters among English girls o.
those days, and certainly none II You
consider the three together. No one o,
them was primarily beauty. though
thew all had faces you liked to look upon
7, the days of professional beauties nc
ora Of the three would have been a can
s,date for that perilous distinction. Bu
ell the professional beauties among
them had not the charm which made
with her were qualities to which beauty
held but a second place. Merely the
writing Of her name brings food Of
-ecollections so vivid, SO excluding. that
7 find I must say at once what I have
,ong wanted TO say Of Laura Tenant
end defer 10 another day my memories
If Lady Ribblesdale.
Ihave known many women: never one
vho had the same union Of irreconcilable
attractions in her one person. The
.h,nss that are ordinarily most unlike
each other seemed in her each but the
complement of the other. Flowers from
diverse soils and OF alien climates blend
81 in her soul into a single bouquet; OF
an intoxicating fragrance. Vivacity was
hers. and grace; the sparkle Of rare
Intelligence, ard a simplicity Of nature
that was too complex to be wholly nat
ural. She talked TO you as If you and
she had the closest afinities of mind
ard of spirit: and 10 every other ac-
ouaintence, ! think. in exactly the same
,one She was womankind's epitome.
When you listened 10 that flashing
speech YOU asked only for what she
rave If she were silent. her face was
none the less eloquent She bewitched
whom she would; she entranced the
world; she drew her friends to her with
magnetic force not to be measured.
II she chose YOU to think she was Your
friend. you never doubted her unspoken
assurance. The light that never was on
sea or land was in her face. Her voice
had in II the music which no music has.
All this 7 have written. not the least
meaning to- Laura Tenant has been
dead FIVE and twenty years. She mar
RED Alfred Lyttelton. one Of the sacro-
sanct Lytteltons; and died in childbirth
within q year. My acquaintance with
her was never friendship except IN
those moments when she chose 1t to be:
for those moments, and under the spell
she wove as and when she would. But
the thought OF her recalls the magic Of
q presence like unto none other. She
vas an enchantress not because she
ared to be but because it was the will
Of Nature that i'm her should be gath
cred the compelling forces Of persuasion
and grace, Of soft brilliancy, of infinite
variety within the circle she drew
around her. She was of kin TO whatever
was most gracious and seductive in
Nature herself.
II YOU care 10 see how she impressed
such man as Liddell, who has discussed
~ e., bu I do
IN his remarkable Notes OF an Ordinary
Mortal" read his pages; the pages Of a
man Of the world who i'm his admiring
devotion TO her and 10 her memory
ceases to be man Of the world and be-
comes an enthusiast. SO perhaps do l.
The measure OF that enthusiasm is. in a
way. the measure Of the difference be-
tween Laura Tenant or Laura Lyttelton
and other women. | attempt no com
parison. and 10 comparison would be
either seemly or helpful Were IT pos
sible 10 give a purely scientific account
Of her, that would be the best tribute
10 her and the best definition Of a char
acter which defed definition. But when
science can explain TO you the sunshine
or the perfume OF q rose or the nys
teries Of any Of those influences which
are elusive because in each case they are
sIpeals TO the Imagination, ii may then,
and not till then, explain Laura Ten
nsnt. Nj. Liddell means you to under
stand that he was in love with her. l
. was not. Ny admiration was free Of
any such faint as that; and therefore
The more unstinted and the more gen.
pine This is a rhapsody. if you like.
Let It so at thai. And now / will return
"earth and use the language Of reason.
ana using the language Of reason, my
sst word shall be that to have spent a
Jew hours in her company was TO have
seen vision; and whose has seen 1t
once:
by that vision splendid
Is on his way attended"
forever after not memory, but an
MsErstion. nor ever does it
die away.
ana fade into the light Of common day"
"fSHusHips lhtluuru MI. pidoStoii'
ana Lord Tennyson name only two
among a multitude Of men renowned in
"sNs ways. ] name them not only be-
'e'se tney are famous. but because each
"ss man singularly independent Of
.''npathies and relationships. To use a
v'ual word, each was a selfish man.
'.ey say women prefer 3 man TO be
.'hsh; as form of that masterfVlness
eHey IKE most If all do not know.
D0es any man know anything about
"tlnenI Ruf aura Tappart ~,,,oJ n,a~