The Washington herald., 1912-02-19

Mrs. George CORVALLIS Vests latest
move, the taking of Earfs Court for the
summer season, Is on the usual gigantic
scale expected OF this ladys numerous
enterprises. There is to be a Shakes
peare's England at Earrs Court, and
the entire proceeds are to go to the
scheme which she has so very much at
heart-namely. the establishment OF a
memory of England's "ever living poet.
Americans especially are ruIly acquaint-
ed with the varied career OF this we'll
known fellow-countrywoma this clever
mother of one OF EngIand's cleverest
rising politicians (more politician than
statesman). She certainly has seen life
under a number of different aspects. As
the wife OF Lord Randolph Churchill. she
was in that Inner circle" OF the politi-
cal world OF Great Britain to which those
OF the common clay, or ordinary poll
ticians. never penetrate, except perhaps
now and then in such "reminiscences as
both Mrs. West and her son have writ
ten and wherein occasionally the veil is
lifted to tell how things have happened
or as they in reality are.
One of Mrs. Vests quickest ventures,
no doubt was the establishment OF the
well known how she collected for and
had charge OF the hospital ship Maine
during the Boer war. One OF her present.
day hobbies is house furnishing. She Is
a connoisseur of furniture and pictures
Mrs. Vests husband, VINO is, OF course,
much younger than herself, is the father
Of the Duchess Of Westminster and the
Princess Of Pless and very clever ANA
teur actor, from whom the duchess has
inherited her talent for acting, which she
had occasion only recently to show and
have admired at the private theatricals
at her husbands fine estate OF Eaton
Hall. Mrs. West, by the way. has pro-
nounoed emphatically against that poor
little word obey in the marriage serv-
ice Of the church II most certainly
should be omitted, she declares for be
tween two people who admittedly are to
be companions the word Is grotesque."
While on the subject of obey" which
has raised no end OF a row in England
recently, 1 must confess that Mr.. Nf:tor
DuvaI and his wife have been the msans
OF providing their country with some of
the most amusing letters which the press
there for years has had occasion to print.
The whole affair was at least amusing.
Miss Dugdale and Mr.. Duval agreed
that she should not undertake to obey
him, and the oficiating clergyman con-
sented not to ask her to. Legal opinion,
however forced him to read the service
as It Is written, and the bride very
quietly but determinedly said everything
but the two words-"and obey"-to the
great satisfaction OF every one con-
cerned.
But don't shs raise a storm. though!
The editors were swsmpeed with letters.
One man wrote to say that the word
obey was absolutely a cardinal point
In marriage. Another stated that domes-
tic felicity would be completely ruined
II his wife were to refuse to obey him.
In fact. such felicity would become an
unknown quantity In Old England II
twentieth century Occidental women did
not obey the law as propounded by an
Oriental for Oriental women nearly nine
teen centuries ago. Floods Of wrath ran
through these correspondence columns
One who signed himself Not to Be
Caught wrote that women should only
be supreme in the kitchen and the
nursery. Husband" remarked that there
might as wen be no church service at
all IL obey were to be left out
And then, almost unobserved and quite
unobtrusive. there crept into the coli
umns OF the London press several let
ters-only q very few. be 1t said-like
the drop OF lemon juice one puts inte
strong coffee 20 settle the grounds. One
OF the writer's pointed out that the Jews
were known for their domestic felicity.
and yet Jewish women only vow to love.
honor, and cherish. but not to obey their
husbands And a Nonconformist made
matters worse BY writing that obedience
on the part OF a wife was not enjoined
in England except by the established
church.
It does seem odd that anybody having