New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-08
An Idle Duchess
. IDLE SKETCH OF THE LIFELONG INAcTIVTIEs OF THE
AN '0N
London. August 10. industry. T,
Copyright. 1912, by C. W. smalley,

| they were. WoVe tWeedS anu o'io'
cloths, with scant means and by old
/ fashioned methods. and with niue or
no capital, and an uncertain market
| The Duchess thought 1t possible 10 I'M
| prove the conditions both OF workers
and their work She has gift OF or
ganization and that genius for helping
! people which springs from sympathy
with them. Beginning modestly. try
/ ing experiments of one kind ana an
other, interesting others in her en-
| desvor she presently brought this
struggling craft into prosperous
/ state. If YOU went to Dunropin AT the
right season, which seemed 10 syn
chronize with the summer TIDE OF
guests, YOU found sales going on or IL
the sales were over there was stlll a
snrplus of unsold fabrics. and some OF
these YOU could always buy. After d
time sales were arranged in London
and elsewhere. a fluctuating market
became steady. 4 demand grew, and
| therefore a supply. The authority OF
| fashion was invoked The Duchess
gave each year a garden party AT star
! ford House, in London, for which she
sent out cards 10 a great fashionable
and miscellaneous company. Dozens
Of her friends held stalls, and for three
! hours OF a July afternoon the gardeh
party attended strictly TO business, ana
] SnCI-
land and Sutherland Iomespuns
II may be that the regular merchants
| looked askance at these proceedings
The tailors certainly did. The London
tailor prefers you TO choose the STUN
for your suits from his own counters
and when first sent homespuns Tor
him 10 make UP used TO think SUIT
cost rather more than II I had ordered
from him direct. But TO the new order
Of things he has now adapted himself
Al any rate, the Duchess's efforts have
succeeded. / can't give you the ng-
ures. but I know that the weavers and
all the people concerned have prohted
largely by her intelligent, perseVering
zeal, and are prosperous, where be1oFe
they were pinched and miserable.
| touch only the fringe, but hope II
already begins to be evident that the
idleness which accomplishes all this IN
villages. and on farms. among laoorers
families and in the promotion Of man
ufactures that cover countryside, is
strenuous sort Of idleness
Yet II is only one side of crowded
life. The writing Of books and even OF
a plav or two is. with the Duchess OF
Sutherland. another; and that also is
q kind of Incidence which those whose
trade 1t is think toilsome. She pup
lisled not long after her marriage
record Of travel entitled How Spent
My Twentieth Year" a book OF fresh
impressions Of India and other Do
minions. Ten years later came one
Hour and the Next" and presently
other novels; wherein you might dis
cover individual views of life and
disposition 10 inquire into the founda-
tions Of things; az well as shrewd per-
ceptiOns of human nature, in which the
art of living and OF loving went TO-
cether. The gift Of Literature is hers.
But II Literature seems 10 the arch
enemy Of the Idle Rich mere pastme,
he would hardly say that OF the social
questions which the Duchess has maze
II her business to study; and not only u
study. She does not shrink from the
platform when there are causes 10 be
pat before the people. To her. more
suppose than to all others, is due the
government inquiry into Lead Poison
ing In the StaNordshire Potteries; and
tho hetterment OF the conditions In
which the Potters now work. For
many causes her voice has been lifted.
II is a musical voice. and her power
Of graceful, strong speech Is one which
many an orator might covet She has
organized and I think still directs the
Potteries Cripples Guild, which turns
out metal work, with a shop in Bond
street where you may buy these prod
ucts, not from charitable impulses
only. but because the things are really
pretty and the art Is real art. The
Scottish Home Industries Association
IS another Of her creations, and OF the
Nicholson Institute she is president.
II In respect OF some public questions
the Duchess takes impulsive or emo
tional views. that is only saying she Is
q woman. And even woman who
was always right would be always
wrong in meddling with the govern
raent Of q Kingdom. But the energies
Of this particular woman are irrepres-
sible. Suppose you add to my cata-
logue other titles which in this coun-
try of sport are hardly less serious and
often more engrossing than business or
politics. Add hunting and deer stalk
ing md yachting and golf, 10 each Of
which many a man devotes his life.
Then turn the leaf again and see how
much Of this slothful life IL given to
music, 10 art In various forms. 10
travail 10 wide reading. TO wide chart
ties and even to serious thinking.
II have been rather carried away
nv the attractions OF these various
forms Of vacant leisure my account is'
nevertheless, anything but complete.
I have left myself little space Tor the