The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-24

much in future Though her new house.
which belonged to the Duke of Beaufort,
is large, it cannot compare with the Cur
zon street one. which was among the
finest in London. There are few dining
rooms in London where so guests can sit
down comfortably at the same table; yet
1t was not at all unusual for Mrs. Adair
to entertain a party of this size in the
season. She had, too, a gorgeous ball
room with a minstrels' gallery at one end.
Still. her new house stands In a good
position on the corner of Portman
Square and has fine reception rooms. The
Beauforts have used it very little, and
Immediately on Mrs. Adairs return from
her ranch in California. whittier she has
fed to escape the unpleasantness of the
English winter, it win be redecorated in
keeping with her rather individual tastes
Mrs. Adair, as you will remember. had
considerable trouble with her eyes a few
years ago, and at one time 1t was feared
that she would lose her sight altogether.
They are all right now, but she has to
take great care of them. and her doctors
have warned her against being too much
in crowded, heated rooms and artificial
light.
The American woman misses her friends,
the Connaughts, dreadfully When they
were in London not a day passed that
Princess Pat did not run in to see her
friend and rummaged around to see IL
there was any nice new American candy
in the drawer that Mrs. Adair kept filled
especially for her. Both the princess and
her mother, too, bought scarcely pair
of gloves without consulting their Amer
lean friend, and they certainly do her
credit, for they are far and away the
best dressed "feminines'' in the English
royal family.
Princess Pless Ill
Princess Pless does not shake off the
delieacy that the severe illness after the
birth of her second boy left with her. and
she will spend the most of the winter on
the Riviera, as She did last year. She
has taken pretty villa just outside La
Napoule, which is within an hours run
from Cannes. and as soon as the hunting
parties which she and her husband al
ways entertain at this time of the year
are over she will go south.
Prince Pless is master OF the hunt to
the Kaiser and every year on st. HUI
bert's day-the patron saint of huntsmen
FursteEstein. Some years ago, the prin-
cess. who is a thorough ''madcap" intro
duced at these hunting parties-after the
prim and proper Kaiser has taken his
leave, of course-a new frolic that has be-
come immensely popular with her guests.
After dinner they go for long drives into
the thick forests that surround the castle,
emerging now and then from the black
ness of the trees to road lit on each
side by flaming torches.
Princess Pless always heaves huge signs
of relief when the unrelenting back of her
German overload is turned on the castle.
TIer unconventional ways find no favor at
all with William, and she has to restrain
herself a little while he is there-no lit
tie job for her serene highness, who has
high trigger temper. Some one once
injudiicously spoke of the princess to the
Kaiser, asking him if he did not agree
that she was an extraordinarily beauti-
full woman.
Very beautiful, no doubt" was the
guarded reply, but not womanly."
The princess win have her sister, the
Duchess of Westminster, staying with
her in the south of France, and the two
are sure to make things hum.
Skating Club Opened
Great We're the rejoicings over the re-
opening of the Olympia Skating club re-
Gently at Holland park. There never is
much going on during the little season.
of course. but this year there is less than
/ ever. Troublous times, both at home in
politics and abroad in the near east, have
made people disinclined to do much en-
Pertaining. and the young people are glad
| to make the best of dull season at the
rink.
Among the most enthusiastic skaters are
the two pretty daughters of the Grand
| Duke Michael. the Countess Zia and
NADIA Torby. Rarely a day goes by that
| they do not come up from Ken Wood. at
Hampstead. to have a spin at Holland
| park, and they are always several names
| deep for partners for the turns. They
are both tall and graceful, and certainly
the present fashions could not be more
suitable for skating. The spareness of
the mako of the clothes shows pretty
| figure to its greatest advantage, and the
owner of dainty foot and ankle doesn't
lengthen her skirt one-eighth of an inch
more than she can help.
There is more elaborate skating to be
seen at Princes, of course, where the
folks disport themselves real ice
Three duchesses were to be seen there
lately-her grace of Bedford, who started
the place, and the wearers of the Port
land and the Westminster strawberry
leaves. OF the men the Earl of Rock
savage, with his Victorian side
whiskers, is the most regular skater: in
deed, these dull days he may generally
be seen at one or other of these places
all the time, and is equally at home on
the wheels and the blades.
Women Carry Walking Sticks
Fashions latest edict is that women
should carry walking sticks in the streets
woman with a walking stick generally
centuries up a picture of figure clad in
rough homespun and thick boots. tramp
ing over muddy roads with serviceable
implement in her hand to help her over
awkward places. But the town stick is a
very different affair Made for orna-
ment and useless. it is of finely polished
wood, or for the wealthy. of tortoise
she'll with elaboratelY carved or ieMeled