The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-28
Will See That Every Child
Has a Christmas
Present
QUEEN WILL MAKE
PRESENTS TO POOR
Princess Mary Is Also Busy Helping
Her Royal Mother Make Dolls
for the Little Ones in
England's Capital
BY LADY MARY.

mas presents Tor poor cnl1uren at hoHle
and In the hospitals. 1t is the intention
of the smart world at the moment that
there shall not be poor child in Lon
don without a doll on Christmas morn.
Hostesses issue cards inscribed, Come
to meet my dolls" in the corner and
everybody makes suggestions for origi-
nal frocks for the wax beauties, which
are to be ratified. The Duchess of Marl-
borough is among those who are to have
a series of doll parties. She is design
ing the gowns of the ultra-fashionable
ladies herself, though she does fight shy
of the use of the needle. Sewing irri-
tates her.
Lady Essex and her daughters are also
giving doll parties later, and so is Lady
Cheylesmore, a great authority on ia
poupee" Prizes are often given for the
most originally dressed dolls and those
taking part in the competitions reserve
very carefully up to the last moment
their secrets in regard to the costumes.
AS 1 write the Queen and her daughter,
Princess Mary, are dressing dolls down
at York cottage and inviting their neigh
bors to tea to view their handiwork.
Princess Mary, who still takes an in
terest in her own dolls, makes a point
of arranging all the clothes so that they
are easily taken off.
De Croys Will Come to London
| hear that the Duke and Duchess de
Croy will come to London shortly and
stay for some little time. They are great
friends of the Lichnowskys of the Ger
man embassy, but now that there is
trouble between the Duke and the Kaiser
relations will no doubt be strained. 1t
will be remembered the new duchess was
Miss Nancy Leishman, the daughter of
the former American ambassador to Ger
many She is quite lovely and very young
] met her and her mother in Paris some
time ago and the girl did not look day
more than II. OF course, the duke is not
wealthy, by any means-his income is only
about $4,000 a year-but he is one of the
old nobility and from a social point of
view the match was a splendid one for
Miss Leishman. He has several residences,
one of which is in Prussia. His is the
most picturesque hunting box in Belgium
and of great antiquity. At one time the
Kaiser wanted to purchase it but the
duke would not hear of such a thing.
When the Kaiser wrote the duke that
he was spelling his life by marrying "be-
Meath him he replied, Il bow to your
decision in all things save affairs of my
heart These are my own concern
handsome but says he has never before
been in love. He met Nancy Leishman
for the first time at a ball given at the
American embassy in Berlin, and it was
case of love at first sight. The dance
was given i'm honor of her debut and her
dress was one soft mass of white tulle
trimmed with white roses, the centers of
which were flecked with diamond dew
drops, creation of a renowned French
dressmaker. All the aristocratic mammas
in Berlin had their eyes on the duke and
many debutantees and more mature beau
ties were reported to be in love with him,
but little Nancy took him quite calmly
and declined emphatically to give him
more than two dances at her ball Was
il any wonder he succumbed? Without
realizing 1t. she was an adept in the art
of knowing how to treat spolt man.
Kings Sons ChaperOned
There are good many little sly jokes
about the extreme care with which the
two elder sons of the King and Queen are
chaperoned and looked after. 'If they
don't turn out saints" said a man at
tached to the court to me, the other day,
II shall never again believe in training
the young idea" 1t is lucky thing they
are so attached to Mr. Hansel their
tutor, who still goes everywhere with
them He even accompanied them to
Lockinge House, the Berkshire home of
the venerable Lady Vantage. The Prince
of Wales is easily enough managed, be-
ing by nature somewhat tame in domestic
matters though nevertheless an ardent
sportsman. but Prince Albert is a bit of
Il pickle, we say here, always up to
fun. He has joke with anyone and is
inclined to be as democratic as he dares.
He has been known to have a pillow fight
with his valet if that individual has dis
pleased him.
The Queen spends many wakefuI
nights planning their welfare until
they pass the impressionable age" l
have it on excellent authority that
some time ago she visited a famous
churchman, the head of great school
for boys, not of her own persuasion,
and had long talk with him in re-
gard to the best way of training
youths of her elder sons age. His
experience is wide and he gave the
queen some sound advice about the
mistake of being too watchful. LET
them see you trust them, madam" he
said. "They won't deceive you If you
do. | find that an invaluable plan
with -all boys who have decent ma
lures"
1t worries the Queen not little that
the Prince of Wales is showing a de-
cided preference for American wom-
en-. He looks upon the Marquis de
has enjoyed many game of golf with
Mrs. David Beatty He feels at his
ease with them and loses all his self
consciousness. But Prince Albert
likes any nice woman, he says
Countess Would Forget Footlights
IF only they would let us forget
all about the glare of the footlights,"
said the Countess of orkney. who was
Connie Gilchrist, when she received an
invitation for the great party arranged
for past and present Gaiety theatre
favorites. Every one of the titled
stars accepted the invitation, bu.
only one turned up. the Hon. Mrs.
Maurice Brett tZena Dare) and she
could not very we'll decline to appear
as her sister. Phyllis is a leading lady
of the mpment. The truth is when
actresses marry into the aristocracy
they frankly desire to forget there is
such a place as the stage and the ma
1ority of them hardly ever enter
theatre again.
The Countess Poulett. who was
Sylvia Storey, and Lady Churston. who
was Denise Orme, both lead their re-
spective counties, revise their own Wis
iting lists with the greatest caution
and it spells distinction to be admitted
to drink tea with them. OF course
these two very clever women are in
clined to laugh a little at "the coun-
try" IF you are not one of them
selves said Lady Poulett to an in
innate, "what you must do is this. pre-
tend you don't want TO know them be-
cause they are dull and uninteresting.
Snub them a little at the local flower