Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1913-07-19

Them Willingly Through Divorce,
Through colon'
where royalties have been entertained
and where magnificent dinners ana
balls were given year after year, VIII
be the pivot around which Mrs. AS
tors future career will revolve. Could
woman ask more of fortune?
Last winter Mrs. Astor returned 10
New York and occupied the Fifth ave
nue. house, leased for her by her son
She also went to Fernclffe. where
numerous house parties were enter
tanned. She occupied the Aston box
at the opera the Aston Cara shone on
her head. and the Aston pearls encir-
cled her shapely neck. None of these
things would she have had had the
colonel lived The second Mrs. Astor
would have sat in that box wearing
those pearls and that tiara. The sec
ond bride would have been hostess at
Ferncliffe; would have dispensed hos
pitality in the famous town house.
But the Titanic and Dame Fortune
gave all these things. back to the
woman who had thrown them into the
discard to the woman who never ex-
pected to have them again. Mrs. AS
tor was content in her life in England.
She lived more simply than she had
ever lived in this country but she
claimed that she did not regret having
given these things up; that she would
ever again sit in her old opera box
never eutered her head.
But the greatest of all these changes
is the one that brings her to Newport
as the head of Viewpoints most impor-
tant family. She will not have to
make any effort to establish herself as
social leader; she will simply assume
the reins of leadership and hold them
as she pleases.
BIots Out Old Memories.
But Mrs. Astor returns to Newport
not without struggle. not without
demanding some changes. Her son
Vincent, who Is the most notable
young man in the public eye at this
moment, urged her to come so that
there would be a head to his house
hold, and, if the truth be told, so that
he might be relieved from the atten'
lions of many of the fond mothers
whose daughters are of marriageable
age.
Before saying yes, Mrs. Astor de-
manded that certain changes be made
in Beechwood She felt that she
could not live in the house as 1t had
been arranged for the new menage
She wanted every vestige of her late
| husbands presence removed from II
and. more than all, the ballroom in
which the marriage of Madeline Force
and Mr.. Astor took place must be
! changed entirely.
This ballroom is very stately room
overlooking the gardens and ocean
There were golden walls and golden
| furniture and an air OF elegance about
| the apartment. Here took place the
wonderful Aston balls, when ladies
wore their most gorgeous gowns anc
most sumtuous Jewels. Here also tool
place the pathetic marriage that made
many enemies for the late Colonel AS
tor. This room today bears no resem
blance to the apartment Of old. Gone
are the golden walls. In their place
are lovely rose-tinted panels and sof
gray carvings. Gone also are the gold
en- furnishings. Everything here IL
now rose and gray, and not one thini
remains to remind Mrs. Aston Of thu
past.
All Decorations Changed.
Beechwood is not a large mansion
there are few guest rooms. Thu
rooms on the second floor have Away
been used by members Of the family
There was one sitting room facing thu
gardens. This was furnished in eb
ony. 1t was very somber and oppres
sive. This room had been done owe
in old rose and gold for the new wife
The room next, that had been tn
bedroom of Mrs. William Aston, Sr
had been transformed into bower o
beauty for the bride, and the othe
rooms on the same floor had gon
through similar changes.
These rooms had to be completel
transformed before Mrs. John Asto
would return The work is just no.
being completed.
The rose and gold room will 500
be a green and blue one. The bowe
fitted up for the bride is being mad
into charmingly girlish blue an
white room for Muriel. Colonel A
| tors room, with its serviceable waln'