Delaware City press. (Delaware City, Del.) 1913-19??, 1913-07-04


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where royalties have been entertained
and where magnificent dinners and
balls were given year after year, will
be the pivot around which Mrs AS
tors future career will revolve. Could
woman ask more OF fortune?
Last winter Mrs. Astor returned to
New York and occupied the Fifth ave
nue. house, leased for her by her son.
She also went to Ferncliffe, where
numerous house parties were enter
tanned. She occupied the Aston box
at the opera, the Aston tiara 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. Aston
would have sat in that box wearing
those pearls and that tiara. The sec,
ond bride would have been hostess at
Fernclihe; 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
r. But -gFeNtestof all these changes
is the one that brings her to Newport
as the head of Newport's 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.
Bots Out Old Memories.
But Mrs. Aston returns to Newport
not without a 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 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 manageable
age.
Before saving yes, Mrs. Astor de-
indnded 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 MENACE
She wanted every vestige of her late
| husbands presence removed from il,
and, more than all, the ballroom In
which the marriage of Madeline Force
and Mi Aston took place must be
, changed entirely.
| MS ballroom is very stately room
overlooking the gardens and ocean.
There we're 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 and
most sumtuous jewels. Here also took
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 soft
gray carvings. Gone also are the gold.
en- furnishings. Everything here is
now rose and gray, and not one thing
remains to remind Mrs. Aston OF the
past.
All Decorations Changed.
Beechwood is not large mansion,
there are few guest rooms. The
rooms on the second floor have always
been used by members of the family.
There was one sitting room facing the
gardens. This was furnished in eb-
ony. 1t was very somber and oppres-
sive. This room had been done over
in old rose and gold for the new wife.
The room next, that had been the
bedroom of Mrs. William Aston, Sr.,
had been transformed into a bower of
beauty for the bride. and the other
rooms on the same floor had gone
through similar changes.
These rooms had to be completely
transformed before Mrs. John Aston
would return The work is Just now
being completed
The rose and gold room will soon
be a green and blue one. The bower
fitted up for the bride is being made
INTO eharmingly girlsh blue and
white room Tor Muriel Colonel AS