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


the two Mrs. Astors wonderful as the
transformations effected by an Arab
ian Nights magician. says the Wash
ington Post.
Mrs. Aston No. 1 Java willing vol
UNFAIRLY accepted social obscurity
when she divorced Colonel Astor
three years ago. The tragedy gave
her back everything she had lost, ex-
cept the husband whom she did not
want. 1t gave her, too, much of value
besides
Mrs. Astor No. 2 madeline Forcel
stepped into he full glow of fortunes
sunshine when she married Colonel
Aston two years ago, after protracted
efforts to find a minister The trag-
edy thrust her back into the social
obscurity she had enjoyed before the
wedding, with doubtless a certain add
ed asperity among those who strongly
championed Mrs. Astor No l.
Strangest of all, Mrs. Aston No.
became once more through death the
mother of her own son. While his
father lived he was mostly in his
society, and to that extent separated
from his mother Now he lives with
his mother entirely, to whom he is
naturally devoted.
Mrs. Astor No. 2 is leading her re.
tired life in her lonely Fifth avenue
palace. 1t Is the one conspicuous AS.
tor possession she retains, but the Sc
yerely restricted income she enjoys
Is scarcely proportional to 1t. She
has a son named John Jacob Aston,
born after the Titanic disaster. He
was child Of tragedy in many senses.
Obviously he will miss the many bene-
fits that would have come to him as
the dear little Benjamin of the family
had his father lived. Gossips even
profess to see an ill omen in the fact
that an automobile ran wild and
leaped on the sidewalk of his moth
er's house on the day of his birth.
Fear Society's Amnesty.
They predict that he viii suffer
from the attitude of the very powerful
families such as the Vanderbilt s, who
have always championed Mrs. Astor
No. 1, but that Is probably attributing
too much malevolence to social lead
ers. Then, too. the brave young moth
er, Mrs. Astor No. 2, has been greatly
troubled by the fear that an attempt
might be made to kidnap her young
son.
Death gave back to Mrs. Aston No.
the virtual control of one of the
greatest fortunes in the world. It
took that control from Mrs. Aston
No 2.
AS the beloved mother of Vincent
Aston, the richest unmarried young
man in America, Mrs. Aston No. l
became the director of his palaces,
his possessions. and his expenditures.
She regained possession of the great
Aston yacht the Mona; of the SPLEEN
did Aston jewels, of the great Aston
Hudson river estate, Ferncliffe of the
charming old Newport Aston villa,
/ Beechwood; of the motor cars. horses.
carriages, plate. and other treasures
OF the family.
BY the same tragedy Mrs Aston
No lost all these things
! Becomes Head Of Family.
Most strangely, too. Mrs. Aston No.
l regained by death her title as the
woman head OF the family After the
Titanic tragedy it was announced that
she would be called Mrs. John Aston
and not Mrs. Ava Willing Aston"
On the other hand Mrs. Aston No. 2
is always spoken OF as Mrs. Madeline
Force Aston and not as Mrs John
Jacob Aston"
Mrs Aston No. ! became by death
most decorously a widow. whereas be-
fore that she had only been a divorced
woman. Practically everybody in so
ciety now refers to her as the widow
OF Colonel Aston, and avoids giving
mat title to Mrs. Aston No ..
In London, where Mrs. Aston No. /
has kept a fine house, she enjoys the
friendship of the king and queen. the
duchess OF Marlborough and all the
greatest social magnates Of the United
hlhgdom They always speak of her
as Colonel Astor's widow and over
look the second widow. The British
are very expert at overlooking little
things like that.
In short, Mrs. Aston No. l, the beau
tiful, stately, high.bred matron, has
iriumphed beyond the dreams of ro-
nance
Mrs. Aston No 2. the beautiful long.
limbed young Ilebe. remains in tragic
obscurity, pathetic yet dignified
figure
Society Is about to witness a new
demonstration of Mrs John Astor's
triumph
Will Now Rule at Beeehwood.
The next scene of her life will be
laid In Newport. where for the first
time In her life she will rule at
Beechwood as mistress. In the early
years Of her marriage she spent every
summer there, but always as a daugh.
term law. never az head OF the house.
After The death OF Mrs. Aston. senior
when she might have reigned there,
she refused. and shortly afterward she