The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-21
STRANGE ILLNESS OF DUKE OF ROXbURGHE No Improvement From Bull
 let Wound in Neck GAY SPOT IN LONDON Duke of Manchester Will Soon Con- plete His Training as Flier-Lon-
 donderry House Not for
 Americans
Fly LADY MARY

Fly LADY MARY
 l London. February Especial. )-On 1 the whole the Duchess of Roxburghe is glad that the duke will not be able to seturn to active service. He is still in somewhat anxious condition for, Ialthough apparently very well, the sur- geons cannot get to the bottom of the | trouble, which appears to be at the i base of the neck. The X-rays have l been repeatedly used and the most brilliant men of the day called .n for consultation, money being poured forth most lavishly on any new scientific no- ton that might help to explain the difficulty, but without d particle of success. Directly the bullet was ex- tricated from his neck the trouble commenced, the pain at times being excruciating It has been said in some quarters that the bullet must have been poisoned. but this is merely theory During the worst stages of his ill., nes the duchess was his only nurse. 1 He dislikes strangers" at all times ! and cannot tolerate them in the sick room. Now that the duke and duchess are back at Floors castle. his old nurse. l a typical Scotswoman, who is one of | the retainers of the castle, will be called in to help if needs be. She is one of natures own nurses and though she never had a hospital course, for efficiency and charm in the sick room l she cxcels the most accomplished of modern sisters"
 in srite of his illness and the com mands of the surgeons the Duke of Roxeburghe declares he will go to the front again one of these days.
 LOndon's Gay Spot
 What on earth society would do these times without it's Four Hundred club it is hard to say. It is about the only really gay spot in London and those who understand continental life dare swear it is livelier than anything Paris or Monte has to offer. And, notwith- standing all this. it is really quite re- spectacle, though. of course, 1t would have no attraction for moderns were 1t not Bohemian. Before the prince went to the front he and his lively brother Albert were there several times though, at their request, the matter was kept quiet. These nights all the pret- tiest and smartest actresses assembia at the Four Hundred as wei las the so- ciety girls in training at the hospitals who can manage to get off for d cou- pie of hours while every officer home for a brief stay from the war and oth- CTS who are learning the arts of war fare all turn up and make merry.
 Directly the Duke of Manchester re- turns to London from Henden, where he spends most of the day these times working away learning to fly well enough to join the aerial service corps, he is off to this center of gaiety. Kim" is looking years older than he should and he retains the slight cough which has ,Ixx.. a. is now as keen on flying as he used to be on amateur theatricals and he is ab- solutely without a fear. I hear from q trustworthy source that some of his re- lations are doing all in their power to pre- vent his being accepted as a "f1ier' at the war office, and that they are likely to succeed, so if he wants to go to the front it will have to be in some other capacity than that of an aeronaut
 One Side of Story
 Rarely did Americans ever enter Lon donderry House, Park Lane. or Wynyard Park, for neither the Marquis of London derry, who is just dead, nor the march ioness, who now becomes the dowager, cared at all for the Anglo American set. The Duchess of Marlborough was one of the exceptions and it may be said that it was Lady Londonderry who reinstated her in royal favor after the present King
 
 of the story" whereupon, it will be re- membered, she received the cold shoulder and for long time was out, absolutely, of the best set Lady Londonderry is be- fore all things a woman who has the courage of her convictions. Somewhat against the wishes of the Duches of Marl- borough, she went to the present Queen and put the case before her. It took some- time and much persuasion for Lady Lon l.donderry to prove the duchess was in the right and even then the Queen went on to others to investigate. In due course | she and the King were quite satisfied and henceforth they have gone out of | their way to be gracious to the duchess. The new Marchioness of Londonderry has :, plenty of personality and Is a beauty, but l like all the women of the conservative party, she is afraid of getting far from l tradition. The Londonderrys would never | be able to count their money if they tried. Their wealth Is that of Croesus and the jewels for their ladies are magnificent 1 enough and numerous enough to decorate all the beauties of a harem.
 Queen Mary Gay
 Queen Mary. during the last few weeks. has been wearing the gayest possible gowns when she appears at any public function This Is because she wants wom- en to buy smart frocks as they did be- l fore the war in order that trade and | the workers may not suffer, but, alas, | the effort is not very successful and moreover. bright co1ors are not in favor the best dressed preferring neutral tints
 such as black and white, moles, and very dark harmonious blues and purples touched up here and there with dashes of tarnished gold or silver. One afternoon her majesty appeared in petunia colored ! silk with an underskirt of cerise and i enormous cerise feathers in her purple l hat. She looked stunning and strapping, l veritable Juno. and as everyone else l was wrapped up in fur coats over lvtle l simple satin or serge gowns, it is easy 1 to imagine how she stood out
 I Would Abandon Court
 l The King would like very much to re- l vert to the Victorian afternoon drawing 1 room instead of the court, and it is quite l possible one or two such functions will l be held later This would give anyore l desiring presentation @ chance of making l her bow
 | Several of the finest works of art at 1 both Buckingham palace and Windsor
 castle have been put into the dungeons l at the latter to -repose there for the time 1 being. Gas fires now blaze every day fin l these underground rooms many of which 1 have not been entered for centuries. Some A,IxJ H. tr~-