Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-08

1 Nii iSSAA'e~S'
The announcement that President
and Mrs. Wilson will make their nome
while IN Paris in the town house OF
Prince Murat. who has rendered 1t
for that purpose to the French gov
eminent, has an Unexpectedly peril
nent interest to Washington society,
particularly to those members who
figured prominently in the Cleveland
administration.
It will be remembered that Miss
Mary Gwendolin Caldwell and her sis
ter, Miss Lena Caldwell. daughters OF
Shakespeare Caldwell of Kentucky,
West Virginia and Paris. came to
Washington to make their home for
several seasons. While here they oc-
time owned by the family of the late
Gen. Myer. subsequently torn down
to give place to the new Army and
Navy Club. The greater portion of
the lives of the Misses Caldwell had
been spent abroad. and their arrival
in Washington society was ushered
in by the halo of romance which hung
about Hiss Mary Gwendolin Caldwell
for having spiritedly at the last mo-
ment thrown over Prince AIurat,
whose Paris establishment is now to
be temporarily the French White
House.
The breaking off of their engage
ment was literally at the last mo-
ment. when even the wedding gown
and veil lay ready with the orange
blossoms for the bride-elect to don.
Gay, dashing. handsome women,
always splendidly gowned, the Cald-
well sisters from the moment of their
arrival here literally had all of male
Washington society at their feet.
This was especially true of the MEM
bers of the diplomatic corps, and it..
was not long before 1t was fore
onnnl11Sinn that Miss Iona C91d-
we'll would sooner or later be won by
the late Baron Zedwitz of the Ger
man legation-the "iddling baron
as he was generally called. because
of his unusual talent as violinist.
1t was an up-anddown-hill affair,
with abundance of rough cross
country riding for the handsome
baron and rivals galore to whet the
chase.
Finally however his persistence
Won and the genuine love affair cui-
minat ted one fine morning in a social
epoch making wedding of Washing
ton.
The superb silver satin wedding
gown was that fashioned for the
older sister to wear a year or more
before at her nuptia!s to Prince Murat
and was a triumph of perfection in
simplicity.
Every one in society knew about
the Murat wedding gown. as it was
called. And, of course. every one was
wild to get the coveted glimpse of it.
No one did, however, as the ceremony,
which was celebrated shortly before
noon in the then just completed chapel
of the Roman Catholic University.
the money for the building of which
came from the Caldwell fortune.
Society had abundant opportunity
to see the famous Murat wedding
gown after the church service. as an
immense crowd was invited to the
reception which followed in the ball
room suite of the Arlington Hotel.
after the arrival of the bride and
bridegroom. the latter wearing the
white uniform and silver helmet of
/ the German Imperial Guard. The Ma
rine Band on the instant of their ap-
pearing together at the upper en-
Watch on the Rhine and following
the brilliantly handsome young cou-
pie, came Miss Gwendolin Caldwell,
the German Minister and those mem
bers of the legation staff who had
attended the church ceremony as wit
nesSes.
A few moments later, with the in.
vited guests standing about the three
sides of the immense ballroom, the
German minister leading the way to
| the fiower-laden wedding breakfast
table on the west side. dramatically
held up his hand for silence. A uni
formed waiter approached with a
massive golden tray, on which were
glistening new crystal goblets, which,
the minister having filled with cham
payne. were passed to members of the
little group that had formed the wedding
party at the church.
The toast was given. the glasses
drained and then, raised high In the air,
were, in accordance with the CEN
f{uries-old custom, dashed to the floor.
Baron Zedwitz, after a few years
of happiness with his beautiful wife
was drowned at Kiel, where the for
mer Emperor Williams yacht ran
down the one in which the baron was
in attendance on the review. Baron
ess Zedwitz's death took place about
two years since. and the only child
Of this marriage, a son, was killed in
the present war.