The Washington times., 1919-08-10
As Baroness de Cartier de
Marchienne, Wife of the
Belgian Ambassador, She
Becomes, at Last, Power IN
American Fashionable Society,
Ending with Triumph Her
Twenty-Year Campaign
for First Social Honors

eFEHE marriage in Paris last month of
Mrs. Hamilton Wilkes Cary, divorced
wife Of Elihu b. Frost, Of New York,
and Baron de Cartier de Marchienne, Bel
gan Minister to this country. marks what
wiu undoubtedly prove to be beautiful Mrs
Cary's fun triumph after twenty years cam
paigning to conquer New York's fashion
able society.
Balzac would have delighted in adding
another book to his "Comedie Humane
from the notes he could have taken of
that fray, .
Once upon time pretty little Boston
girl, Marie DoWs, Of no fortune, OF many
ambitions, eager to become big frog IN
the biggest pond of all, she win return to
New York q really, truly baroness and with
such power that those who have steadily
baked her ambitions may find much time
to regret their attitude Or it may be that
the baroness viii be magnanimous and be
content with victory without punitive dam
ages.
AZ Mrs Elihu Frost, wife Of a multi
millionaire. she fought constantly and
braTeIy with the power Of money to make
a breach through fashionable society's
walls. But then the keys we're held by
old Mrs. Aston, than whom no more strict
chatelaine ever ruled New Yorks social
destinies.
Her Reno divorce enabled her to marry
Hamilton Cary, nephew of Mrs. William
Aston and a man whose social position
was Of the best American brand. Cary
died before she had succeeded in making
society accept her-and then she went to-
France to go into war work.
Now she returns 70 the scene Of her
early battles and becomes not only a
baroness, but the wife of the Belgian Am
baeeador. AS Belgium has just raised its
legation to, an embassy, the former little
Boston Girl win take precedence in Wash
fngton OF the wife of the future British
Ambassador, and viii. undoubtedly. in time
become the doyenne Of the diplomatic
corps
Surely. in her widest girlish' dream
Mary Dows did not see herself In her pres
ent proud position
King Albert OF Belgium, in honor Of the
marriage. revived the ancient title OF
BARON de Cartier which had fallen in
abevance at the time Of the French Revolu-
fion title far outranking that OF de
Warchieune. The Duchess de ,Vendome,
IN older sister Of Albert's, was present at
the wedding and the King and Queen sent
commemorative and some pieces OF gold
iplate What could the heart of woman
The story of this twenty year fight to
win 4 place in the social sunlight recalls
the story Of another little New England
gfrl who mastered the secrets of social
success and as Mrs. Paran Stevens be-
came the leader of New York and New
1ort society and married her daughter to
trtb1r Paget of England In her fight
Ms. stevens had to overcome the fact
that she had been factory hand in New
england shoe factory. She did not, how
eveT have to step forward by way OF the
Reno divorce court.
little more than twenty years ago.
wben Flihu Frost brought his bride to New
York. society both in New York and New
Dort was still dominated by the Astor
tradition. Being a clever money maker
5,5 not qualify a man, especially II mar
Tied TO an unknown wife, for place at
Mrs. Astor's table.
Mrs. Frost was utterly unknown; in fact,
neither she nor her husband existed, so
far as Mrs Astor was concerned. The
bride was clever enough to have no
illusions regarding the job she had cut
ont for herself. She did not, like Mrs.
stevens. aspire to be a leader but she
Aid want and likewise intend to become
an ,rnportant member Of society.
She began her New York drive by taking
a bouse in the paddle thirties and supply
the herself with wardrobe that speedily
made her conspicuous. even in New York.
Tben she subscribed to orchestra stalls at
the opera and to every form Of social affair
n which money was an open sesame.
twenty years ago New York talked in
s,mnIer terms than it does to-day. sub
scrintion of FIVE hundred dollars to a ben
eft arranged by society created a bigger
noise then than it does to-day. The woman
,vbo did Il was bound to be talked about
Mrs Frost not only gave right and left,
mt she persuaded her husband to follow
her nm with further donations. In this
nav she became known, as a name, to
women of social standing who had plenty
NJ axes to grind and cared little who
ground them. They accepted her money,
but never herself
Gradually Mrs. Frost acquired several
men and women acquaintance Of good
eocial position who were glad to eat her
fo,,d and help her spend her money. When
: dozen or two such people came to her
house the lady assumed that her success
was sure. For all her cleverness, she did