Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-05-18

been gossped around during tho past few
months and promptly denied.
The most recent announcement, her en-
gagement to young Captain Robert e. Ire
man, Mrs Castle took occasion to deny
with great heat. When asked IL It was true
that she was to marry Captain fireman she
said:
st is all quite disgusting I am not to
be married TO Captain Tleman or TO any
other man. There Is no marriage in my
programme at all. do not expect to ever
remarry''
And two days after making this en-
phatic denial Mrs. Castle married Robert
e. fireman in the same church from which
little more than a year ago her soldier
husband was buried. 1t was in February.
1918. that Mrs. Castle. swathed in the
deepest mourning. followed her first hus-
bands fiagdraped casket from the Little
Church Around the Corner" to Woodlawn
Cemetery. On the afternoon of the Sd Of
May. this month Irene Castle left the
same church, n smiling blushng bride
robed in pearl gray satin draped with
yellow chiffon and carrying huge bridal
bouquet OF yellow and white Spring flow
ers. her second husband walking by her
side.
Why should Mrs. Castle not have
promptly married again? II has been ar
gued that the greatest tribute widow
can pay her husbands memory is TO
promptly and unhesitatingly take another
husband 4 woman whose matrimonial
experience has been wrctched may we'll
ici- arri,
But Widows ready acceptance OF a sec
ond partner would be an evidence OF her
faith in matrimony as the fruit of her first
happy experience.
There are. Of course, two sides 10 this
ever perpleXins question OF widows and
rcmarriages. A generation ago n woman
would have been ostracizeh by society If
she had taken unto herself a second hus-
band within two years OF her first hus-
bands death. just as she would have been
condemned unheard had she lightened her
mourning before the second anniversary OF
her bereavement or attended a dance or
gay dinner party during her first year OF
mourning. Times and rules have changed,
however. and Irene Castle. in following the
dictates OF her heart. is an exponent OF
these new times with their new rules.
Perhaps Vernon Castle, given such
of his young wife's second marriage, In
his letters written to her while he was in
the British flying service in France, he
dwelt on her need for comfort in his alb
sence He seemed TO realize that she
would need a mate. and he frequently
spoke OF himself as her loving, living
mate"
In n letter written September g. 1916.
he ended with these words. God bless and
take care OF you, sweet little mate. until
can be back in the nest again. Mates
sometimes pine away and die when they
are separated
Here he expressed plainly the fear that
she could not live alone On November
II he wrote Il am SO glad yon enjoyed
-'s party. darling don't like to hear
OF your being little hermit. I'd much
rather you we're having a good time
Immediately after finishing this letter
Lieutenant Castle led a bombing raid over
the German lines. so it was that even i'll
his most dangerous moments he was al
WAYS eager to make his sweet little mate
happy.
1t may we'll be that in the end Mrs. Cas-
tie decided that in making herself happy
she would be doing what Vernon would
have her do, 1t was a curious coincidence
that she should happen to marry Just at
the moment that her book. "My Husband"
was published. The Saturday before her
surprise-marriage the book reviewers de-
voted many columns OF praise 10 lHiS
book. which is compilation OF Captain
Castles letters to his mate, every one OF
them written under fire during 1862.
They are unusually huma" letters. full
OF love and intimate thoughts and radiat-
ing always his intense desire that she
should take care Of herself that she should
huy herself pretty clothes and do any and
everything she wanted. In October, 1916,
he wrote:
81 am so excited about your new clothes,
sweetheart. am so awfuily, awfully
proud of you | am so glad you bought
yourself some pearls. How wish I might
have bought them for you. / shall some
day"
Vernon Castle did not live to buy those
pearls for his wife. but another man did.
Her bridal gift from Captain fireman was
a superb string Of 465 perfectly matched
pearls! She can hardly wear them with
out thinking Of the other man. whose every
thought was for her happiness during
those terrible fighting days.
The old-fashioned idea was that such
devotion, such real love and affectionate
thoughtfulness should be rewarded by
long years OF sorrowful mourning.
And, after all, why should she have
waited the old-time customary two years?
Society-that is, smart socety-is now
content, seemingly If the widow wears
black six months and refrains from dane
ing and frolicking for two weeks. Nine
months after her husbands funeral Mrs.
Castle attended the famous Victory ball
in London. This all-night revel of gayety