The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-05-18

4 laid in the grave. Many reports that
Mrs. Castle was to be married again have
been gossiped around during the 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 if it was true
that she was to marry Captain fireman she
said:
at Is all quite disgusting. l am not to
be married to Captain fireman or to any
other man. There is no marriage in my
programme at all. 1 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. It was in February,
1918, that Mrs. Castle, swathed in the
deepest mourning, followed her first hus-
bands iag-draped 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, a smiling, blushing bride,
robed in pearl gray satin draped with
yellow chiffon and carrying huge bridal
bouquet of yellow and white Spring fow-
ers. her second husband walking by her
side.
Why should Mrs. Castle not have
promptly married again? 1t has been ar
gued that the greatest tribute a widow
can nav her husbands memory is to
promptly and unhesitatingly take another
husband. A woman whose matrimonial
experience has been wretched may well
refuse to risE another unhappy marriage.
But a widows ready acceptance Of 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 to this
ever perplexing question Of widows and
remarriages. generation ago woman
would have been ostracized by society II
she had taken unto herself second hus-
band within two years Of her trst hus-
bands death, just as she would have Deen
mourning before the second anniversary OF
her bereavement or attended a dance or
CAV 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
possibility. would have heartily approved
of his young wife's second marriage. In
his letters written to her while he was in
the British flying service in France, ne
dwelt on her need for comfort in his aD-
sence. He seemed to realize that she
would need a mate, and he frequently
spoke of himself as her loving, living
mate"
In a letter written September 3, 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, 81 am so glad you enjoyed
-'s marty, darling l don't like to hear
= of YOUR being little hermit I'd much
rather you were having good time.
Immediately after finishing this letter
Lieutenant Castle led bombing RAID over
the German lines, so 1t was that even III
his most dangerous moments he was al
uays eager to make his sweet little mate
happy. ~
II NAV we'll be that in the end Mrs. Cas-
tre decided that in making herself happy
she would be doing what vernon Woulu
have her do! II was curious coincidence
that she should happen to marry Just aI
tie moment that her book "My Husband
was nubIished. The Saturday before her
surnrise-marriage the book reviewers de-
voted many columns of praise to TINS
hook. which is a compilation OF captain
Castles letters to his mate, every one OI
them written under fire during 1867.
They are unusually huma~ letters, 1ull
NJ love and intimate thoughts and radlat-
irg ALWAYS his intense desire that she
sbouId take care of herself, that she should
buy herself pretty clothes and do any ana
everything she wanted. In OCTOBER lSlo'
he wrote
81 am so excited about your new clothes.
sweetheart. am so awfqlly, aWtully
uroud of you. l am so glad you DOusht
Yourself some pearls. How / wish might
have bought them for you. snail some
day" L.. .Lo,o
DaarIs for his wife. but another man did.
Her bridal gift from Captain fireman was
a superb string of 465 perfectly matched
pearis! She can hardly wear them with
ont thinking of the other man, whose every
thought was for her happiness during
those terrible fighting days
The oId-fashioned idea was that such
devotion, such real love and anectonaIe
thoughtfulness should be rewarded Oy
long years of sorrowful mourning:
And. after all, why should she nave
waited the oId-time customary two years?
ynniotv-fhat is smart society-is now