The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-28
By LADY MARY

By LADY MARY
 London. March -(Special)-Pity the
 poor duchessesi They really seem to be
 in a rather bad way this season. There
 is the Duchess of Devonshire, for in- stance, who, since Devonshire House has
 been sold and will ultimately develop into
 hotel, is homeless. She is therefore
 accepting the hospitality of the archioness of Lansdowne, who is her near neighbor at Lansdowne House. I am told that the duchess has done her best to find tenn
 porary dwelling in the Mayfair district for this season, but so great is the de-
 mand for suitable houses of this kind by the ''very rich' that the new poor have to bow to the unkind decree of mammon and go houseless
 The other d1chess who has my sympa- thy is Her Grace of Rutland. I sat be- hind her at the theatre the other nigiS, and during the play (which interested me
 not at alD l spent my time in wondering
 whether it was cruel fate or just ordi- nary mundane carelessnes sthat made her drape herself in the most grimy-look- ! ing furs I had ever seen. Were l fashion writer I would say with grandilo- quent inexactitude that the duchess wore Ia cloak of ernine and seal-dyed mus
 quash." As matter of fact, however,
 she had a peculiarly shabby coney cloak huddIed about her with the accompani- ment of huge cape, not of ermine, but | just of ordinary bunny rabbit that had i once upon a time been white! Around her Ihead she had tied what at first glance | looked .lilSe a duster, but which closer in- specti6h proved to be a handkerchief of | tarnished tinsel. I really think even in
 these days when it is considered smart
 not to look too rich lest you may be mis- l taken for a profiteer, that real, live, regular duchess ought at least to look fairly tidy as far as the etcoteras of her coistume are concerned But there you
 arel It is only people of assured posi- | tions who are really able to afford ec-
 centricities of this kind
 l Apropos of this subject I remember a | little story told of the late Duke of Nor ! folk who was famous as being one of Ne worst dressed noblemen in the king ! dom. One day, when the duke was walk
 ing down Piccadilly in shocking bad hat and a most discreditable pair of | trousers, friend met him and remon-
 strated with him on his untidy appear
 ance.
 NY dear old chap" said the duke, 1 what difference does it make? No body knows mel'
 1 A few weeks after he was walking near | his beautiful home, Arundel Castle, in 1 Sussex, when he was accosted by rela- | tive who remarked upon the shaDblnsss
 of the dukes attire.
 What difference does it maker" said | his grace, they all know me here!" 1 And that's the way of it! I don't SUD-
 pose dukes and duehesses need to bother much unless they want to! | And while on the subject of dukes. | saw His Grace of Manchester (weo is
 so very nearly American) at big the atrical supper party and dance the other night Kim" as the duke is commonly
 known by his friends and others was quite contentedly slipping cider cup, which, as the licensing laws at present in force, make us all teetotal after 10 o'clock at night in public places, was the only near | tipple obtainable.
 | The duke was not with his duchess, | but he seemed to be enjoying himself not
 withstanding The Duchess of Ranches ter is not often seen in London now | adays, so that her dukely husband is | fairly independent of domestic restrfc- | tions He is, however, one of the dul. . | to be pitied, for he certainly has not much
 money with which to pay rne piper, | or to keep the strawberry leaves u:-~a 1 his coronet as fresh as they should be.
 MARCHIONESS' PLAY MAKES HIT | I was present the other night at the | first performance in Manchester or a , brand new comedy by the Marchioness Of Townshend who is one Of the most charming and clever women in England irrespective of title or social position. It was at Lady Townshends own specia! invitation that journeyed from London to Manchester to see this play. which she calls "The Fold" and which has made
 a distinct success not because it's author happens to have a handle to her name,
 but for the better reason that it is a de- cdedly interesting and human play that could only have been written by wom- an with brains and a keen understanding oi character.
 I journeyed from London to ManchestaS on purpose to be present at the pra<niere of "The Fold'' and found the experience well worth the four and half hours journey involved. Manchester is an ex- traordinary place; rough hewn c.cy set in sort of ring of factory chim- Ineys. Its theatrical audiences are. how ever among the most critical in England therefore Lady Townshend had evAsy reason for being decidedly nervy before the curtain rose on the first act of ber play.
 She Is a charmingly pretty woman of a distinctly English type; fresh coloring,
 soft blue eyes and charming wavy light