Evening star., 1924-07-27

MRS. JACK GARDNER.
| Instructions to telegraph her when
ever there was an addition to any OF
the animal families. She greatly ad-
| mfred some lion cubs. which she took
home with her for a short time. but
they scared her servants away, to say
nothing of her friends, and so she
returned them.
One day she wanted to take Rex,
the head Of the lion colony, out Of
hts cage. Rex. being a performing
| lion. good od-natured and under perfe ct
control. the keepers agreed. and Wis
sight OF Mrs. Gardner holding Rex by
| the name and promenading with him
AROUND the building.
Her commission to Sargent, to paint
her portrait Is said to have been the
| beginning OF his vogue as a painter
| Of society women. The picture was
not so startling but that 1t hung in
Mr.. Gardners library. during his life
time. The portrait by AnderS Zorn,
! which also gave that artist a shove
| along the road to fame, was heral lded
| as daring" though 1t merely repre-
sented Mrs; Jack as stepping into
! cony and pushing the doors open
with extended arms.
The fact was that Mrs. Jack had
| acquired such reputation for being
| difference what she did-people were
shocked anyway. She was the most
discussed woman in Boston, perhaps
In America. Seats on the left side Of
| the Roston symphony Music Hall
| noor for a symphny concert are said
| once to have brought higher prices
| than those on the left because II was
expected that Mrs. Jack would sit on
the right side and could be seen from
| the left side.
Wns strongly ReliEious.
| Not the least unexpected of Mrs.
Jacks characteristics was her strong
| religious turn of mind She was a
punctilious attendant at the Church
| OF the Advent. Boston's most ritual
istic Protestant Episcopal church
She went annually into retreat" for
PRAYER and meditation. and one Of the
most frequently told stories about her
is that during Lent in the Spring of
1888 residents near that fashionable
church were amazed to see Mrs.
great lady herself alight, and upon
her knees with brush and pail scrub
the steps of the edifice.
At one time 1t was rumored she
| another that she had embraced Ba-
ons ns" cohSefsatiohs See It WITH e ehattsf fea a
theosophy.
y
published at the height of her social
success. Is pro bably accurate:
"A rather small. exquisitely pro-
portioned woman, with masses of red
dish hair. pale complexion, pale eyes,
large, rather Scottish features and
no beauty Of face except a quick mo-
hility of expression-a woman with
subtle charm in her voice and with
unusual vivacity Of manner"
She dressed well and with much
originality. On one occasion she ap-
peared at a ball with a. little negro
page to carry her train.
proud supporter in all her enter
prises. He is described as a grave,
matter of-fact business man, courte-
Gus but not demonstrative not par
ticularly intellectual but not dull.
fond Of going out with his wife. but
more fond of staying at home and
even more convinced Of her brilliance
and originality than others were.
Inherited Big Fortunes.
In 1891 Mrs. Gardners father. David
Stewart. died. leaving her his fortune
She also had received at various
times two or three legacies from
friends. In 1898 her husband died,
and left her sole mistress of his very
large estate without the slightest re-
striction.
What would Mrs. Jack do with her
The first thing she did after a pc
riod in retirement was to go abroad
She had long been an enthusiastic
and discriminating collector of works
Of art. She bought in Venice an old
its facade and some other portions to
Boston, where. with many other rare
bits Of sculpture. mosaics and beau
tiful columns. they we're built into a
out from the city. on a stretch of
peat bog decorated with ash dumps
and mudholes. Here, by drainage,
she made a little river and q high
wall surrounded the whole.
Moved In Secretly.
weeks with her servants before it
was known that she had moved in.
The city refused to connect the build
ing with the lighting system until
Examine the s Wirins osen and Mrs Jack
declared she would Tight it with cam
dies and kerosene before she would
admit any one to inspect the work.
ance companies refused to insure the
precious objects in the house under
such conditions.
Mrr. Jack had been accustomed to
hsynf s.aG hss ss.S own way M She hs h had
ton symphony concerts, requiring
women to take their hats off. She
had left a theater in fury. declaring
had been elected from seats which
she had occupied when she held only
tickets for standing room. She had
consistently fought authority when it
interfered with her own ideas, and
to surrender and let the city light in
spectors go through her guarded
house.
The treasures it housed were as.
"MahOnnA," for selling which pr}nca
ChiRi had been arrested and fined by
the italian government: the Giorgione
Christ Bearing the Cross" which |
had mystertously disappeared a few
at vicensi. and which was one Of the |
works Of italian art specified a. ma |
tional treasures" and not to be sold |
out of the country: the two most IA
nous Titians in the world. and many |
of collectors.
1t was inevitable that so vital and
attractive a woman should be ex-
pected to marry again. Gossip en-.
sased MT; la Jack ~, half q dozen times
in vain. Among the men whom 1t
was declared she was about TO marry !
we're the late Bourke Cochran Of New
York and George Proctor. q young
Shortly after the latter rumor was
circulated Mrs. Jack gave Proctor and
the Rirl Of his choice q fine wedding
and house Of their own.
Many Of Mrs. Jacks kindnesses. 1t |
Of her public-spirited actions have
benefited many. For years q cash
prise was given to children Of Bos-
ten; tenement districts for the best
selves: So long AZ she was able. Mrs
Jack inspected the pathetic window
boxes and flower pots herBelf