The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-01-13

2 Daughters
in Spotlight
Ishbel Now Runs British
Inn-Sheila Succeeds
Sister at Home.
BY MILTON BRONNER


LONDON, Jan. -(NEA)-It's
the distaff side of Ramsay Mac
Donald's family that takes the news
spotlight these days, now that the
venerable former prime minister, de-
feated in the last election, has re-
tired to the comparative obscurity
of lord president of the council.
And Ishbel, in particular, is the
center of attention because of her
spectacular success as the proprie-
tor hostess of historic Ye Old Plow
Inn at High Wycombe, in Bucking-
hamshire, which she has just taken
over.
So widespread has been the inter-
est in the inn that traffic jams have
developed on nearby roads. Among
her customers have been the nota-
bles of official business life, for Ye
Old Plow Inn is only short drive
from Chequers, country home of
Britains prime ministers. And even
United States Ambassador Bingham,
when guest at Chequers, has paid
his respects there.
Sheila Becomes Dads Hostess
Through her sisters business ad-
venture, Sheila, youngest of the
Macdonald clan, becomes the host
eSS of her fathers home, succeeding
to the post that Ishbel filled so we'll
in the days when they lived at No.
10 Downing-st.
All of MacDonald's children keep
busy, for idleness is not a family
trait.
His son, Malcolm Macdonald, is
minister for the dominions in the
new cabinet. His other son, Alistair,
is already established as a rising
architect. One of his daughters,
Joan, is wife of a successful Scotch
doctor.
Miss Ishbel, eldest of the girls, is
one who is never idle and nobody
ever imagined she would be content
merely to run her fathers house.
Good looking, well poised, fond of
the wide open spaces and yet at the
same time, bookish, she for years
was the intimate pal of her dis
tinguished father.
Caught Queens Fancy
When he became premier, she
just naturally became the chate-
laine of No. 10 Downing-st, where
the head of the government lives
just as naturally she socn met the
queen and that famous and stern
dge of character took to her at
&c.
ishhel's modesty, her abstention
from rouge and lipstick and cock
tails, her perfect taste and tact ap-
pealed to Queen Mary, who pro-
nounced her "a very charming girl"
AS hostess of No. 10 she enter
tanned statesmen, diplomats and
princes. She has Travelled both in
the United States and Canada Aft
er her visit in 1927, Canada named
one of the Rockies Mount Ishbel.
She has been entertained by two
presidential couples-the Hcoyers
and the Franklin Roosevelts. At
times she has been busy denying
rumors of engagements to wed.
Mistaken AS Suitors
Once it was mistakingly said the
lucky man was Lord Arnold. An
other time it was Professor King
Gordon, son of Rev. C. w. Gordon
of Canada, who is world famous as
the author, Ralph Conner.
One of her main ideas in buy
ing the famous OIL Buckingham
shire Inn (Which dates back to 1921,
is mentioned in Pepys Diary and was
once patronized by King Charles I'D !,
is that it will enable her to give en-
ployment to some of the personal
servants her father had when they
lived at No. 10 Downing-st.
Miss Sheila-pretty, dancing eyed,
dimpled, 24-year- old Sheila-laugh-
ingly says she will not be a partner
in the inn. She expects to be a
customer. Also she will probably
run the paternal house in Hamp-
stead. Going from the North Lon
don Collegiate School to Somerville
College, Oxford University, she
proved herself equally nifty with
books and in sports.