Evening star., 1939-11-19

no less than four or five kings and
princesses and lesser royalty, each@
bearing a delightful message to the
hostess; large and small auto
graphed photographs, framed in
double frames with a glass cover
front and back to preserve an at
tached note or letter. There Is a
handsome late picture of King
George vi and on the reverse side
q charming note from the Queen
Mother who recently sent the pic
ture-and thereby hangs tale.
King Is Impressed
With Photograph.
When Mrs. Townsend attended
the royal garden party at the British
Embassy she took along a small old
fashioned. amateurish photograph
Of the royal children taken when
George, Princess Mary and his three
brothers were little tots. 1t was a
funny, natural picture, and when
she showed it to his majesty he
took it, held it tight, and asked II
he might keep it-of course, she
consented, with the proviso, however,
that he would tell the Queen Mother
who had given it to her that he took
the picture-she did not give 1t to
him. Queen Mary's note attached
to the new photograph is charming:
She expresses regret and hopes Mrs.
Townsend will be consoled for the
loss caused by her son.
Mrs. Roosevelt, who holds her con-
ferences with women Of the press on
Monday mornings. with her usual
thoughtfulness has graciously said
she would change the time to Tues
day when Mrs. Townsend's Monday
morning musicales begin, as she en-
joys them immensely and this
winter expects to attend at least
five Of the seven. She, too, Is in
terested in young and budding talent
and several of those on the pro-
grams are quite young. AS Mrs.
Townsend expressed it, there is a
freshness and enthusiasm about
young artists which always brings
interest and sympathy from the
audience, and while she did not
seem to be hopeful that the National
Capital would eve- have national
opera she said the amount of talent
here and the discriminating taste
shown by Washington audience
was astonishing.
Friends who are familiar with Mrs.
Townsend's years abroad as the wife
of a popular diplomat wonder why
she has not long since written her
memoirs, because with her enthusi-
asm and keen enjoyment of people
and life they would not only be
valuable as q record of European
society at the height of its brilliancy
before the debacle of the World
War-but her "reminiscences Of So
ciety here would be delightfully."-
amusing. She has a large amount
Of correspondence from people in
different parts of the world and
says If Mr.. Townsend would help
her she would be tempted to break
INTO print.
Good Cook and
Genius With Hats.
Only second to her love for music
Is her flair for cooking and her
genius in making or trimming hats
The latter she once did to the ac-
compartment Of great opera singer
when, at benefit at the opera
house in Vienna, she sat In the back
OF her box and trimmed hats for
charity while she listened to the
golden notes of Caruso. Her friend
ship for him continued through the
years and she has the most be-
witching little bust in bronze which
he made Of himself-the smiles and
grimaces make him look like bac-
chant or puck. She cherishes q
photograph of the late King Edward
VII, taken in Highland costume
one of few ever made as his ample
figure did not lend itself to the
brawny Scots style.
Mrs. Townsend recalls. the delight
full week ends she and Mr.. Townsend
spent with the Prince and Princess
of Wales at Sandringham, Alexan-
dra's charm as a hostess, and later
che honey atmosphere Of the place
when they visited King George and
Queen Mary; delightful days ir
Vienna, where she taught q
grandduchess the art of making
chocolate delight; the jolly time.
down in the great cavernous kitchen
of the palace when royalty disportec
itself with pots and pans; a dinner
with Kaiser william when they
argued about the taste Of American
and German apples. She touches
only upon the tragedies of the Worle
War, the changes which it brought
and one wonders If. after all. there
are any memoirs written that car
compare with the spoken word.