THE “ALMIGHTY DOLLAR” IN LONDON SOCIETY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXXI, Issue 10310, 31 March 1894, Page 3

THE “ ALMIGHTY DOLLAR ” IN LONDON SOCIETY.

(Sttss Elizabeth L. Banlcs in St Jamcs's Budqet.) ' Americans are accused of having a too implicit conSdence in the purchasing power of their country’s coin. In fact, certain foreigners have been known to say that the god referred to in the motto “ In God We Trust,” engraved on the silver dollar is in reality a deity of whits metal designed and fashioned at the United States Mint.

“ The trouble with your people,” said an Englishman to me recently, “is that you put too much value on money. It is a convenient article, I will admit; but you seem to have an idea that you can do any* thing with it.” “And, pray, will you give me a list of the' things money will not buy in England as well as in America ?” I replied. “ Well, for instance,” he answered, “take-birth and-position. You have an aristocracy of money in America. Here we have one of blood, where pounds, shillings and pence are not taken into consideration.”

“Ah, indeed!” I responded; “I don’t know anything about the pounds, shillings and pence feature of the case; but I am inclined to think that our dollars and cents are something of a social factor over here.” My English friend, bless hie dear old aristocratic heart, appeared to be greatly shocked at my suggestion, and assured me that I was greatly mistaken. I longed for facts with which to confront him, and, having faith in advertising as a means of getting anything that one is willing to pay for, I wrote out an advertisement, which the nest day appeared in the personal columns of a prominent London paper. Thus it ran:— A You no American Lady of means, wishes to meet with a Chaperon of highest social position, who wiil introduce her into the best English, Societv. Literal terms. Address, “Heiress,” ■?;- -■ v ■ “ EXCEPTIONAL ADVANTAGES.” Two days later, calling at the office of an advertising agency on Piccadilly, I found eighty-seven letters (needless to remark that there were no post-sards) in answer to" niy 'advertisement. - I had. offers from every fashionable neighbourhood in London. Park Lane, Cavendish Square, Grosvenor Square, South-Ken-sington, West Kensington, all were represented ; and the thoughtlessness of the writers in signing their full names and titles to their epistles was something that surprised me. However, nearly every letter was marked at the top “Confidential,” “ Private,” or “ Personal,” and it seemed to be an understood thing that the affair should go no further. The confidence they exhibited in the “ honour” of a total stranger was rather touching. In reading one letter, I was particularly struck with the fact that the writer, although she required my banker's end solicitor’s reference as to my financial standing, asked for no voucher for my respectability and position in my own country. She was ready to bargain to introduce me sot only to the best English society, but to the Queen herself, for upwards of £IOOO, qr something over 5000 dels in American money. I agreed with her that the advantages she had to offer were exceptional. The name the lady gave was one well known to me, and I was aware that she was not exaggerating when she spoke of her position in society. I had also the honour of a passing acquaintance with Miss Porkolis, whom she mentioned as having chaperoned. STRICTLY HONOURABLE INTENTIONS. ■ Although I had intended-that my advertisement should appeal to lady chaperons only, I received some rather flattering offers from members of the opposite sex. One of the most interesting of the letters was from a gentleman matrimonially inclined. The communication bore the stamp of a well-known West End Club. In my answer I hinted that, although I had not advertised for a husband, I was sob averse to. considering the proposal to which he had- so delicately alluded. Having a desire to 1 follow up the matter, I engaged a room at a certain fashionable hotel for a day, and made an appointment for the gentleman to call. On the afternoon appointed I awaited him in the drawing-room of the hotel. I wore my moat stylish-looking costume, various pieces of showy jewellery, and a pair of diamond - earrings, thinking to impress my would-be husband with a sense of my wealth and. magnificence. At four o’clock in the afternoon my suitor made his appearance. He was a finelooking aristocratic man of middle age. His manners were refined and elegant, and I could not help thinking that I was dealing with neither a fool nor a knave, bat with a thorough English gentleman. We had half an hour’s chat, in which my social aspirations were discussed in the most business-like manner. I did not give my real name, neither did my companion tell me his own. I addressed: him by the assumed name he. had signed in bis letter. He informed me that he was a widower of excellent position, but that he was somewhat financially embarrassed. He wished to marry a lady of wealth, and for the use of her money he was willing to give her hia name and a good social position. Afterwards I made some investigations in regard to the man and to my surprise it turned out that he was exactly what ha represented himself to be; a country gentleman of titled family, who was anxious to recuperate his decaying fortunes by marrying an heiress—an American girl preferred. I discovered his real name and address, and since my interview with him I have often seen his name mentioned" in the" eoolety' cbrumha bf the papers. He is still unmarried, and I suppose is still looking for a wife. So here is an opportunity for one of our American heiresses to purchase not only an introduction at Court but a husband with mortgaged estates in the bargain. THE PRICE OP A CHAPERON. On paper of the finest quality, ornamented with a family crest of considerable

dimensions, Mrs Twostars presented her compliments to me and begged to say that she would be happy to entertain the idea of chaperoning the young American lady and give her a delightful cheerful home. Mrs Twostars as well as her four daughters, had bean’ presented at court. The daughters had all married well, and their proud mother felt no compunction in saying that she thought she could introduce the young American lady to many gentlemen of birth and title, if not of fortune. She moved in excellent society and was fond of entertaining. Terms for London season and presentation, £SOO, or 2500d01. Mrs Twostars enclosed her photograph, a portrait of herself in her Drawing-room gown, which, by the way, had a button off the front. The photograph was returned in the stamped and addressed envelope thoughtfully enclosed. The lady proved to be the daughter of a distinguished baronet and the wife of a man well known in London society. Lady So-and-So, of Queen’s Gate, wrote that she would be glad to chaperon me. Terms £6OO to £BOO starling, according to arrangements and the advantages required. The Countess de Blank was also open to an engagement. She was an Englishwoman married to a foreign title. A certain dowager of exalted rank, well known on two continents, informed me that she would undertake my chapcroaage and would hire a furnished house for me near Park Lane ; the rent would be not less than £6O per week during the season. Her own place was in the country, and she had given up her town house. She would devote her whole attention to the management of the establishment, and would introduce me as her young American friend or distant relative, if I desired. Besides the house rent, I must bear the entire expense of keeping up the place, giving balls, theatre parties, &c., and the dowager herself would expect the sum of £2OOO for her services. I supposed these figures were not remarkably high for a lady of so much " position.” SOME PEOPLE WHO PROFIT BT IT. With one exception, none of those who answered my advertisement refused to entertain my. proposition, even when I acknowledged my deplorable lack of ancestry and proper family connections. The large fortune I represented myself as possessing seemed, to cover a multitude of embarrassing circumstances, if not positive sins. Had I carried my experiment further and been introduced and presented at Court, 1 should only have been one of numerous Americans who have walked on a golden pavement to the chrona room of; Buckingham Palace. It may be of interest to'English readers to know what kind of people some of my countrywomen are who make a sensation during a London season. Many of them are unknown, or at least unrecognised, by the best American society. ; Take Miss Porkolis, for example, the Western girl whom Lady spoke of having chaperoned. Her grandfather was interested in the lard business, and who her great-grandfather was history eayeth not. The present Mr Porkolis has retired to a country house and lives on his income. When Miss Porkolis was introduced to London society she was even in a worse state than I represented myself to be; for not only were the members of her family unrefined and uneducated, bub the young lady herself made the most startling blunders in grammar and spelling. Ho wonder that Lady ———, in considering my proposition, made the proviso that I myself mast be possessed of some refinement and education. She was doubtless thinking of the many embarrassments she suffered daring the career of Miss Porkolis! There were the Coal-Kings, two sisters, chaperoned by a well-known social star. Both were beautiful, fascinating, and wealthy. They were from the 1 Wild West, but were educated in an Eastern seminary and then sent to a “finishing school” to be polished off. The polishing process lasted over two years; and then, after a vain attempts to number themselves among the New York* “ Pour Hundred,” they made a trip over the Continent and turned up in London in time for the festivities of the season.

The Diamondsons came over en famille and entertained magnificently in London not a dozen years ago. Everybody went to their “crushes,” because with them money seemed to be no object. In speaking of the British and American monetary system one time, Mr Diamondson was heard to remark that, although he generally thought in dollars, ha would just as soon pay out pounds as dollars, as it was simply a matter of multiplication by five anyhow. So when Miss Evelyn Diamondson wanted a dress from Messrs Swagger and Swells, it made no difference to her adoring father whether it cost one hundred dollars or one hundred pounds. It was, then, not surprising that, with all their recklessness as regarded the expenditure of money, the Diamondsons became immensely popular. Their daughter almost married a man of high degree in England, and then quite married a titled foreigner—a harmless sorb of person who contentedly spends the income allowed him by hia father-in-law. . I could give a long list of my recently Anglicised country people who in England axe mistakenly looked upon as fair specimens of America’s best people. There are; the Try-Hards, of wheat farm fame,; the Never-Say-Dies, who grew opulent on the proceeds of their tallow and fab business; and the Jump-Ups, who aifoke one morning to find themselves millionaires, one of the “hired men” having “struck oil” on the outskirts of the farm after the rest of the fatally had gone to bed. Mr Jump-Up took the hired man into partnership, and proposed that he should marry ‘ Angelica, hie only daughter. But Angelica positively declined, having made up her mind to cross the ocean, and marry a title; which she did, and greatly to her credit, too; for never a girl fished harder with gilded bait than did Angelica. So after all my investigations my faith in the purchasing power of the "Almighty Dollar” still remains unshaken.”