ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12698, 29 October 1904, Page 6 (Supplement)

ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

f>BOM THE SOCIETZ PAI'EBS.] '{The Princess, Royal of the Peerage," somebody nicknamed Lady* Helen Stewart, a little before her marriage to Lord Stavordale, and had she been in reality a princess of the reigning house the wedding could hardly have attracted more popular attention. And • very few are there even of Royal "Princesses whoso bridal gifts have beei "valued , at, £340,000, and numbered 700. "She"has: many friends and no enemies" one of the papers said of her at the time, and though this is a. great deal to say of anyone it may be true of Lord Londonderry's charming daughter, who is as good-natured as she is clever. Their town house is a charming abode in Old Burlington-street, with large, lof<y old rooms, andbest of all— delightful garden. In this house Lady Sravoroale's little Maria Theresawas born last year, and here she has been during hei severe illness, which has evoked such widaspread sympathy. 'Lord Londonderry, Lady Helens father, was the first peer to engage in the retail coal business, and his first London depot was close to the House of Lords, and at the time the novel departure aroused a good deal of interest. Sines then several other peers, who are fortunate enough,to own coal mines, have followed his example. But the marquis has an enormous fortune, in addition to the income which he derives from coal, for the Stewarts, like the Grosvenors, have had the good fortune for generations to fall in love with and marry heiresses, and being in addition excellent business men. have developed and improved such property as came into their hands in this way that the pre-sent-day representative enjoys the distinction of"being one of the very few millionaire pears. "Lady Londonderry, as Cleopatra', was in a dress literally embroidered with emeralds and diamonds from top to toe," wrote a fashionable diarist about a fancy ball in 1835. And Disraeli, speaking of Queen Victoria's Coronation, said "Lady Londonderry blazed amongst the peeresses." History repeats itself, and the present holder of the title.can, when she is so minded. 4, ' blaze" every bit as bravely as 'did her husband's ancestress, for the Londonderry diamonds, unlike those oi many another well-known family, have never gone a-flitting—thanks, perhaps, to the coalfield and the heiresses! "Nelly Londonderry," the nickname by which she is known to her many friends, is perfection as a hostess, and possesses the art of co billing the dignity of a grande dame wj a the ease and courtesy necessary to make her guests feel at home, and in addition she is an ideal Lady Bountiful. "If you want a thing done properly do it yourself, is her motto, and acting on it she take; an enormous personal interest in anything that is likely to better the condition of others less fortunately placed. During her "reign" in Dublin, whilst her husband was Viceroy, she did her utmost to revive the local industries by wearing fabrics and lace of Irish manufacture on every possible occasion. Ladv Helen's husband is the son and heir of the Earl of Ilchester, and has seen service in South Africa with his regiment, the Royal Guards Reserve. Ho it was who helped his mother, the Countess of -Ilchester, with the task of editing, the letters of Ladv Sarah Lennox, the orphaned daughted of the Dnge of Richmond, who passed her girlhood at Holland House, under the guardianship of the first Lord and Lady Holland, and wrote the famous letters to v her lifelong friend, Lady Susan EoxStrangwavs, eldest daughter of the first Lord Ilchester. The two girls came out together, and attracted an enormous amount of attention. No less a person than the young King, George 111., fell in love with Lady Sarah, while Lady Susan found an admirer in the King's brother, the Duke of Gloucester. But family and Court influence prevented the match, and the King's engagement to the Princess Charlotte was announced, even while, he was still paying his addressee to the beautiful Lady .Sarah. And some of the most interesting letters are those she writes to her friend after hearing the news. "Luckily for me I did not love him (she says in one) ; " the thing I am most angry at is looking so like a fool." But she.was far too proud to let the world guess at her feelings, and continued to appear at Court, and later acted as one of the bridesmaids at the Royal wedding. Lady Susan was also one of the bridesmaids, and her gown of white satin, embroidered in silver, is still in the possession of her family. Lady Susan made a. runaway match, marryins; an actor named O'Brien, whom hei parents had forbidden her to see, aad it was many years before her father forgave her, in spite of the fact that the marriage was a very happy one. But her uncle, Lord Holland, wan more sympathetic, and allowed the young couple i £400 a year. The London home of the llcbesters "was left to their by the last Lady Holland, on condition that the beautiful old house should never be sold. Half a million was offered to her many years ago, by a speculative buildei for the house and grounds, but she indignantly refused his offer, and here in the Kensington suburb, though so near to the great city, it is easy to imagine oneself in the heart of. the country. Green Lane, the beautiful grass-car-peted avenue half a mile long, was formerly Nightingale Lane. But, alas! tho nightingales have long ago departed with the hay- , fields and woods that used to surround the estate where Lady Sarah and her friends used to play at "haymaking. Here, too, took place one of the last duels fought in London, Holland House was called the " Mecca of Mayfair" in the days of "the Great Lady Holland," the last holder '. of that title. Her parties were ■ celebrated not only in London, . but throughout the world. Here came- , the leading wits, poets, statesmen, and writers of,the day. "Five hundred travelled people assert that there is no such agreeable house in Europe," wrote Sydney Smith, and many are the gifts, made to her by well-known people, now treasured as priceless by. the present owners of , the house. . In fact, the house is a regular museum of treasures, priceless pictures, china, enamels, and wondrous tapestry being included in the collection.

"If you were in love with a girl and her father wouldn't let vou many her, what would you do, Child?" asked the handsome and fascinating Earl of Westmorland nearly two centuries ago of Francis Child, , the head of the house of which the Earl of Jersey is now the representative. "Do? Why, run away with her, of course!" was the earl's reply.' And Lord .Westmorland, who had won the heart of the beautiful Miss Child, but realised that the state of his banking account would not be satisfactory to her father, acted on the suggestion, and a few days later Mis?. Child walked out of her father's house carrying a small parcel, found he; lover in waiting round the corner, mounted the post-chaise which was: in readiness, and awav they drove, bound: for Gretna Green, in quite the approved style. The flight was soon discovered, and in the shortest possible space of time another post-chaise was ■■ carrying the enraged father in. pursuit; whilst a messenger, mounted on the fleetest steer 1 in the stables, was sent on in advance to stop and detain the fugitives until Mr. Child arrived. But the messenger's horse was shot under him by the would-be bridegroom, and. the carriage still sped on its way, and finally the chase was abandoned. But on their return, still in the approved style, to ask for forgiveness, Mr. Child absolutely refused to have anything more to do with his daughter, and declared that no one the name of Westmorland should be his heir. Finally, however, he relented so far as to leave his property to the eldest daughter of Lady Westmorland, provided she was christened Sarah, and took the name of Child % and by her marriage with Lord Villi afterwards Lord Jersey—she brought Osterle.v Park, amongst other property, to the Jersey family.' " Lady Westmorland's descendants of the present generation do not have. to resort to runaway matches to attain their heart's desire, for surely never was peeress more successful in the marrying of her daughters than the present LadJersey. Her eldest daughter, Lady Margaret Rice, is the wife of a. peer's eldest son ; her second. Lady Longford is already a peeress; and now pretty Lady Beatrice is to marry Lord Dunsany, the young Irish peer, who.' if report speaks truly, will stand for a Wiltshire constituency at the next general election. Hs served in the Coldstream Guards ir South Africa, and on his return resigned his commission in order ( to turn his attention to politics. '