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THE ARISTOCRATS.
Snobbishness has proved to be expensive for the Society of Daughters of Holland Dames of New York. The members of the society are descendants of the early Dutch settlers. In honour of their ancestors, the Daughters recently com- missioned. Robert Aitken, the sculptor, to make a statue, depicting a representative group of early settlers, for erection in a conspicuous place in Battery Park, New York City. The sculptor went to historical sources and presented the Daughters with a family group, father, mother and two children. It was a fine piece of vital work. But, to the horror of the Daughters, the figures were all peasants. The Daughters protested that their ancestors were not peasants but aristocrats. They refused to have anything to do with the group. Mr. Aitken compromised and changed the coarse, work-a-day peasant clothing to Sunday dress. Still the group was unacceptable to the Daughters and they refused to pay for it. Mr. Aitken sued for $5,000. A jury awarded hin $4,800, but the verdict was reversed. He sued again and now he has been awarded $5,000 with interest. Meanwhile, the Daughters have to decide what they will do with the despised peasant group and the conspicuous site which was waiting for it. New York, Wednesday, March 19th. IVY LEE
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