An American Princess: The Many Lives of Allene Tew

by Annejet van der Zijl

Everyone has the right to live her own life, NO parent can destroy the youth and joy of their child. They use all kinds of excuses to try and cover their selfishness but if the daughter or son do take the bit in their teeth and LIVE the mother always gets on allright.

“If one has the will and persistence, one CAN do things,”

“Inherited wealth is a real handicap to happiness,” he said. “It is as certain death to ambition as cocaine is to morality.”

In liberal circles especially, more and more questions were being asked about the unbridled capitalism that had counted as a form of evangelicalism in the United States up to then.

That same summer, a populist Democratic candidate had a serious chance of getting into the White House. William Jennings Bryan promised social reform and to tackle the widespread corruption and greed that had plunged the country into ruin. But at the last moment, entrepreneurs and the financial establishment, supported by the Presbyterian Church, launched an aggressive countercampaign in which they told the public that phenomena such as socialism and trade unions were precisely what formed the greatest threat to what was left of the nation’s prosperity.

Same shit for a 100+ years

The big, fancy town houses the nouveaux riches had recently built to withstand all eternity fell prey to wrecking balls, one by one. In most cases, their interiors, bought in Europe along with priceless art objects of great historical value, ended up in the trash heap. In answer to the question of whether they couldn’t be preserved, one demolition contractor summarized the mood in New York in those days with “I don’t deal in secondhand goods.”

In 1913, the United States was one of the first countries to introduce income tax and to start building up a welfare system. The enormous differences in income were reduced, and capital was generated to lay roads and build schools, hospitals, libraries, and other institutions that would benefit every American citizen, rich or poor.

For the Victorians, fate was simply something to be borne, and that is what she did, without complaining.

“What can a Prince of Reuss get out of marriage with an American?” Allene replied quite as audibly: “Sir, his bread and butter.”

Funny lady

The cause of the stock market crash was actually the same as all the other financial crises in the history of Wall Street: greed and sleight of hand with money.

“There is so much sadness and trouble in the world, one’s heart is torn all the time, also one’s purse, but this life is a school.”

It is thoroughly stupid to harbor resentments to anyone, I WILL NOT DO IT, it would hurt me more than the other person . . . You MUST, MUST not always think the worst. I could take offense daily with people but personally think it stupid not to have a friendly feeling to all. It is a better character disposition in life . . . show tolerance. I like people and you MUST, also it is true that we get from people very MUCH WHAT WE GIVE THEM. Look for their good qualities and ignore their faults, that way one is happier [. . .] Take people as they are, know yourself [. . .] If we took people for their true count, we would have few friends.

“It is so tiresome that people are not kinder to each other.”

“If one has the will and persistence, one CAN do things . . . always try every possible way, and if you don’t see a way, ask for help . . . COURAGE ALL THE TIME.”

they proved to be xenophobic and intolerant now, in a period when there was so much wealth to lose.