The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-08-09
MISCELLANY.
A MysrERIous QUEEN or FASHION a.

A MYSTERIOUS QUEEN OF FASHION AND
HER SLAvEs.-Early in the season OF 1861,
young lady, whom must call Anonyma, Tor L
have never been able TO learn her name, made
her appearance in Hyde Park. She was
charming creature, beautifully dressed, and
she drove with ease and spirittwo of the hand
soonest brown ponies eye ever beheld. No
body in society had seen her before; nobody
in society knew her name, or to whom she be-
longed; but there she was, pretter, better
dressed, and sitting more gracefully in her car
rage than any of the fine ladies who envied
her her looks, her skill, or her equipage. A
good many young gentlemen seemed 10 be
acquainted with her; but their recognition was
generally limited to respectful bow as she
passed by. or to few friendly words silly in
terchanged on the steps of her pony carriage
when she drew up in some remote corner in
the Park. Anonyma seemed at first to be
rather shy damsel. She is somewhat holder
now. Last year she avoided crowds, and af
fected unfrequented roads, where she could
more freely exhibit her ponies marvellous ac-
ton, and talk to her male acquaintance with
becoming privacy. When all the fashionable
world were sauntering on foot, on horseback,
and in carriages, along the Ladies mile, by the
side of the Serpentine, Anonyma used to be-
take herself to the deserted thoroughiare lead
ing from Apsley House 10 Kensington But,
as the fame of her beauty and her equlpaSe
spread, this privacy became Impossible TO her.
The fashionable world eagerly migrated in
search of her, from the Ladies mile to the
Kensington road. The highest ladies' in the
land enlisted themselves as her disciples
Driving became the rage. Three, four, five,
six hundred guineas were freely given for
pairs of ponies, on the simple condition that
they should be as handsome as Anonyma's;-
that they should show as much breeding as
Anonyma's; that they should step as high as
Anonyma's. If she wore pork-pie hat,
they wore pork-pie hats; if her paletot was
made by Poole, their paletots were made by
Poole; if she reverted to more feminine at
tire, they reverted to it also. Where she drove
they followed; and l must confess that, as yet,
Anonyma has fairly distanced her COMPETE
tors. They can none of them sit, dress, drive.
or look as well as she does; nor can any of
them procure for money such ponies as Anon
yma contrives toget-for love. But the result
of all this pretty play causes a great public
nuisance.
When the thoroughfare from Apsley House
to Kensington Is more specially required to be
kept open for the convenience of visitors to
the Exhibition, it is daily choked with fashion
able carriages-fTom five till seven-all on ac-
count of Anonyma. Chairs are placed along
it on either side; the best parts that England
knows, the toades who ding to them, the snobs
who copy them-all sit there watching for
Anonyma. About six p. M. rumor ari-
SEES that Anonyma is coming Expectation
Is raised to its highest pitch; a hand
some woman drives rapidly by in carriage
drawn by thoroughbred ponies of surprising
shape and action: the driver is attired in the
pork-pe hat and the poole parletot introduced
by Anonyma; but alasi she causes no effect at
all, for she is not Anonyma; she is only the
Duchess of A., the Marchioness of B,
the Countess OF c., or some other of
-.