The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-05-26
NEW YORK BOARDING HOUSES.

In the absence of more important matter, we
nropose topresent to our readers few remarks
On the subject of New York boarding houses, to-
retuer with scene Or two taken from actual life
bv our own special artist (ourselves) on the spot
Our readers need net fear that it DO our intention
to. tire them with an essay on 'the subject we
have chosen" For several reasons we refrain from
so do {, the chief of which is that we dare not
lift the veil too boldly, lest we reveal to tho eyesof
an astonishel stnid, and virtuous public, sights
and scenes that omack SO excessively of the most
glariDg inmoraities, that they can not fail to
shock the modesty Of said virtuous multitude. 1t
is, therefore, not our intention to REFER except by
allusions the vsguest OF the vague, to the extraor
dinary state of moral or rather immoral, depr'
ity that has been; brought about in New Y, *
through the agencynof the indiscriminate COM
minehng Of the different classes OF society in the
many boarding houses of the cily.
We will suppose that the readeris seated -by our
side at the dining-table of atrst-class respecta-
bic boarding house, No. -, West Fourteenth.
street. Immediately opposite to us is seated a
young and beautiful lady, whom We regard with
emotions of admiration. mingled with sympa-
thy-admiraiion for her grace and bewitching
beauty-sympathy for the lovely young widow 50
recently bcrefc of her bosom's lord. OF this we.
ale well assured, inasmuch as the lady has her
self ION the very morning OF this day, informedu US,
with crystal tears in her beautiful doye-like eyes,
that said bosoms Lord had, q few months ago,
gone to that bourne from which no traveller is
ever furnished with return ticket The lady
spcaks-n silvery tones and mellifluous accents
her voice strikes upon our eur. SheiS converslng
with friend who sits next to her. The topic OF
conversation is the latest Paris fashions, and we
are astounded at hearing our widow referring, in
distinct and unmistakabe language, to letter she
had that morning received from her husband in
Paris. Query.-Is the lady's husband defunct or
not? Has SHE husband at all ? Did she ever
have bosom's lord?
4 little farther off from our seati young wife,
who has seen upwards of fifty (5O) summers, and
who may once have possessed beauty and set OF
teeth, but who certainly possesses neither ut pre-
sent The toothless lady is exceedingly jealous
of the glances that her young and simpeton-fac-
ed husband is throwing over his plate ofasparagus
at the lovely married widow above referred to.
The stupid-faced young husband has.already re-
ceived - soto uoce scolding on account of
his having come home on the night previous
rather under the influence of ardent spirits.
At the extreme end of the table is seated q very
fat lady, and next to her 8 thin and respectable
looking gentleman with grey beard. The gentle
man with the grey beard is the husband Of the
fat lady. The fat lady, calling WAITER asks for
q piece OF roast beef, when the meat is duly
brought, and the following interesting scene is
enacted: h s.i9
FAT LADY with slight elevation of her nasal
protuberance)- This meats not tit to eat.
FAT IT LADr~T say this meat is spoiled-go and
l get mo another piece.
= WATTEn-Yes, marm.
| FAT LADY-Waiter.
WAITER (returning)-Yes, marm.
4 20 FAT LADy-Get me apiece taken from differ
| ent animal. ..5 - ~
WMTEn-Yes, marin. Exit waiter. .se
The waiter returns with the melancholy intelli-
pence that there is no other animal in the kitch-
en-the fat lady indignant, again elevates her
nose-the landlady still more indignant, sees the
expressive nose, and taking offence thereat, in
forms the fat lady that the meat is good, and
that she-the fat lady-is an old hag; and pro-
ceeds, furthermore, to compliment the thin
gentleman by informing him that he is "a good
| wv
The guests are surprised and indignant-the
gray-bearded gentleman grows pale with passion,
and his neither lip quivers Ia FoRREsT-the fat
lady becomes terrified, then subjugated-and
she and her husband retreat in haste from the
table.
Such scenes as these do happen at times-did
happen positively to our own experience-in re-
spectacle (2) boarding house in New York City,
not long ago. We do not mean to imply that there
are no really respectable private boarding houses
in New York City,, but we do moan to warn our
readers against going board hunting in New York
bindfolded, taking for granted the respectability
of the house from that Of the location.
+ lFarbe it fromsus tocsst apy reflection upon the
ladies' Of New York-Virtae >fs;virtuo wheresoever
it be found, and lady isa lady, be she Northern
or Southern; but we.haye no hesitation in warning
all ladies, both Northern and Southern, against
too incautious and indiscriminste intimacy with
the swarms OF fadventuresses and female impostors
who throng the boarding houses of New York, and
smuggle themselves into the society of the pure
minded and incredhlohs.
THE SILK SPIDER OF SOUTH CARoLrSA.-Dr. B.
@. WILDER, late Surgeon of the Fifty-ffth Regi-
ment Massachusetts Volunteers (colored), gave
the first of four lectures upon tho above subject,
in Boston, Tuesday evening. The Journal gives
the following brief but interesting synopsis:
The first OF this species OF spider was discov-
cred by the lecturer, on tho north end OF Folly
Island, while in camp there in August, 1868. Ho
wound from it's body, in one hour and quarter,
one hundred and fifty yards of yellow silk. Th c
next year another officer wound from thirty spi-
ders three thousand four hundred and eighty