The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-19

NJ u wy o n nxs 8 M ..
From Our o,rn cOrrespondena

Getting "Matronized.0 r1rl
The fashionable institution known as getting
''matronized" has been on the increas 80 for the
last season or two, aud has now attained beauH-
fully large proportions. OF course you know
what that Is. It Is only used here by a certain
set OF people, distinctive class of society that
is very hard to describe, but which does, In fact
in many things constitute tho ''best" For in
stance, no young lady may accept the invitation
of young gentleman to go to any public place
of an evening unless they ket "matronlzcd"-
that Is, unless they arc accompanied by
married couple or by woman that
has been married. although she
may be widow at present. You may an old
maid of sixty, as ugly as Venus was beautiful,
as vlrtuous as Minerva, and unattractive
otherwise as it is possible to imagine one but
you dare not Qf you respect YOURSELF accept a
young mans escort to church, to the theatre or
upon any public occasion whatever In the e7e-
ming, unless you are ''matronzed." The couple
who matronize you may have been welded only
a few hours. 1t does not matter That Is suffi-
cient. The halo of the honeymoon draws around
the matronlsed couple an influence as dread as
the "awful circle" of the solemn church that
'Riehelieu" drew around "Jule." This is one
of the ingenious institutions of that society
which turns up its nose at the shoddy
nobility of the day, and will admit none to
its circles who cannot present the patent of
birth or of distinction. / have known q case
where the matronizing has been done by young
girl who was left widow two hours after her
marriage-the marriage having taken place with
an old man who was then his death-bed
That this marriage was quite sufficient to in
vest the girl with the qualities necessary to ma
tronization. At church and In the theatre she
rms " n aVarciainp tha nj
making happy the young people who like each
other, and who, but for the consenting to form
q picturesque and respectable back ground.
could never hope for immunity from the
worlds gossipping tongue In other words, If
the modern Alphonso and lmogen are ever
seen together, unauthorized, it means
that they arc engaged, and society con-
slders itself at perfect liberty to con-
slider the engagement as fact. l think,
that matronization deserves to be called New
Yorkism, since it sprang into being and attained
Its present proportions here. 1t furnishes one
of the many refreshing sights among the fash |
lonable and exclusive phases which the yarie-
gated life of the metropolis produces Ladies |
who are good at matrenizing, and who may /
always be depended upon to exercise that func- /
lion, are pretty soon found out and furnished |
with abundant occasion for doing the agreeable. |
II you see In box at the theatre an elegantly
dressed and well-conducted trio, two of whom |
ire ladies and the remaining one gentleman,
you may feel pretty sure that the work of ma
Is going on, though 1t may be impos-
'ible to guess, from the respective ages of the |
aides, which of them is acting in the matron-
zing capacity. The position is one that bestows
ii the condolences enjoyed by the companion"
With all the dignities usurped by the duenna
/ miCht oppnaiOualIv W liftla 7
10 about the
Founding Asylum,
or 1t Is progressing rapidly in Its completeness
If the intention for which 1t originally built
The being whose influence is most felt through
'ut the establishment is Sister Irene, who works
With patience that is one of the blossoms of
Ugh state of religious exaltation. The express
ion on her pure, rapt face always reminds me
# delicate flower of tender light breathing
orth at once radiance and fragrance. She is
evoting her life to this work, and is reaping
er reward as she goes along-a sweet, spiritual
arvest of great and little joys. Just inside
he door Is a contribution-box, with the |
MOTTO engraven on top, "One hundred per
ent. interest, payable in heaven" am afraid
hat the majority of people in this selfish
Torid would think this was something like re-
,aining externally indebted" All do not, how
yer, for the contributions have poured In sur
risingiy, and the Founding Asylum is doing
Ter. Since the middle of last November one
undred and fifty infants have been left there,
nd they have evidently belonged to people In
II conditions of life. Some OF them are placed
4 the basket-crib at the door In a state of
akedness, or at best with a strip of muslin
brown around them; some are luxuriously and
ompletey attired, az though they were born to
he cradle of palace rather than the crib of an
sylum. A physician is in daily attendance,
nd, of course, nurses are on hand all the time.
icing brought up ''by hand" Is generally repre-
ented as a series of unmitigated miseries, but
m willing to believe that many of the homes
rom which these little ones are exiled would not
e happier for them than the foundling care |
hey here enjoy.
The Ball Season.
don't wish to degenerate into the style of |
heatrical- advertisement writing, but the ball
eason Is being conducted "upon q scale of
plendor never before equalled is this country
Every night has its batch of balls-not including
hose of the pawnbrokers, printers, tele-
,raphers, tallors, cracker-bakers, fat men-all
mite In choosing the ball as the exponent of
heir joyous emotions. The French opera-6oufe
alls were very naughty, but they were blazers
a their way, and presume will be repeated at
intervals until the end of the season.
Booth and Fechter.
There is a vulgar tendency, not only with the |
multitude, but with that portion of
he press which pretends to calm thought and
lispasSionate critical acumen, to pit Mr.. Booth
md MIR. Fechter against one another, and go In |
luest OF comparisons between their respective
'Hamlets' hardly see the necessity for this. |