, 1875-01-31

her ont, looks over her programme
whispers word or two in her ear, aud
writes his namo against the next dance. At
last it comes. 4 vhirl or two around the parlo,
and they glp out. Shall it be the upper or
tho lower stairs? That depends. 1s all the world
dancing, and SUPPER not yet announced? the
lower stairs, Of course. Instead, have they
slipped away from the supper-room. leaving
creams and charlottes oysters and fried turkey,
to people who have outllycd the days when
sweet Irritation Was moro delicious th an cha1n-
payne frappc then the upper stairs arc the
place Of places. Here he can assume that lowly
position nafltting tho suitor for lady's favor.
It il no longer considered necessary for tile
lover to go down on his knees, and, if it were,
how few men could do that thing gracefully.
Here ladies have the advantage they can
throw themselves down in au agony Of grief, aud
il their clothes are elegant in fabric and OF tho
last new Paris mode, look perfectly bewitching.
They can even kneo1 gracefully, but man, with
his absence Of drapery. and hin usual ungair,li-
ness of outline, reaches that step beyond ths
sublime when he makes any such a.tompt.
therefore are stairs wonderful invention.
They permit certain humility Of position with
out making it u grotesque one. Seated Just on
the stair below he whisper hs flattering tale,
and at the same time watch all her soft emo
tlons. rs they blushins, gushing, rise.
Having won tho suit, how easy the tranafer to
the seat beside her.
IT, however. the young lady is finished
coquettc, sho will take the lower seat because it
is 80 easy then to imagine some one coming, and
run down into the ballroom, that is, providing
the upper stairs are in question. The genuine
coque:te, however, she who plays her lovers as
an angler does the tsh he means to catch, al
ways prefers the lower stairs, Here there is
usually dim, religious light equally suited to
peniteuce or praise, to the "Deea culpa " OF
the deyotec, or tha' lego smo " Of the lover.
Here the coquette takes her seat on tha upper
ataI Hnn harf fanf 41n ifr0 hat Sur
ing, and she wishes him to see her
look of innocent surprise Us he makes that
avoual she hns long meant that he should. Or
II not quite ready Tor it, il she wishes 10 keep it
at bay . little longer. she can over"hcln1 him
with battery Of looks and giances, and then
make a mastery retreat at the last moment.
Tho above picture is not ovcrdrnwr, still to tho
credit OF the sex let it be affirmed that it Is in
frequent enc IN society's gallery.
Many young girls get the reputation OF
slightest intention Of boing anything of tho
Find, and, in nine cases out OF ten,
they are tho best and brayest OF the whole bevy.
They are born 10 please us the sparks hy up
wo-d, and With viSacitY, Il loro OF pleasing which
is o thoroughly human trait, mora natural man
:ers aud less vanity 1aaa their aseaciates. they
arc stigmat!zed Is 1iirts, When tleY have no in-
ten.ion Of being nnythIug OF tl::, s.ud. It is her
very lack Of self-coHHclousuess that leads such q
girl to treat all young men alike, with frank
II
in Ills litt'o condolences, feeling genuinely sorry
for bis blshted life, his lonely position, uncom-
pretended and solitary, aud she sympatlizes
with his sad condition, until he, vain hir6,
takes the honest belief Tor sincere aiula-
tion and admiration Of his pserdo-seutiment,
and lie astonisbes her with a proposal. This,
perhaps. places Ler On her guard for time, but
She il or too frank and chccry disposition-too
anxious to stand weli with the world, to please
her friends and be pieascd by thein-to take the
L.E-
another moth has scorched his wings in the
light of her brilliant bnt earnest Dyes.
So. while there are fer coquettes, brainlees
or arsfnr who tlizt for the love of it, there
1uauy mere who are called such simply because
they cannot help themselves aro mora honest
panons. It maj seem strange theory to
advance but nny ono who has studied
cir! nature, must know it to be true one. These
are tho girls to whom sentimental condolences
are made on the stairs By often breiuless [ops,
who knoN just enough to dance aud be sentl-
mental and nothing more.
And how about the 1naie t1irts. fully 1e1ged, in
many cases birds OF advanced age, who Ike 20 lead
tile last uebunsantc out Oh tha Btoifs and there
whisper pretty no:nings just for tho sake Of see
ing her blush and look embarrassed? Who re-
peut the mattor until they weary of it, o: some
now faco arises on Eoclety's horizon while the
fair girl takes her first bitter draught OF insin-
cerity, until ste too perhaps learns TO brew tho
DltsEr pCtlQD ana revenge nCf6ClI.
Still perhaps such results are not "a frequent
as they might he, if deeper passions aud emo
tlons were bsought into play. Society's bellies
aud beau1. for The most part. ere satisfied with
very weak dococtions Of feeling, and tho mclo-
cra1nas alt not very hcart-rending, the tragedies
while tho comedies and farces
doubleday predcminate.
Hitherto it has been the stairs that hnye beon
the privileged conhdauts OF all love affairs, in
cipient or matured, but it has beon left for Chi
cago bellies to ind another equally safe place,
quite rs froe from criticism, open to th3 casual
glance Of any passer-by, but still tritle mora
secluded than the stairs; Hithin the reach OF the
chaperones call, and yet out Of the reach OF her
immediate eyo.
Everybody knows wha. tho ordinary Chicago
furuace il the immense stove that staud5 ut
the end Of the basementrhall. whence the regis
ter pipes may be seen starting out aboye. In
other cities this furnace is . brick aud iron ar
hidden away BY itself in an under
ground collar and Of not the least avail as an
objective point for flirtations. No matter how
cold tho weather, aud Chicago society realizes
how terribly zeroish it eau bo here, under such
circumstances the young lady and her loyer
could not very well steal away to that
smoky place, there to compare opinions. How
different here. 1s the suppeE-room crowded,
Ado!phus and Adsliza need only take their ices
md creep away to that cosy nook beside tho fur
mace, and, with chairs surreptiMouSy obtained
from tho kitchen, carry on their mild dlsquisi-
tions III comfort and peace. Every one can see
at glance that some one IS there; they ere be-
meath tho eye Of all the world, 80 the most cap
tious may not cavil yet the most ardent devotee
Of the stairs us an altar to lore would soon be
converted TO the nook by the furnace.
In Chicago, especially, people will como late,
while come leave emily, 80 the stairs to the Dress
ing-rooms are constantly in use- For these late
colncrs supper must be served. and often the
stands waiting for guests through
out the evening, thus making a lower-stai1s dir-
tation liable to constant interruption, while the
dear little nook by the furnace ia quito FREQ
from all such disabilities.
CLUB PARTIES.
TIE RECORD OF ORGANIZED D1BSVA11oN.
The club parties Of the week opened with the
Sans souci party Monday night, at tho house of
Amos 7. Hail. No. $50 Prairie avenue. This
Club have chosen q fortunate night for hops, us
there are usually fewer other attractions 80 early
in the week to draw away their members. The