The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-06-24
A New Industry.

in the metropolis People who have the
money have everything done for them
nowadays. Their writing, their read
ing, their thinking, and it now has come
to this-their talking. A man OF
woman may have all the machinery, in
the way of lungs, throat, tongue and
mouth, for carrying on conversation,
but if they have nothing to say, qui
bono What is to be done when Mr..
and Mrs. Banderbone, having built a
palatial mansion on Murray Hill, and
filled it with costly importations, want
to celebrate the event by dinner party.
They know that Delmonico will insure
the dinner, fashionable florist the
flowers, and the best music in the city
can be had for the money; but it is
with dire misgivings that Mrs. Bander-
bone recalls the jokes she has heard
about the dinners of Mrs. Administer, at
which the host talked stocks and the
hostess retailed the misdeeds of her SER
wants. Mrs. Banderbone has enough
womanly shrewdness to know that she
herself is rather adrift when torn from
the servant and dress questions, and she
has dim foreboding that her liege lord
will expatiate on the rise and fall Of the
Erie. Somebody, she knows, must take
the lead, and, with sigh of thankful
ness that there is such thing, she in
vites Mrs. Tutwitter, the professional
onversationalist, and one of the four
ladies in this city who are making hand
some livings out of their ready wits and
tongues.
Twenty five dollars an hour is the
price-so one OF these ladies told me
and the scarcity of talent makes it
worth the money.
The first woman who clacked her
tongue for coin in New York is the
widow of once wealthy merchant, who
died some three years ago, insolvent.
When her period of mourning was over
the lady was urged to re-enter society,
but both her inclination and her means
forbid. This was a disappointment to
her friends, for she was considered one
of the most charming women in the
CITY.
Only passable in looks, she was en-.
dowed with exquisite tact, good educa-
ton, the power Of adaptabi!ity, and a
wonderful command OF language "a
perfect hostess, like poet-born, not
made; and Mrs. L. was famous for the
grace and ease with which she enter
tanned her friends, and made them feel
that they, not she, were shining. Her
presence was always sought, and in Civ
ing out invitations, other people re-
gardsd her as drawing card.
Among these other people was good
hearted but exceeding commonplace old
ladv, who held the fail widow In great
esteem, and was much vexed when she
refused to attend certain dinner party,
,emarking, 81 would sooner give $500
than be SO disappointed"
"Mv dear friend" responded Mrs. l.,
81 will be frank with you. You want
me to come to help entertain your
guests. l cannot even afford carriage
for the occasion, and am at this moment
casting about in my mind for the
means of making living. You say
you would give $500 rather than be
disappointed. Well, give me 500 and
l will entertain your company and earn
my first penny.
The old lady was delighted with the
idea, and tickled at its novelty. She
acted upon it with such success that
when the story was whispered about to
a few friends they seized upon it, and
from that moment Mrs. LIS time was
occupied.
Such . vocation has its annoyances
and humiliations, but alsoits enioyments,
and . woman who is born to adorn o
drawing-room cannot be insensible to
tho charm Of setting the many little
wheels of society 20 smoothly in motion
that no machinery would be suspected
Three othor ladies have gradually
slipped into the profession, and it is one
not likely to be abused, for the reason
that it requires ladies' to succeed in it.
They are generally introduced as 80 par
ticular friend, spending few days with
one" and at those barbarous carnivals,
made up Of miscellaneous guests to
whom the host il indebted, are inva'u-
ahle. Always we'll read, net only in
books but human nature, and "up" in
the newspapers, the conversationalist