New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-10-19
SOCIAL SILHOUETTES.
arrsa THE IMPRESSIONS OF MR. MAhh MAN
HAITIAN.
XIII.
,r,rr crN1,I EMAN WHO II GLIB.

bold by pcrhaps two hundred of the gentleman lca
worshippers as an impoSSibllity. know OIL IT"
,oo, in Now-Yorlx more socially sought after than
Mir Peabody Crisp. ! think it probable that nc
eoud dine out every day IN the wear II 50 disposed
am sure that his company at dinner Is soiic''ed W
an enormous extent. He represents as rce''"S
ropuarty and influence the almost ideally success
ful man He is considered the best OF eoou com
pany the king of good fellows when lie peS'hs 10
s,eal there il always n respectful and interested
silence His reputation for wit and briiliancy
amounts 20 a positive fame. Nor does IT stop there
he ia esteemed person OF sound ana SOMA views Oh
all the larger and more important questions lie Is
known To be extremely orthodox and CONSERVATIVE
His LEGISLATION of liberal principles III politics ana
religion has become proveiblal. He IL Thought es
pecially noteworthy as an afteI-dinner speaker
when his name is pronounced 10y the master oil cere
monies you are certain to hear round OF riptlrons
appiause lie rises. with dropped eyes. stioking
smooth shayen chin lie begins to speak III very
nasal lettering voice lie is exceedingly tnii o.
lank and ungainly figure, and he possesses pan Oh
immense. salient knucklel hands which he waves
mud 1ourshes more and more during he heat OF his
oratoty. Usually at the completion OF his hfSt sen
tenee he ia greeted Ivy roar of laughter The roars
eontinue at intervals of brief DURATION until he has
seated himself Nobody else ever receives the same
warm welcome the same loving appreciation. be
lava tbn, lac will pass tn his grave with CUhott oil
tts most deyout ana admtine mourners. Euioey
S,ill ptbaust itself IN recording his marvellous
qualities NJ uompanionship gchiaty ana secure III
tplectunl merit
And vet o,n ronv inrpi that Nit Peabody Crisp 10
\ femrletp aud absolute shah'
The conviction flashed up0n no ohp evening when
hesti hna deliver an aIlpis,llhhet slepcii me
epapeh was thought sitihiha triumph " teuehen
imam several questions oi tho day anl what "
,hat A MA n,ituuttl bBlIbk oil Ia aiuii JUh
ms The appisu.a which had followed his mai sei''
teuoe was auhslimg, | turned to the gentleman het'
no. 81, .
II have never heard Mr. Crisp speak before" ]
said
The pentoman's face was wIeathed III smiles Is
II possible" ho murmuTed. Well you are uhiorl-
unateW
shook my head with good deal OF decision :"
cant agree with YOU" was my reply. 'Ihat Is
provided MI Crisp never acquits himself more
brilliantly than he has done to night
brilliantly " echoed my companion. who was
one of the recent orators most ardent devotees
swell sir | should like to know what real brill
fancy Is if we did not meet with ita few minutes ago.
al think we did not meet with 1t" returned. j
secretly felt as if / had had my pocket picked OF
considerable small change. 1t seemed to me that
this Mr. Peabody Crisp had no right to iniict on
more than a dozen preoccupied dgestions his truly
nccravating patitudes. And now went on to say,
with the unhesitatng holiness which always en-
ploy when feel myself justified by the occasion:
tel call everything which heard from Mr.. Pea.
body Crisp's lips the nsest sort OF gallery talk.
Ibelieye that know gallery talk when hear it
We Americans ought. We manage to fall in with so
much of It,"
I NV neichhor yisbly brstled confess that en-
Joyod his dismay and disgust If there is anything
In the world especially annoying to me it is genu-
faction hef IN rpyorthV ideal. | have GOOD
deal of honest sympathy with hero worship, not
withstanding many of its ludIcrous aud even gro
tesque phases But when suspect the tribute Of
devotion 20 be paid where it is i'll deserved i am
prepared for not a little tough belligerence.
"Oh. sec Mr. Manhattan came the rather tart
response. you disagree with the IDEAS expressed by
Mr. CIIsp."
"Pafdon me-" | said. 4" | perceived no ideas with
which could disagree"
L Somehow thus little as,eItVe outburst on my part
rot TO he rather widely kaown. Several people
mentioned TO me that they had heard OF my strong
aversion for Mr.. Peabody Crisp.
"Uis not a strong aversion 1 usually sad II
isasens, OF the man being complete intellectual
fraud His popularity admit. But that Is WIN
me no argument. have seen good many popular
people and popular Things undescrving OF notice.
shall never forget the speech which heard him
make az G IS large dinner There Is no doubt that
brilliant one am sure that Il was held TO be repre-
sentative Of what the gentleman usually does III
that way Am wrong there p
swell no" usually came the answer. 4" 1t was
certainly very funny, besides being excessively
clever
ats fun" | replied, "was a matter of taste
think Won get the same kind of fun in the comic
column OF most vulgar newspapers lis cieyerne,'
I could not at all shallow episram is not
wisdom
The worshippers Of Mr.. Crisp naturally did not
like this sort Of plain statement had already met
tbeir idol and one dly was invited t. dine IN his
society hy Mr. Gcutian. who rank 4 among hi'
lcvuutcst admirers. Unsrspectngly accepted
land it was not until found myself IN the drawing
room eft my host that began to feel mvseii the OBJ
feet of a conspiracy Perhaps his Is too strong
word Bat as Nit Crisp shook hands with IN"
tancioJ that there was = kind Of metallic challeng
IN his full acute prominent ote. and q aatiric sWi
about his thn clean shor lpa A. looked i'un'
,hr apartment. t,u. | seW eight guests of knpVi
elpsian,o tn Ma Ciiep Nii Gentau's allosan,
Naa a,m,thina chat belonged 10 inUnir'ptl history
nj, Dopti,n hold numhoiiDs, bombs in noted uh
iailWA, iiolN,on hunaril and Gao railway com
rany htj nil.rn several years at', sham duHit'l
tolinus ,haista col aun,tuu9 m'to iih m.i'h
igh-ha4Icd monopoly lmd hffn brought hhr
Nj GrutI,n, the renowned Wall aurrt f"n"'o
MI ruihody Crisp had daloliti Am IA count 'H0
won h.s case.
Nh Gcntau was 70 mlid hammered little mar, Wit
asupcr.bunlmt ipcleaI, y,.J bald nlc'd anl d
1an.rna Iateu r.atc,. Wrhld nothing ia common
toe.ther: dotr.t ",t1.a" talk, ami thinh h
1rc.yIt: ! rlI,'y dil MHre than o1oi.V nod % lhH
in The ...5 uao thna- u 5ome hat odd tht
le shouiu ask ue 90 dinner but 'hcI good MANY
people do AL. u.c o. diane. loI 10 definite reason
Il Wac "a remarkably fine dinner The Vin