New-York tribune., 1884-11-16


the coldness of dahlia never the delicate intoxca
tion of rose. When her tall well-moulded figure
first dawned upon me- and looked INTO the hard.
bright black of her eyes, noted the flowing yet in
flexible line of her llps observed the strongly in
tellectua, development at her temples told myself
that hero was n woman who had never known the
first thrill of real passion Power had been her god,
and power OF q certain sort only. And was rght
We became excellent friends. She was Just tho
sort of friend needed too. at the beginning oil my
social career She through her own sex as one
sees through crystal and could tell their foibes
and their faults rs one might the stones at the
bottom of a very clear spring. will not speak oi
the golden warnings and wise hints that she gave
me. II was like getting "pOnts" from some shreWu
Wall Street operator. hope that listened WIN
dne respect for my precious opportunities snc" i''
Baker was not wont TO distribute them broadcast
Whether haveduly profted by them or no. ieaVo
to those who have watched with any interest thc
rising ot my fashionable star as Dsrae might have
said in his earlier novels.
Rut il was not long before Mrs Baker astonished
me by the depth of WEAKNESS and even disgust
which she betrayed To the world large she wasthe
bright personificaton of contentment eli-satisiac-
tion Success. TO me and a few others she reVeaeu
an IRONY of fatigue and disillusion Her bitterness
made me almost shudder when was first brought
face to face with it. 1t was like finding nest Oh
rats behind sumptuOus velvet arras we were
seated in her almost regal drawing-rooms at ,no
time We had been talking about some Charitable
amateur theatricals of which she was one OF IN"
foremost lady patronesses and ! had consented ~
dire and never repeated exIercnce to act as sec
retary We had dropped business for the present
We had drif;cd INTO sort of semi-philosophIc tram
of conversational gossip. We were asking each
other what, after all. the lives and aims oil MIS-.
This and Mr. That tpeoplc whom We both knew
we'll had amounted to. We were saying very I'M
charitable things. but perhaps good many trne
things rs we'll If friends had been behind the
door thcv wonld no doubt have hated lis. But am
sure they would have secretly admitted deep down
beyond the crmcnt of their wrath, that some OF our
charges were full of Justice.
"We!l." suddenly exclaimed Mrs Brummagem
Baker. Z" and what has my life amounted TOT Have
vou ever thought at all on that subiectW
locked at her with surprise. Eve thought
coed deal on the subject" soon replied " and my
conclusion Is that you one OF the most notahy
successful women of your pfr'od'
She gave a light laugh She always hal n crisplv
erer,mmatlc way of speaking on every subject.
They had said yea ago that her voice WAS m ~
and "Amcricnn.n (lt is astonishing how iona GER
tain Americans are Of turning that national All
icctive INTO contemrtuous sign tcauce.l But there
spoke. indeed with slightly forelen acccnt-or at
lcast with n short tripping treatment OF her ~ Via
blcs and an occasional upward infection nj the end
of u srulcncc She had breezy. lnd0lchl hilh'i'
too ~ If nothing that she heard or saw woro quite
important enough to he serious about Her style
was dccilcily French; it was moreover. tr'l'
ENGLISH. now and thcn; but 1t was not ever in the
sphtrst degree American.
"Non'rc 81 good to say that" she declared. 81
.t..l mi
olionS httc word. bv the way 1t implies strain
luz aud struggling. ! letoSt It,"
"Then am very sorry 10 have used it, was my
reply.
She CHANGED the subject soon af'erwarl and |
understood that she diSinc!ncd To talk further
regarding herself. But repeatedly in other succeed-
ing interviews, she would drop certain innuendocs
REGARDING her own mental ennui AT last SAID to
her.
"Frankly, Mrs. Baker, arc you not satisfied with
your career !"
"SatiSicdi' she murmured looking downward
and seeming to consde" the word. Then she raised
her eyes, "No.' she said slowly. looking at me
with great intentness, al am prodigiOusiy Gjssat
isied"
There had leen a mutitudinous dinner that even
ing at tine Lexingtons' in nLexngton-aye. The Lex
ingtons always give their dinners in the most ride
ulous way No one who has ever wanted to take
in anybody else has ever. by capriclous accident.
managed to do so. Everybody is placed unconecni-
ally next everybody else If had an arch-enemy of
the feminine sex, and had accepted dinner at the
Lcxingtons'. should notbe surprised to inl card
on the hall-tabe las squeezed down my chapeGa
bras and got the foOtman to disarray me of my
wraps) giving The name OF this grl or matrcn rs my
future companion through ten or twelve tedious
courses. As II CHANGED that evening. had to seat
myself beside Minnie Madcnlanc, who was at once
the most amiable and vaDid of young virgins. | had
escaped from the men as soon rs possible after
coffee and cigars were served, and had joined the
ladies in that exquisite front room OF the LcXIng-
tons where as every one knows. they have ahundrcd
good things IN the way of ornament and some pic
lures that il needs almost the purse of Fortune to
hang on their nice walls. decorated by tie aesthetic
Narcotic. | found Mrs Baker near "A big palm,
which lowered in front of an alcoye window where
there were tuitcd cushions piled quite OnentallI.
We were seated here together as she gave ne her
last recorded response.
"You. Of all women living" said TO her, mean
ingly Gt was so pleasant TO say something mcan-
ipgly to some one after those hollow lnanites tn
Minnie Madenlaneg y should he the last to speak
of your life with dissatisfaction"
% How ,lrol you are !" was the answer given with
a shrug OF the shoulders lnor yon to have ideas,
to he outside of this dreary fashionable rabbe-ior
il is nothing elsc-and yet YOU now and then seem
to he conventionaly part of it. The Older grow,
Mark Manhattan land am growing very old, If the
lamentaionsof of my har-dresoer are at all credible,
| find myself more and more convinced of how |
have wasted my lfc.'
"Wa,tei your liiew / calculated.
"Nos-iust what tell yon. dear boy wasted my
life Let me I've nutobograrhcal; let me dip into a
rell confession. What did athmpt 10 dog
Oh You need not look if you hal not heard all
about my past 1t has been cried from the house,
tops and you have surely heard many Of the shouts