New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-03
SOCIAL SILHOUETTES.
,rISc THE IMPRESSIONS OF MR. MARK MAN
HAITIAN.
VI.
.r,.r clN,rI EMAN WHO LISTENS.

,,h my narents in those earlier DAYS. nj our ola
family mansion IN Washington Square woulu he
normitted TO como down to dessert ana gazo ~ MIN
with boyish awe across my nibbled banana OF my
fascinating ice cream. used to connect MN VII"
oil that was prosperous and luxurious AMI sup
nose that tho fcstal association chung about MN
forever aftrrwarl. Mamma always spoke OF Nun III
n hushed tone, and papa, though somewhat gwen
IN cynical comments upon every other friend ne
possossod would always reserve for " Sou'he'.V
n slow. approving nod of the head and satisno"
.u,;,o "a ;f ~ merely mentioning that rcntlcmans
ramo he was indicating % personality so lar ~
moved from all the aspersons oi "i"'ha'e VIZ
paragemcnt that even fcrvid ruloHN coui" nov -,
press his solid excellence. hnd n'NS'l'' ""',o wy
ming among these remote memories S''' '"'p", W.
That enithrt of solid" And now that ro''l NY
hovish ideas concerning Mr.. Prescott Son,nE''o' "
,,,,ra 4, ,,c that Iconncctcd the term with his per
sonal appearance. aud used to compare ms mnNN'ir
trame mud his big hcshy but not ungaihly linus
with those OF other guests mt our boaru III hoS'
.os onit, disadynntaVeously to the other guests
N. ,oso Ia mr. drawing rooms like Jupiter When
no warmed himself nj ono of our hieplaces h'
wholly uhscurcd the glow or the blaze there ~"
his mjldncss and genialty were ~ immense M MS
ncrsnn lie was not cOrpucnt. then mt even n'
h.d heon Won ,yould No motr have remarked such
change than If they were to put wihno" Nv
,nc of the upper siurics Of the fth Avenue iIo''l
tfa had a snu brown heard and the mildcst Of gray
eyes aud a pnilc csscned ct gteatehed on his large
.c,nna face but never onito left IT, THINK that N
la ha1 n,rt hnrn very nnetv ~ nnNhodt ~ ANY
,ht,s that atey pvp ~ his would have ntrectvcd
,es,iunty twinkle 80 tell NoU like the rainbow ~
storm that It would aoon he elont weather hth'h'
The domeslic henra,V OF cmldhood AlWnyR rArila
ayast Influence, eew Wp ia hteNoich'hl hihho'
toward MI Prescott SoUthgaH II mover "ronii'u
Ia Tue that he Was not a gentleman "l "WA''
mental gifts II noyor ~ TAI ~ olep' mo NY w
telhgonoo that ho was not lowered WIN All Nh"Vh
OF pos.Ihle gifts, of whatever natur" m'ph''
under stress of art tai suaslon have been lrduceu !"
doubt the capahility of tho sun IN heaven nut Il"
not think any snhtlcty OF momentum of argument
conld hayc led me to dishelicvc IN the stanch ana
oycr-towcrng merits of MI. Southg1to
And vet all this time, had no definite Tecollec-
t;on NJ his noSseSsinR "a voice. ! very familiar
with the Pat of his large hand on the crown OF my
head; | could shut my eyes ana see hS Hch ample
smile; was intimately acquainted with h'S grave
sconorial nod knew past fault the drowsy, com
Portable creak of his boots, But when IT came to
recalling his conversation, OF even the quality oil
tho tome in which he uttered the most ordinary
abatement | should have found myself at grlevOus
retrospective loss.
Tho inevitable changes took place; | went to
Harvard "a | have before recorded; my poor
mother passed away; a dolorous time OF mourning
ensued sharply accumulated by that paraIyuc
stroke which lovelod my remaining parent was
a doyoted nurse to- poor father for many months :;
finally the last worldly exit camo, also. for ms
loved life: | was Immersed in legal matters con
corning the settlement of my large lot of property
and at length went abroad, remaining for good
while among scenes and people that wrought thelr
due effect of wholesome change
I'm this way several years passed without my
meeting or hearing of Mr.. Prescott Southgate. But
the old reverence continued dormant within my
spirt IL had been called upon, while abroad to
instance q pillar of American social worthlneSS'
shonld instantly have bothOught myself of Dir
SOuthrato
when returned To- this country found myself
rather promptly made a member of The Mctropoll-
fan Club The doors of The Metropolitan were not
On bcserod then as now by yearnng asprants. !
WAS slippcd quite easily into membership. ana |
recollcct that on the first evening tins honor was
onioycd felt desire to meet aud claim acquaihe
ance with my fathers old idol
OF course he still lived. If he had died must
have heard about C. confess to an odd sense OF
conviction that if had been either IN Egypt or at
the Cape of Good Hope, still must have heard
nlout IT, had MIR. Southgatc died.
To he in The Metropolitan was naturally TO re
me,nhpr him Youthful experiences nscparably
connected him with The metropolitan. lie had
ALWAYS an engagement ut Tho Mctropotnn'' or he
was listening TO some opinions of my father respect
ing the nroper government of The Metropolitan, or
he was bandly smiling upon my doar mothor while
shc playrully scOdcd The Metropolitan for Keeping
mana ont tHl abnormal hours, or ho WAS receiving
an urgent noto from The Metropolitan, where some.
body must SEQ him just at the wrong Time before
his good old Madeira was thoroughly slipped and his
beady post pran1Gtl cigar thoroughly smoked lie
had been clad for me with kind of Metropolitan
nimbns like that of the NlrgIlan dcitics. Aud 10.
naturally entering the halls of this long respected
elm for the first tune not only anticipated him
ms an event but expected him as u certainty
ooh hos somewhere about said my old Harvard
clas.mato. Charley fremont. lie always is
Charley, who dawdlcs through life rs confirmed
,colcr al nearly everything sacred that it holds
dropped hi4 voice aud lowered his cigarette IA If
with some nstinctiycly respectful meaning VIII 10 ne
now added: Magnificent old chap Pride of the
club. Mark, WISH we had mo'o like him He's
been elected u governor four successive times.
Fifth time hc wouldn't run-thcy couldn't get him
10 doitl A little aged now, but still the Same fine.
solid. old-school uumpV
"Oh. yes yes indeed" replied catching at the
word "solid" That word had such homcy
pleasant, recognizable sound
A little Atcr met Mi Southgato. OF courso
had changed since hc had lasts me. told him
that must have done so, while grasp,d his hlg
soft thand They said it had made oNcra million
dollars. that hand IN the East India trade, though
you would never have supposed 80 from ITS UNI
roughencd phmpncssl He beamcd upon me while
talked with him lie had changed, too lac had
got 10 pat t'plainy, u palpabe stomach, which lac
carried with Il really superb majesty; You had 60
run your eye downward along his stately person to
he quite sure that you had made no oror about his
altered anatomy. But there was no doubt concern
1. "a la MIN uruV m ~
beard.
L Anll.h a. HIM I'm IL rnnl Ahlln- lnnll IN nAIlN