The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-02
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE POSING.
Two Samples of Women Often Found at FASH
ionable Resorts.

Old Point Comfort Letter.
A coronal of snowy hair about a young and ex-
quisite brow is not an uncommon sight here, and
the lovely woman before us coming under this
category, enhances the rare beauty of this
feature by tasteful couture. In the evening she
sits before the blazing crate fire, looking ike a
queen in a book, with a retinue of ~courtiers
around her dais. A pair of dainty bronze slip
pers peep from under a pearl colored satin gown,
softened by silver lace, and rubies glow on
her bosom with a warmer light than the
red Goals at her feet. A long line Of
cavaliers is presented seriatim, while her
husband stands by and silently applauds. As
society in every era has its special demand of
birth, or manners, or brains, or gold, it opens
ardent arms to her who brings beauty, bearing
and glittering ~rouleaux. A rich dover, indeed
She is pre-eminently the modern woman, with
sufficient worldly wisdom to understand that
life is too short to be hampered by the weight Of
great passions, and that it is only n game-a
game that always goes to the most expert player.
The essentials OF an expert are to be shrewd,
cool and ready. These equipments are the re-
suit of experience. She knows that the end of
expectation is the death of interest, so she turns
on the electricity and oxygen valve, and the
specimens upon which she is only experimenting
move with increased animation, and their eyes
shine with augmented brilliancy: she plays her
role adroitly with shy, suggestive glance, eng
matte smile and unfinished sentence. She pos
sesses the secret art Of getting admirers, and Of
keeping them. She hates climaxcs, and is con-
hde MT OF her success and strength, because she
has a gallery to appreciate her grace. She is in
her way a social scientist, accomplishing mar
velous transformations and developing polite
civilization by a careful study of specimens and
the consequences of animat;ng agencies.
Not so the Baltimore belle, whose raison d'etre
continues an insoluble problem. Hidden from
view all day she comes forth at night as arti-
fetal in face as she is in heart. She prefers to
be on solitary exhibition, and allows no satellites
to detract from her self-centered brilliancy. She
takes her place near an entrance arch If the prom
enaders' rendezvous and points with metaphorical
finger to her own resplendent figure. A robe
of peacock green plush sweeps the floor in volup-
tuous fold, and the rise and fall of her fair
breast swells with the mechanical accuracy Of an
automatic Cora Pearl. She holds a book in a
way to display with infinite tact a triumph of
manicure art The training. coloring and polish
ing of her fastidious fnger-tips indicates time
and care. The same process adapted to the brain
achieves equally brilliant results. This first act
of the farce, illustrating picturesque repose. oc-
cupies two hours. The next is only varied by
the entrance of a lover. who helps TO indulge her
fancy for notoriety, and to whose attentions she
submits as she does to an application of aureole
to her hair. cosmetique saline to her nails and
kold to her eyes, because OF her varity and inor-
dinate dread of being cut of the fashion.