The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-03-08
THE EsrHETzo SOCIETY.
Mrs. smith Charms Her Audience BY
Her Account OF Her New Orleans
Visit.

Her Account OF Her New Orleans
Visit.
On Saturday this popular organization
held its last meeting but one for the season
at Lafayette NJ E. Church. The occasion
was one of the most delightful in the his
tory of the society. 1t has been in exist
ence for ten years. Its founder and per-
petual President, is Mrs. Erminnie A.
Smith. It's constitution and bylaws, like
the British constitution, are unwritten,
and therefore can be stretched at pleasure,
which is charming feature of the organ
ization. 1t began with perhaps dozen
members They now number 500. With
out doubt the Esthetics have done much
to cultivate and interest Jersey City society
in art, literature and music and kindred
topics belonging to the higher, finer
education.
The exercises that interest the head were
preceded, as usual, by the exercises that
interest the stomach. A luncheon, SUBJ
stantial as we'll as aesthetic, was
served at 1 o'clock. Pretty girls, be-
longing to the band of the twelve
adopted daughters of the society served the
tables. The luncheon part of the enter
taiament was given at 203 Pacific avenue;
the literary portion was held in the
church. mass
NThe second part of the entertainment was
opened by Mrs. President Smith, the fair
gracious woman who is the moving spirit
of it all. She told the large audience of
her visit to the New Orleans Exposition,
to which she went as one of the Commiss-
toner's from New Jersey. She electrified
their souls by informing them that the
handsomest crazy Iuilt at the Exposition
was made in Jersey City.
The programme was admirably varied.
Mrs. Belle Cole sang several songs in her
rich sweet voice. Among them were
sSweet Content "Polly," and "Darby
and JOAN. The lady was encored enough
to delight any artist She was accompan-
led by Mrs. Lyle on the piano. Mrs. Lyle
is member of the society. So is Mrs.
Florence Clinton Sutro, who gave two
strong and fine piano solos, Mr. Marshall
P. Wilder sprinkled several of his
ininitable comic performances through
the exercises. Among them were render
ing of skating and snoring, illustrations of
how people behave in street cars, and a
voiceless illustration of one of Hon.
Chauneey M. Depew's speeches. Finally
he gave pantomime delineation of STAN
mering, and made his bow and vanished,
leaving his audience doubled up with
laughter. One of the funny points of
Mr. Wjlder's performances is that they APP
pear to amuse him as much as they do any
body.
A unique and attractive feature was the
playing of Miss Torbett, the talented girl
violinist. If there is one thing nicer than
just pretty girl, it is a pretty girl playing
the violin. Miss Torbett is still very
young, but she handled the bow in way
that greatly pleased her audience.
The solid, though anything but the
heavy part, of the entertainment, was con-
tributed by Prof. E. S. Morse,
the two-handed man, who makes chalk
pictures with flashing rapidity, with
both hands at once. He gave profoundly
interesting talk on the Japanese house and
household. He showed how, in some re-
spects, these sons and daughters of the far
Orient have higher civilization than ours
It recalled that remark of Japanese
traveller of high rank who was once asked
why he did not remain in the United
States instead of going back home. He
said: "What has America to offer as
place of residence to Japanese gentle
man ?"
Many well known literary, scientific and
professional people were present as in
vited guests from New York City and else
where. The next meeting of the aesthetics
will be April 4, and will be Shakespeare
day.
After adjournment there was delight
full informal social gathering at the house
of the president. The guests fingered till
the shadows fell. Even some who set their
faces like steel that they would go paused
on the threshold, and retraced their de-
parting steps, remarking one to another
ST say, doesn't that coffee smell good? 2