Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-24
GOSSIP AT THE sEAsHoRE.
How Women Acquire international
Practical Example at Long Branch.

Practical Example at Long Branch.
From the Baltimore Sun.
LONG BRANCH, n. j., Aug. 20.-The
faculty of acquiring information about
the affairs of others appears to have been
bestowed TO a much greater degree upon
women than upon men, and of all places
IN the world the fair sex are more in
clined to exercise this faculty to the ut
most at the watering places. The aver
age man. who may be at a great summer
hotel for weeks, will make but few
isolated acquaintance here and there,
and when he goes away will know as
much or as little OF the people ne
has been passing and repassing every
day as when be came. Not so Win
the average woman. She viii scarcely
have her trunks unpacked before she
knows all about the people on the same
floor with her, and in iOrty-elght hours
she will be possessed Of pretty much all
that she considers worth knowing OF the
pecuniary circumstances, domestic rela-
lions, virtues and frailties OF every one
around her. was foroibly struck with
this feminine popularity while seated on
the piazza of one of the leading hotels
morning or two since, listening TO the
music, with bright young married lady
from Cincinnati as a companion. with
all those acoOmpaniments OF gesture and
infection Of tone which a witty and viva
cious woman knows how we'll to use, she
drew a graphic picture OF each
and every promenader who passed
of the husbands who spent their money on
the race track and in the bar-rOom and
stinted their wives; of those who loved
their wives and those who did not; how
this one married his wife for money; OF
the unmarried men and their peccadlllos;
then Of the wives, and how dreadully
some OF them firted, and Of the scandals
which had attached 10 them from time to
time; how they were dupng their stupid
husbands: OF the young girls and their
faults Of omission and commission. TO
nv Wonder-stricken comment as to how
she could gather so much about The
private matters of people, with the great
mass Of whom she had no personal ac-
Quaintance, this lady replied with
haiyete that was absolutely
Irresistible, that her tongue was given her
70 ask questions, her eyes to see, and her
ears to hear. and she used them for all
they were worth. She Interviewed, at
opportune moments, the nurses, the chill
dren, the dintng-rOom servants and the
chambermaids, and with such sources Of
information, and putting this and that
together. she said IL was very easy to see
how it was done. She said one of the most
valuable aids TO this investigation was
the hairdresser. The hairdresser, by the
way, who plies her vocation at the water
ing places, is generally person of intelli-
gence and quick perceptions, and
In the confidential relations which
they sustain to their lady pa
irons naturally obtain close
insight INTO family affairs. When they
submit 10 the pumping process they can
communicate considerably. | said to
this charming and entertaining lady that
doubtless her own private affairs were also
discussed as she had been discussing
those Of others. She said at once, why,
Of course" On the evening of the same
day, while again seated with the lady on
the piazza Of another hotel, she said, in
low tone, Il will show you in a minute
how we ladies obtain much of our most
interesting news and gossip As is
well known. most summer hotels have a
number Of bedrooms on the first floor
opening on the piazzas. We were seated
Immediately in front Of the large latticed
window OF one of these apart
ments. Following her whispered di-
succeeded In obtaining view of the in
side, and there. crOuched close behind
the blinds, were two ladies whom | recOg
nized as acquaintance, in a position
where they could catch every unguarded
word that was uttered They did not
know they had been seen, ara as the lady
and had no secrets between US, we went
on with our conversation. After we lett
the spot, she said that ten chances to one
there were one or two women listening
behind the window of every chamber open
ing on that piazza. "Whv," she contin-
ued, IL have spent hours doing it, and oh,
the things that l have seen and heardp
Much of the 'spOoning," desperate flirta-
tions, exchange of infelicities between
married people, etc, is carried on in what
Is supposed to be the shady retreats Ofthe
spacious piazzas, away from the drawing
room and hotel offices, but it seems that
the deluded ones, who fancy they are I'M
heard and unObseFved, are Oftentimes CIV
ing not only their Utmost thoughts, but
perhaps their good name, into the keeping
of eaVesdrOppers,