New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-12
SOCIAL SILHOUETTES.
BEING THE IMPRESSIONS OF Mr. MARK MAN
HAITIAN.
XVI.

.,a onneared i'm a room filed with lights. ho"eiS'
mus;c dancing or sitting guests, hilarious festVHy'
and vet did not know a soul with whom coulo OK
change SINGLE authorized word.
True enough, was Mark Manhattan. But VINO
knew or cared for thati l was young, ana had
mover been seen before l had bowed 10 my
hostess and passed on. Other people, perceived,
were bowling aud passing on. But nOoouy pasSo'
on. as did, without finding somebody else whom
he could pause beside and talk 10. couiu ho'
And souI' / roamed hther and thitner, en- martyr.
And yet everyone was staring at me, or 50 iei.'
7 .dled near an acove and found that my back
had come into contact with two male and female
beings. seated there. Numbered dway, murmuring
m apology, which was perhaps unheaid ABOVE INC
brisk and dulcet waltz. l discovered small knot
of obse1yant gentlemen and shrank behind one OF
them. whose shoulders we're shieldngly broad, and
whose general physical height and bulk offered a
most tcmpting ambuscade. But suddenly thls
gentleman lust as had clevoy ensconcod myseii III
his roar. made q dash forward for the purpose OF
Joining some passing lady. and Twas once more
left mercilessly and garingly revealed. IL seened
70 me that tho wide critical stare at ONCE oeSau
again. Was quite sure that there was nothing IN
NV costnme out of order Had gwen sufficient
attention to my white necktief Might it not have
dropped, sagged grown demoralizedf Did my new
coat cit me rightlyf Were my trousers bagglng at
the kneesi Had my chaste oval of shlrt-bosom be-
come wrinkledi some of ths beautiful young girls,
with their milky necks and arms and their ethereal
dresses, seemed to pass mo In sort OF lovely DIS
dain. ~Why do You come here at all. you horrld
young hobbledehoy ~ their red, smiling lips seemed
fojnouire Wondered whether it would look very
strange if slipped out of the rooms by back door.
thence upstairs and thence, after procuring my
IL, In IN thp street OF SuCh
proceeding would be noticed at this early hour Of
the evening, and especially as my appearance had
causod 50 universal and extraordinary scrutiny.
But oven if II did make them talk little, why
should l caref / meant never, never to go into
society again. was not fitted for it perhaps
was above its fippancies, perhaps l was below its
races and felicities. However this might be,
had alphabetically seen my last evening Of mrth and
melody, of revelry and roses.
While this gloomy resolution was shaping itself
within my spirit found myself aifal ly addressed
by o person standing at my elbow. He was an
elderly gentleman, and he then appeared to my
grateful mind the most charming elderly gentleman
in all the world 1t was so delightful to be noticed
Mt last in cOnverS RtiOna waytO feel one self an
appreciablc unit in this ignoring throng. looked
into the face Of my companion while he spike and
ct first decided that he was prsonao9e. HIS pure
white mustache flowed toward either pink cheek
In ripping fulness his white hair still. abundant,
cleaned above pair of restless hazel eyes his
form was compact and of good apparent capability.
He had bunch Of volets in the lapel OF his coat,
and he posed bis arms with a Jaunty curve. lie
was clearly Old and yet most elastic and potent
was planted upon the floor with q hrmnesS To which
fye-and sixty possible years did not correspond.
But closer observation soon resulted in a new
Judgment His mpressivencss was wholly physical
and facial. 1t was indeed hardly oven the latter;
for when Won looked well into his countenance you
saw there a certain vacancy that matched the
hal, of ygorda Later il became patu
me that he would just as soon make himself audible
in my society as in that OF anyone else. lie mad
really nothing to say; it was all stream OF
(opOus artess prattle 1t was about the
weather about the heat of the rooms, a0o9t the
temperature desirable at ball, about ball last
night where the temperature was Just high enough
about the new way in which young girls wore ther
hair about the prev aence of white dresses causing
the W hoc festival 10 lack gayety. And sometimes
it was about absolutely nothing in SO far as could
ascertain. while he babbled on in his short jerky
sentences and in his cultural, monotonous but
entirely genial tones. , $50
noticed that he bowed often, as the ladies with
their escorts moved past us. and that many bows
were given him in return. lie appeared TO know
little, myself, thus far; but feeling that he doubt
less had it in his power to make ne acquainted
with least threequarters of the assembled guests
If SO disposed ventured to sound his good-nature
on this important point. / began by telling him
that ! had hoped 10 meet few of my relations
there that night but that none of them CHANGED
20 be present-a circumstance which | was COM
PEELED TO regret as it prevented me from securing
an introduction to aay OF the attractive young
ladies whom saw on all sides. And to,nght," l
finished " is really my first appearance in New-YoIk
know nearly everybody he secretly glad
deped me by saying in his rapid. spasmodic. cordial
way. al guess / could fix things for you. Let's
see-you said your name was y
! had not said what my name was but on hearing
1t the gentleman grasped my hand and declared
himself on the best of terms with about fifty of my
relations He talked so much of the large Man
haitian family, flying from members of it who lived
to members of il who had long ago been dead. that
] conceived fear lest he should quite forget his
previous offer.
reminder on my part stopped the ample current OF
know several of the ladies present owe TO him
my launching, az IL WERE upon the social stream
And soon learned Just who the gentleman was by
whose kindness had benefited.
Ills name was Ellington, and for years he had
been called Old Beau Ellington His age was
estirnated TO be seventy if day. though he might
even have been older. There time when he
appeared in the exclusive circles of New-YOrk. and
received many sidelong looks OF distrust Few
Knickerbocker units. Mr.. Ellington reported
TO have originally from an Eastern State. but
he had lived several years abroad Ii was such
thing then to have lived several years
abroad! But great deal of suspicion at first
attached TO the brilliant newcomer, who danced
the antique cotillon with so ravishingly graceful
pipeon's- wing, who wore bis stock with mOdiSh
on elegance. and who whispered compliments
garnished by so novel an establishment of dainty
French idiom. Bnt for sCiDe time Beau Ellington
had 10 carefully work his way. our grandmotheIs
being cautioned against him in their girl
hood. Bowling Green was then the Madison Square
of our little provincial, sem-Dutch NewYork, and
more than one pretty girl was instructed by her
sedulous mother to turn her face in another diIec
ton when she met Mr. Ellington strolling in
befowercd waistcoat and with nicely-pOised cane
along the streets bordering that miniature park.
The Am, tcrdams. Ten Eycks and Van Twillers for
the most part disapproved of him. He lived on an
income OF his own. and did no business. it was
nm n,p a o.
man, at that tine. 10 do no business! 1t seemed
quite shocking that he should hannt the breezy
families were porting decor0usly over
ledrers and accounts in the Offices of their merchant
parents.
But the blooming daughters Of KnickerbockerdOm
did not all obey the parental behest. Some Of them
rankly and daringy disobeyed it. They found
Bean Ellington. whose clothes fitted him to such