The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-26
A DEBUTANTE'S DAY.
A Leaf from the Daily Journal of One of the
Seasons Buds of Fashion.

A Leaf from the Daily Journal of One of the
Seasons Buds of Fashion.
Philadelphia Press
Miss Beatrice Ritteuhouse Soanso, the &C.
knowledged belle and leader of the debutantes
IN society for the season Of 1886 and 1877, was
awakened at 9 o'clock, yesterday morning, by
the tapping on her bedroom door of her French
maid. Miss Beatrice opened her big brown eyes
IN the soft rosy light that came through the
pink silk curtains at the windows. and allowed
most perceptlble frown to darken her pretty
face. for had she not been disturbed whilst
toying the delights OF dreamland ball which
for splendor and magnifeence far outdid the
assemblies
However, remembering that she had very busy
day before her, and that. pleasant as another
hours doing would have been. she could rot we'll
afford to squander sixty precious minutes, Miss
Beatrice jumped up forthwith and half an hour
later, thanks to the assistance of her maid, she
was seated at the breakfast table with her elder
sister and her mother. eagerly opening some half
dozen attractive-looking notes that she had
found beside her plate
The Soansos, Of which family Miss Beatrice is
so fair daughter have long occupied the unas
saable position Of great swells In Philadelphia
society. Of ali the branches of the multitude.
nous Soanso family Ia writer in the Revue des
Deux Mondes said: philadelphia society is
made UP Of three parts-up-town people, down
town people and Soansos) the branch of which
Miss Beatrice was bud was the very topmost OF
the Soanso tree. Her mother had been the
famous tree. Her mother had been the famous
beauty. Miss Betsy Ri,tenhouse and now lived
as she had since Mr.. Soanso's DEATH in the old
Rittenhouse mansion, which stands on one side
of the square which bore the name of her ances-
tors.
Miss Beatrice has been most carefully reared
and was as attractive specimen of the best
type of Philadelphia femininity as had been
launched upon the waves Of the sea of fashion
for many a season. From the time she was
OLD enough to appreciate the advantages of
travel she had spent her summers abroad. and
in the winter plucked fruit sfrom that tree of
learning which blooned SO luxuriantly in the
aristocratic conservatory Of Miss Merwin's school
for young ladies' Therefore. now that the time
had come for her to be presented to society, she
was entirely competent to step forward and
make her curtsey In a manner becoming a
Soanso
Three of the notes which Miss Beatrice opened
contained cards for afternoon teas, one was an
invitation to a luncheon, one requested the
honor of her company at q wedding and subse
quent reception and two were of personal nat
ure.
From the breakfast room Miss Beatrice went
to the library, where che proceeded to put down
the dates and hours of the tea cards in her en-
gagement book, did the same for the luncheon
and wedding invitations and wrote acceptance
to the former, which she sealed with a beautiful
dab OF dark-red wax and rang for pumpkins the
colored footman. to post. These highly impor
tant matters being disposed of, she dressed to 60
had dawned upon the social horizon for years
previously and is now engaged to Mr.. Won Am
sterdam Harlem of Nyack the Hudson, she
was driven in her mothers brougham to the
dress making establishment of Miss Wigginson,
where for an hour she pos ed as a model on
which sundry fascinating garments were fitted
Thence she drove to the millinery parlor of the
famed Miss Baloney. where she scolded because
bonnet had not been sent home in time and
exchanged confidence with sister bud, who was
II ere with her mother, on the subject OF an old
lady who was buying bonnet far too gay for
her. and whom the young ladies agreed on pro-
nouncng "a perfect fright"
Miss Baloney having explained to her own
complete satisfaction the delay in sending home
the bonnet Miss Beatrice took leave OF her sis
ter and was driven to the Biddlesmith mansion,
on Spruce street, where she lunched with TWEEN
ty light young ladies' who had been brought to-
gether to meet Miss Measurewell, of Newark
the Bid6lesmith girls pretty cousin. whose faith
er made such & fortune in patent tape measures
and who was to spend month with her Phla
delphia relations. Here the better part of two
hours was passed in nibbling at terrapin cro-
quettes sweetbread patties. roasted partrdges
en- canope au maron, ices, cakes and bonbons,
and the steady and ceaseless exchange of more
or less pleasant criticism upon a score OF girls
who we're not among those hidden to the feast
gossip as to the reported engagement of "that
plain little Miss Notacent to young Jack Law
ish," who. really, my dear, is simply rolling in
wealth, and most people supposed had better
taste"
Miss Beatrice was seated between Miss Dor
othy Chester, who was as lively young person
as her Quaker parents were tina opposite and
that frgd young woman, Miss Josephine RAM
rod, whose stores of knowledge were scant and
who very seldom had much to say, as she equally
seldom found anyone DESTROYS of conversng on
the subject of Bhudda as a factor in modern
religious thought, the architecture OF the New
Hebrides or other light and airy topics of a sim
liar nature.
'Afy dearest Beatrice whispered Miss Dor
othy, while Miss Ramrods attention was d.
reeted elsewhere, II have some ouinine pills IN
my pocket iQ case that mold Of frozen facts on
your Qther side gives you chill, SO don't hest
tate to ask for them, and do tell me where you
got that heavenly wrap you had on when you
came into the Coupons opera-box the other
night have been dreaming .g Of it ever sncs!'
idly enough, and at 4 o'clock Miss Beatrice found
herself back again in her own library, whore she
awaited the arrival of Mr.. Upright Starch, the
most superior young man lin his own opinion)
not only in Philadelphia, but in the known and
unknown world with whom she had engage
ment to walk Whilst she waited she wrote two
or more acceptances to invitations that lad come
in the midday post and politely regretted for
a dance at the Chauncey Veneers, which she
would have gladly accepted as plenty Of her
friends were going, but her mother pronounced
the Veneers simply impossible people"-so it
was not to De thought of. Then Mr.. Starch ar
rived, perfect marvel of elegance, and as Miss
Beatrice strolled with him over the bridge at
Chestnut street the young pride of the Social
Art Club patronizingly complimeuted her on
her start in society, and filled her heart
with rapture by saying it would give him the
most sincere. delight if she would plunge the
rest of mankind in gloom by leading the german
with at the first Assembly.
After having received this absolutely 'stun-
ming" evidence Of Mr.. Starchs devotion, Miss
Beatrice was unable to altogether regain her
mental equilibrium, and when at last they had
come back from tho hours walk and Mr. Starch
had left her on the steps of Miss Fourstars resi-
dence, where tea was in progress, she entered
that vortex of voices. wax candles and gas-lights
entirely happy that soon after saying how
d do to the hostess she retired to adelightful cor
ner of little study where the lights were COW
cred with pink globes. There she permitted one
of her youthful admirers, all Of whose hearts
were in state OF utter collapse at her sudden
flight to sphere far above that which boy bud
occupies, to devote an entire half hour to the