Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-07-16
A LITTLE SEASIDE BELLE
AN INFANT HEIREsS WITH A Ro
MANTIC HISTORY.
Worth $1,OOO,OO0. and a Grea.
Traveler-A Strong Fancy fo'
DolIs-Her Wardrobe

A recent issue of the Philadelphia,
Times says There is now staying
at the Beach House, Sea Girt, N. j., witt
her mother, Mrs. Sharpsteen, formerly
of Philadel phia, the daughter of Mr.
Abbott, retired merchant, lit
tie girl, five years cd, who has
crossed the ocean seven times, seer
every European and American watering
place of note, and is worth 81, 600, 600 IL
her own right. What is more, she is 4
beauty is brim full of brightness and in
telligence, and should she grow up to
womanhood must make noise In the
great world of fashion and society
where beauty and wea n, when com
bined in woman, exercise such tire
mendous sway. May Sharpsteen, the
little baby in question, possesses outside
of these pecnliarities personal history
that is equally interesting. Hcl
father was the Paris part
ner of Arnold Constable & Co.,
the great New York dry goods concern,
and when he died there a few years age
he left to this, his only child, his entire
fortune. Her mother, who has a fortune
of her own, regai DIS the child as thu
greater treasure and lives but for thu
one OBJ ,ect of bringing up the little CIR
so that she may be able to adorn societ,
and enjoy to the greatest extent tn,
unusual opportunities that will be at he,
disposal. Having been born in Paris, anC
her fathers death occurring soon after
Mrs. Sharpsteen brought the little girl
with her across the ocean to Philadel
phia, but after travelling with her here
she has three times, within as many
years, returned to Europe and visited
the German and French spas, the Span
ish, Italian ard other resorts and the
mountains of Switzerland, each time
taking the child with her. She is fine
little traveller and loves the changes, but
at times has shown delicacy of health
that, being very responsive to climate
influences, leads the mother to change
her quarters as soon as Eer daughter be-
trays any indisposition. Accordingly, in
this country she has frequently gone
North in the summer and South in the
winter so that it may be said there is
probably not mature person OF extended
social experience anywhere who has seen
so many of the gay watering places of
the world as this little maiden of five
summers. Mrs. Sharpsteen has found
that Sea Girt, with its combination of
sea air and dry pine woods, agrees with
the modern little Miss Ariel better than
anywhere she has been, so that last sea-
son she was there some time before going
to Europe and she will spend most OF
this season there.
Little May Is a semi brunette, with
brown hair and eyes, a remal kably fine
complexion and an exceptionally beauti-
tiful mouth, shaped like Cupid's bow
that species of mouth which has the
lips parted when in repose and showing
pearly teeth within. She is what is called
''old fashioned, =" having seen and heard
so much travelling that her expressions
and the action of her mind are at times
startling, but she is, nevertheless, thor
oughly child and loves and seeks child
companions. She has a wonderful Eng
lish nurse, who was present at her birth
and whose life seems wrapped up and
blended in the child's. Under the cir
cumstances and with all the means
awaiting her it is natural that this little
American princess should have an unus-
ual wardrobe, but more than once Gus
tom house officers have been astounded
at the number and character of the
trunks carried by the party, and the last
time Mrs. Sharpsteen arrived In New
York from Europe with eighteen trunks
she found herself, to her great astonish-
ment, suspected o. being famous female
smuggler for whom the officers were on
the lookout. To begin with, Miss May
had passion for dolls, and she picked
them up in every foreign county where
she has been and not dolls only, but dolls
wardrobes and every conceivable thing
that can be thought of for doll house
keeping. She has German dolls, and
French dolls, and Flemish dolls, and
Swiss dolls and japanese dolls, blondes,
brunettes, brides, peasants of all sorts,
compilations and sizes. Then she has
everything in diminutive that fair femin
Unity clothes itself with the world over
travelling suites, bridal trosseaus, seaside
costumes, full evening dress and CHG
mons, boots and gloves almost beyond
number. She makes it point to have
gloves for eyey doll in her collection and
there il a glove-maker in Paris who
makes them for her especially.
This fancy extends to herself and is the
one point about which she is particular.
Never, except when eating or sleeping
is she seen without gloves.She has gloves
to play in, gloves to drive in and gloves
for all occasions. almost all of them OF
kid and of shades to snit her dresses
Everything that little girl five years ole
worth million of dollars all her own car
have this little girl has. She has watch
many rings, some beautiful clasps anC
brooches and bracelets and even dia.
monds. Her dolls wardrobe alone repre-
sent large expenditure, while her owr
clothing is as a rule the finest that can bt
procured She has now with her over 4;
hundred dresses. Her hats are particu
larly cute and different from the common
and are mostly French. Yet anyone sit
ting on the Beach House sea decks anc
land piazzas might see this wonderful
little maiden playing in the sand or run
ming with the dogs to the woods ant
notice nothing more in her than any O.
the children around her. She is fond o
play and is never so happy as when en-
gagged in some sport with children of he
own age. Master George G. Boldt, Jr
the five-year- son of the well-knowi
proprietor of the place, has fine team
of Rocky Mountain goats. The othe
day he got cute little wagon and wa
|. presented with $40 suit of harness an,
celebrated the event by taking Miss Ma,
out for a drive and the two fve-year
olders driving along the beach behint
the nimblc and well-trained goats wer
well worth sketch.