The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1886-08-18
A LITTLE SEASIDE BELLE.
AN INFANT HEIREss WITH A Ro-
MANTIC HISTORY.
Worth $1,000. 900. aud Great
TraveIer--A Strong Fancy for
Dolls-Her Wardrobe.

Times says: There is now staying
at the Beach House, Sea Girt, N. j., with
her mother, Mrs. Sharpsteen, formerly
of Philadelphia, the daughter of Mr..
Abbott, retired merchant, q lit
tie girl, five years old, who has
crossed the ocean seven times, seen
every European and American watering
place of note, and is worth 81, 900, 900 in
her own right. What is more, she is a
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 wealth, when COM
bined in woman, exercise such tre-
mendous sway. May Sharpsteen, the
little baby in question, possesses outside
of these pecnliarities personal history
that is equally interesting. Her
father was the Paris part
per of Arnold Constable &c Co.,
the great New York dry goods concern,
and when he died there few years ago
he left to this, his only child, his entire
fortune, Her mother who has fortune
of her own, regards the child as the
greater treasure and lives but for the
one object of bringing up the little girl
so that she may be able to adorn society
and enjoy..to the greatest extent the
unusual opportunities that will be at her
disposal. Having been born in Paris, and
her fathers death occurring soonNfter,
Mrs. Sharpsteen brought the littH 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 and 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 bias shown delicacy of health
that, being very responsive to CLIMATE
influences, leads the mother to change
her quarters as soon as her 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 a mature person of extended
social experience anywhere who has seen
SO manyaf 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 q semi-brunette, with
brown hair and eyes, a remaI Ikably fine
complexion and an exceptionally beauti.
tiful mouth, shaped like o Cupiti's bow
that species of mouth which has the
hips parted when in repose and showing
pearly teeth within. She is what is called
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 wonderful Eng.
lish nurse, who was present at hsf 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 partKs4and the last
time Mrs. Sharpsteen arrived in New
York from Europe with eightsen trunks
she found herself, to her great astonish-
ment, suspected Of being flrhous female
smuggler for whom the officers were on
the lookout. To begin with, Miss Nav
had passion for dolls, and she picked
them up in every foreign country 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 4f all sorts,
compilations and sizes. Then she has
everything in diminutive tt fair femin-
Unity clothes itself with the world over
travelling suites, bridal trosseaSS, seaside
costumes, full evening dress aRd CHG
mons, D6ots and yes almost beyond
number. She maSeS it points have
gloves for every doll in her collection and
there is a glovOmaker in Paris who
makes them for her especially.
This fancy extends to herself and is the
one point about whiHR she is particular
Never, except when Sting or sleeping,
is she seen without gloyes. 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 a little girl five years old
worth a million Of dollars all her own can
have this little gi1 has. She has watch,
many rings, some beautiful clasps and
brooches and bracelets and even dia-
monds. Her dolls wardrobe alone repre-
sent large expenditure, while her own
clothing is as a rule the finest that can be
procured. She has nBw with her over
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 and
land piazzas might see this wonderful
little maiden playing in the sand or run
ming with th@. dogs to the woods and
notice nothing more in her than any of
the children around her. She is fond of