The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-26

and completely breaking up all attempts to
waltz or go through the figures OF the lencers
or a quadrille. Continuous laughter and howl.
ing filed the air. The scene was sufficiently
shocking, as was evidenced by the action of a
woman past middle life, who had sat at . table
for an hour or more. close spectator She rose
when the excitement was at It's height and.
pushing her way through the crowd, seized
young woman by the arm violently and dragged
her away, saying:i'I don't allow no girl that I'm
chaperon to to act like that" The men thought
it cruel to draw the line so sharply, but what is
chaperon for, anyway
At Christmas time the sweet church girl is apt
to have new outfit for religious services. She
may even spend more thought and time in pro-
curing elegant aud unique effects in prayer
books and hymnals than upon her bonnets. Her
latest achievement is her especial delight She
calls it ''art etherealized and religion beauti-
fed ''art welded to religion and / don't know
what other nonsense. The Bible belonging to the
set which arouses her to such enthusiasm. Is
printed on India paper, has an ivory back,
carved cross spray Of orange blossoms, and
white calf flexible sides, lined with white silk.
On one side is her monogram in gold letters. II
is such charm to the eye that even Ingersoll
could read it with pleasure Her Prayer book
and Hymnal are in severely sim
pie alligator case, lined with ivory
white satin. On one side there is
colection-con pocket held down by gold
clasp. The telescope handle is held by two gold
chased bands. The Prayer-bo book and Hymnal
are both printed in India paper with gold edges.
Both have carved ivory backs, with the titles Ia
sunken gold letters. Each has her monogram
near the upper right hand corner in gold letters,
with tiny sapphire apparently riveting the let
ters at each angle to the cover. In the sweet
church girls room, above her toilet sable, so that
it may be often present to her eyes, hangs a cal
endar. printed on heavy, cream white satin rib
bons. This ia a most thorough and complete
affair. The first page gives all the feast and
fast days in monthly groups, but on lifting up
the cover you find leaf for each month, with
all the saints days. and feast days, and fast
days. and also the morning and evening lessons
for the month.
Backistry is suddenly new science of my
own. 1t is no great thing to read the lines in
the hand Why, ones character sticks out all
over, and. if it is particularly bristling and OBJ
trusive across til back of the neck and shoulder
blades / took lesson in an opera box in COM
pany with four illustrative examples. In
front of me doomed the stately shoulders and
aggressive back of q dame who was surveying
the other boxes. happily unconscious of the fact
that her fashonably-low corsage was offering
as sure an index to her character as a diamond
circlet around her neck did to her wealth. [
saw that the outlines of her shoulder blades
| said to myself that line is as stiff and unbend-
ing as the old lady herself See how sharp 1t
turns that corner making the angle of obstnacy,
and it couldn't be any bigger than it is right
there. The general outline indicates aggressive
ness in high degree, but suppose if I were
explaining her back before an audience of her
dearest five hundred / would simply say that
she had a vivid understanding of her own rights
and never allows herself to be imposed upon.
Just as was getting deeply interested in the
old lady she moved to the other side of the box.
and transferred my study to the shoulders OF
the girl who took the seat Plant your own
willowy figure my dear, said to myself Those
shoulders slope at an angle which can mean
nothing in the world but geptleness and meek
ness That line down the middle is what vulgar
and practical psychologists call your spinal col
umn, but it is your life line and the way in
which 1t makes itself apparent indicates great
vitality, and assures me that you can confident
ly expect long lease Of life. Those outline
humps aren not vertebrSe they are love knobs. and
the number of them that can be counted above
the corsage show how many more years she may
expect to continue writing Miss before her
name | see the upper inside of your shoulder
blade rises into little headand, and I suspect
that it means good deal of thrift and the In
tention Of keeping the interests of number one
just little ahead of the rest of the world.
When l turned my attention to the belle OF
the box, with her fiat, smooth back, as soft and
white as velvet, l remarked to myself that il
there was ever self possessed back there it sat
right before me- That peculiar curve Of the
neck where it merges into the shoulders plainly
means merry disposition. That little hollow
at the base Of its neck, when she throws her
head back and straightens herself that is the
cup of happiness, and 1t means that she will
have very fortunate, happy contented life.
There isn't much of depression between her
shoulder blades and that, I take it, clearly
proves that she is to have many friends,
that she will prove faithful, and that she will
take great pleasure in their society.
The close of the opera broke up my investiga-
tons that evening, but have pursued them on
number of occasions since, at the opera. at
balls and at dinner parties. and find that the
results fully justify the enthusiasm felt when
made the discovery. At the opera as an intel
lectual entertainment, it fully equals Wagnera
music. At balls and dinner parties, there ia
nothing like it when your partner bores you aw-
fully. The great advantage of it is that you
take people unawares and they can't deceive
you by hosting their shoulder blades or letting
down their shoulders and so disarranging the
lines and angles. And then it is a much more
considerate way of getting information and
amusement that palmistry, because as you read
peoples backs without their knowing it you
don't make them feel like prize-fools set up for
exhibition. l am confident that backistry is the
coming fashionable amusement
CLARA BELLE