The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-04
AN INFANT HEIREss.
A Little Seaside Belle with Big Wardrobe,
and History, and Fortune.

and a History, and Fortune.
Philadelphia Times.
There is now staying at the Beach House, Sea
Girt, with her mother, Mrs Sharpsteen, former
ly of Philadelphia, the daughter of Mr. Abbott,
a retired merchant, q little girl five years old,
who has crossed the ocean seven times. seen
every European and American watering place of
note, and is worth ST. 600, 600 in her right
What is more, she is beauty, is hrim full of
brightness and intelligence, and should she grow
up to womanhood must make a noise in the
great world Of fashion and society, where
beauty and wealth, when combined in
woman. exercise such tremendous sway. May
Sharpsteen, the little lady in question possesses
outside of these peculiarities personal history
that IS equally interesting. Her father was the
Paris partner of Arnold, Constable q Co., the
great New York dry goods concern and when he
died there a few years ago he left to this his
only child, his entire fortune. Her mother, who
has fortune or her own. regards the child as
the greatest 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 soon
after Mrs. Sharpsteen brought the little girl
with her across the ocean to Philadelphia, 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 Spanish, 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 has shown a
delicacy of health that, being responsive to eli
matte Influences leads the mother to change her
quarters as as her daughter betTays any in
disposition. Accordingly, in this country, she
has frequently gone North in the summer and
South In the winter, so 1t 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 season 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 remarkably fine complexion and an
exceptionally beautiful mouth shaped like Gu
pd's bow-that species of mouth which has the
hips parted when in repose and showing pearly
teeth within. She is what is called "old-fash-
Toned, having seen and heard so much travelling
that her expressions and the action of her mind
are at times startling, but she is nevertheless,
thoroughly child, and loves and seeks child
companions. She has wonderful English
nurse, who was present at her birth and whose
life seems blended and wrapped up in the child's
Under the circumstances and with all the means
awaiting her it is natural that this little Amer-
can princess should have an unusual wardrobe.
but more than once custom house officers have
been astounded at the number and char
acter of the trunks carried by the party,
and the last time Mrs. Sharpsteen ar
rived in New York from Europe with
eighteen trunks she found herself, to her great
astonishment suspected of being famous fe |
male smuggler for whom the officers were on
the lookout. To begin with, Miss May has a
passion for dolls. and she has 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 housekeeping She has German dolls and
French dolls and Flemish dolls, and Swiss
dolls and Japanese dolls blondes, brunettes.
brides, peasants, and of all Sorts compilations
and Sizes Then she has everything in diminu-
tive that fair femininity clothes itself with the
world over-traveling suits bridal trousseaus,
seaside costumes. full evening dress and CHG
mons, boots and gloves almost beyond number.
She makes it q point to have gloves for every
doll in her collection. and there is glove
maker in Paris who makes them for her es
pecially.
This fancy extends to herself and Is the one
point about which she is particular Never, ex
cept when eating or sleeping, is she seen with
ont gloves. Sc has gloves to play in, gloves to
drive in and gloves for all occasions, almost all
of them of kid and of shades to suit her dresses
Eyeryt thing that little girl Ave years old worth
a million of dollars all her own can have this
little girl has She has watch. many rings
some beautiful clasps, and brooches, and brace
let's and even diamonds. Her dolls wardrobes
alone represent large expenditure, while her
own clObnlng is, as rule, the uu9SL
that can be procured She has now
with her over hundred dresses. Her
hats are particularly cute and different from
the common and are mostly French Yet any
one sitting on the Beach House sea decks and
land piazzas might see this wonderful little
maiden playing in the sand or running with the
dogs to the woods and notice nothing more in
her than any of the children around her. She
is fond of play and is never so happy as when
engaged in some sport with children OF her own
age. Master George G. Boldt, jr, the 6ve-year
old son Of the wellknown proprietor of the
place. has fine team of Rocky mountain goats.
The other day he got a cute little wagon and
was presented with a $40 suit of harness, and
celebrated the event by taking Miss May out for
a drive, and the two five-year- olders driving
along the beach behind the nimble and we'll
trained goats were we'll worth sketch.