The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-18
CLARABELLE'SSUN TALK
Some Harmless Trivialitics that Amuse
the Feminine Mind During Lent.
The Steps by Which Young Women Pass from
the Amateur to the Professional Stage
Some of the Quail liiications Required.
epeciaI to the Indianapolis Jourpaa-

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
NEW YoRK, March l7.-Even Lent produces
novelty in the feminine world of triviality. One
of the newest features of charitable entertain
ments during this Lenten season is portrait TAX
ing by girls. These pictures are not photographs,
but old-fashioned siIhouettes. such as the grand
fathers of this generation used to have made.
From she method of taking it happens that gen
tlemer are the most numerous and profitable
customers of these artistic enterprises. The
subject il set before sheet of white paper
pinned 90 a wall, and by arrangement of
lamps his shadow in profile is thrown. IL the
operation included then only the tracing the
outlines of the figure upon the paper. the enter
prise would not be so interesting or profitable
as it has proved. but there is another feature.
It takes at least two girls to get out sihouette
in this style. One busies herself at the paper
in tracing the profile and another holds the sub
ject's head steady in her SOFT white hanIs while
the artist is at work. The subject pays dollar
for FIVE, or ten minutes occupation of this kind,
and in return he gets black cAsicaturs of him
self.
This matter of amateur photography seems to
be on the increase. 1t is uncommon sight to
meet parties of girls in Central Park with
Photographic trappings and pedestrian cos
tunes. They clubs of picture-takers, who
go about IN search of fine bits of winter land
scape The park presents great variety OF
views of this kind. and the clubs spend many
hours, even in the coldest weather. searching
for them and transferring them to prepared pa
per. Their success in the essentially artificial
Central Park led one of the young ladies to re-
mark in all Innocence thai the natural resources
of the city were greater than she had supposed.
Fair amateur photographers have various ways
of making their work ornamental The pictures
which thay take in their studios, conserva-
tories. mounted in odd fashions. One girl
showed to me white satin fan on which she
had photographed group OF friends whispering
TO each other. She had fre-screen with artisti-
caily-arranged groups clustered about the fire.
place. One group Halloween party watch
ing chestnuts roasting the hearth. This
scene might be looked at by anybody, but in her
chamber she had pictures that were destined for
her own eyes alone or at most for those OF her
intimate friends. Around the mirror a
circle of finely mounted photographs OF her girl
friends in their pretti-st robes dc mutt.
Here they are every evening. Co BID me good
night" she said; land was pleased with the
fancy that made this" showing ms a group OF
white-robed girls. with flowing tresses. and one
with beautiful hands working at the curl papers
on her head. Circling around these photographs
was long curl paper on which the words 'sgood
night" had been engraved in fantastic scroll
This picture stretches clear across tho head
an assembly of fair ones in all stages of attire;
giSls of the garter and girls of the cross; one
buttonIne her shoes and another lacing her
whalebone and watch spring machinery. These
were all smiling good mcrning"
One more possession of this versatile young
lady amused me. 1t was small card-table to
be given a a prize at the next progressive
euchre party. It had border of photographs
OF the champion players OF the seasops all
pictured in various attltudes of tr7uuaph.
An oil-psinted portrait in the current exhi-
bltion at the Academy of Design is exciting a
great deal of remark. 1t is fine thing in
artistic way. and it is guaranteed as perfect
likeness Nevertheless. the original woman can
be identified The is simple. The
back of her head. neck and shoulders are shown,
but not glimpse of her face. She has brown
hair, flowing loosely, and her skin is fair and
white. but those are not distinctions restricted
TO few enough women to give any clew. "Por-
trait of Lady" is the title, and no other expla-
nation is to be gained from the catalogue but it
Is understood that the model is belle in fash
iunable society. The rest is a mystery.
A young woman who more boldly COM
mands notice just now is prize-fehter. At
all events she declares herself able and willing
to meet any other living woman in a twenty-four-
foot ring. l suppose likely che is a humbug. so
far as real intention to her fair fists is con-
cerned. but she is exceedingly muscular, though
pretfily feminine, and she'is connected with
riding academy and gymnasium supported by
the upper ten. Her name is Annie Burneck,
and she is from London. with her English accent
unaffected by the voyage. She serves as a
practical illustration of the lesson given by the
horsemanship shows grace allied to great
agility and strength. imagine that
her pugilstic pretensions bosh, bnt she
makes them constantly, avowing her anxiety to
get up a genuine priza-6ght with some woman.
II it is her purpose to merely engage the admir-
ing interest of her gentle pupils, she is success-
full, for it is almost comical to the rapt
attention bestowed upon haf by the very dainti
est daughters of wealth and culture. The ease
with which she performs athletic feats
away beyond the ability of the soft fbered
pupils inspires them with awe, and the venture
some belle who went into an impromptu wrest-
ling bout with her, in the riding ring, to be
promptly though gently thrown fiat on her back
in jiffy, became at once heroine in the eyes
of her companions.
Sleighing is the fashionable diversion of the
week, and it happens to be one not under Lenten
taboo. Snow is not usually plentiful supply
in New Yerk, and spells of sleiehing are usually
short; but the tremendous downfall in Mondays
storm covered the roads of Central Park SO deep
ly that runners will slip thereon for many a day.
Sleighs are in brisk demand, and there not
enough of thsm in town meet the
demand. Even among rich people, with fine
horses and wheeled equipages, sleighs often
lacking ExtravaganJ prices demanded for
anything stylish runners and liverymen pro-
ylded with them are reaping golden harvest
But the private owners of strikiDgly handsome
slei CHS are numerous enough to make remark
able showing. and vehicles that out Russian the
fur-trimmed aud ell-jingling seighs OF Moscow
are 70 be seen.
In one Of those barn-like cold and open ended
pockets Of the Bowery called concert gardens,
left open TO the street TO divert into them as
much of the ceaseless procession of sightseeing
men as possible, the usual half concert half
varIety performance was well under way. The
routine buffoonery of the cheapest sort of
and the characteristic nasal sing
ing of painted women in short skirts alternated,
when suddenly the two or three parsons of taste
who bad strayed in there were surprised 70 see
a stately, lady-like woman Of matronly, vet
youthful appearance. advance down the stage
in dress of sober black silk holding a sheet of
music IN her neatly eIoved hands exactly as if
she were in Stenway Hall instead of the
Bowery. When she opened her mouth she
caroiled as sweetly as q bird.
.sANho on earth "a sha1n tho rnanacar wac