The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-15
MISUNDERSTANDING
A New York Girl Tells Her Experience
in Dancing with the Prince OF Wales.
Spoiled by Praise Of Rich and Fashionable
Dancin- for Chsrity--A Woman Who Made
Herself Comfortable in Sleeping-Car.


NEW YORK April 14-BIiss Felice HOFFMAN,
daughter of the millionaire banker. is just back
from London While in that city she associated
with aristoerats. aud repeatedly met members OF
the court circle in tho parlors Of the grand. She
waltzed three times with the Prince Of Wales,
and was not so paralyzed BY the experience as
to be unable to remember all about it. She
SAYS that the Prince Is polite gentleman, by
no means ELUSIVE in compliments, and a little
reserved in his manner toward ladies IN the
drawipR-room. but altogether chap who would
pass for an agreeable and thoroughly matured
man OF the world. without his royal backing.
.tAnd how did he dancs7" Was asked.
''Oh. as well as any other Englishman,' re-
Piled Miss Hoffman,. There Ia not much good
waltzing done in London, anyhow Parisisns
can dance gracefully. and first-rate round dane
ing Of beavy-step sort is done 10 Berlin ana
Vienna, but Americans beat the world. think,
at Waiting. may add that New Workers excel
any other Americans AZ it. Do you want TO
know about the Prince of Wales7 He is not
sylph. find that most OF my acquaintance
on this side OF the water conceive of him as
tall and stately figure. That is because all
kings and princes ought to be portiy. Isuppose.
but Wales is rather below tho medium height,
while he is broad enough for a six -footsr. Be-
sides. ne il almost middle-aged and certainly
beyond the time Of life when a person can keep
his heels of the door during quarter Of an hour
Of lively stepping. Still, the Prince is one OF
the frstrrate has-beens Doubtless. at twenty
1--WE he was . nimble and lightfooted waltzer.
He still gets through the steps in a correct fash
ion but with a tribe of heaviness, and sugges-
ton of wheeze IN his breathing"
"but how does he treat his partnerP
s'You wish to know iuss how he handles girl
In waltzngl Well. he is altogether respectful
You know from personal experience what mean
by that. Some fellows grab their partners as
though they We're their wives or their accepted
sweethearts. and hug them covertly If not per-
csptibly 70 spectators. the Prince does not do
that at all There nothing caressinR in the
firm but conventional eneircllng of his right
arm. the hand Of which was placed just fatty
enough TO be supporting to the small of my
back. His thumb didn't oncs get above the
fabric of my evening dress, as was told might
be the case. AS ! have already said he was
Just IS respectful as he could be. With his left
hand be held my right, extended, just we do
in waitzlnR here, and with just grin enough Co
m AXE you feel safe, but with pressure of i'm
propriety. On, he was very nice. inoeed. My
right ear was close to his mouth and ne chatted
8 little at first, until exercise Of dancing made
him scAnt of breath. When we were through
he left me with courtly bow and the re-
mark: You American ladies are certainly hne
dancers"
Praise from rich aud fashionable patrons has
suined Moretti, who is an Italian, whose cafe has
1OF years DoSD one CT Ln0 dig lnSttbuIlOnS OF
New York It occupies the principal portion of
n building in Fourteenth street. and is 80
eleanly that no informed stranger would care to
Sat in it Nevertheless, it has been the custom
for pretentlous ladies and gentlemen to go there
for dinner occasionally. No table d'hots meal
in town at all compares with it. The dis
tinRuished eaters have all along told him so, and
the commsndation has induced him to put so
much expense into it that he doesn't make both
ends meet SO he will give M business the
LIST of May, and nobody will be foolhardy
for dinner was q dollar. WHAT does he give
for itl Why enough material TO fully
cost the money, TO say nothing of the expenses
OF rental. cooking and aervice. The courses
were Almost unvariable the year round, and sew
erAl of the dishes were unique and famous as
TO maks his reputation with people who desire
novelty In food. The fare began with italian
SOUP, with grated cheese to sprinklo in IT. II you
chose. Then came one of the Moretti oddities
in maccaroni, cooked in manner not yet sue
csssfuily initiated in any other New York
restaurant, the sauce being mystery undi-
vulged. Cold fish. of extremely delicats flavor,
eDsued. Next was veal and pork chops, Dreaded
sineularly. then roast chicken, with mushroom
sauce. and then . strong feature of the dinner
IL stewed kidney. The latter was second secret
Of Moretri cooking. The kidney was sliced thinly
ana the Objectionably strong natural flavor
somehow removed. The delicious bits foated
in oil and were highly seasoned. The next
course consisted OF game birds and a salad.
and cup of black coffee. Along with all these
things was pint of Italian wine for each per-
son. and plenty Of such relishes as radishes, GU
eumoers, olives ana cold asparagus. The quali-
ty OF every Wand was of the very best obtain
able in the market, and the quantities great
That the most voracious appetite could not con-
sumo one-half OF what was set out 1t will read
lily be seen tEat dollar could hardly cover the
actual cost OF such r~past. Moretti had a
singular theory that his customers. bought
enough champagne TO yield the profit which was
not yielded bv the dinner itself. But they did
not The girls OF Murray Hill would lift their
dainty skirts in going up his grimy stairway,
cat his wondrous dishes with Rusto proving
that their stays must have been loosened for the
purpose. eweetly him that no such
cookery was done anywhere else earth. de-
clare his Chtanr wine exquisite. and depart with
out having spent another cent than the dollar
apiece for the meal Besides, Moreiti lost
heavily by trusting opera singers and other pro-
fessional folks. So he retires with plenty of
fame hut no profit
This is time Of respendent charity in New
York. Bright little fairs for benevolent pur-
poses being held in the parlors of the rich
but good. larger ones brilliant in public
halls and churches, and Thursday night
pplendidly coruscating affair called flashing
Night in Venice. was held in the Metropolitan
Opera-house. On this occasion the daughters
and younger wives of society performed in
great variety Of fancy canoes. These ballots
for month drilled by q professional
dancing master. and the meetings were like so
many jolly dancing parties. OF course, the
female performers could not for moment COM
pare with the hired dancers of the stage,
and their lack of great sKill, as well as
their modest limbs. were hidden oy the com.
pRrativey long skirts Of peasant costumes. But
they made extremely pleasant sights the spec
tators were admirinely friendly, and it was alto
gether Dig affair yielding thousands of dollars
TO a worthy cause. Faney-dress balls for moth
ing else than fun are also beng held by the ex-
elnsives. and their method of getting away from
nv a. I'm 10 40 = Ji,kt@
wAy out Of town. One was held this week at
Orange, q very fashionable suburb another at
Tuxedo, and next week third
will occur on Staten Island. Rich
and rare dresses are seen at
these balls, but the characterization
which gives point 20 such displays 10 too scarce.
Most OF tbs costumes mean nothing in partieu-
lar. and express only desire for picturesque
ness It will be interesting for lady readers TO
know that the dresses or the French empire,
with waists extending hardly below the arm