Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-08-05
AT q SPRINGS.
BEAUTIFUL WHITE SULPHUR AND ITS
GAY DKV0TEES.
The Ever Busy Tongue Of GosSp-fhs First Ro-
nance Of the Ssasn-Noabls Present
Place Where the Fast Girl
Doesn't Flourish.

GRRRNBRIER WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS,
". VA, August 3.-The people at the
Springs who have the least to do are the
busiest, and they are the gossips. No
watering place Y grew to prominence
without the aid of gossips, and while the
fame of White Sulphur transcends that
given it by this interesting class of people,
they have contributed q full quota to its
historic side and they are here this summer
in full force and great activity. / am on
excellent terms with the High Priestess OF
the organization at this place, and it was
through her kindly influence that I was re-
Gently admitted to the outer edge Of the
inner circle of the chiefsst and most fearless
OF the local critics and gosips. Being
a man I can, of course, BE- allowed only
an honorary membership in the charmed
circle, but as it Is l esteem il q great favor
to occupy the vantage ground thus given
me from whence the fisying of humanity
is to be observed with unobstructed vision.
II ia, / understand, q woman's province
and her prerogative, to gossip; / doubt
though if she would be willing to chron-
icle that which her tongue utters, there
fore, if l fail to set down the many bitter
and harsh whisperipgs that l hear as 1
idle by these fair babblers, / should not be
charged with unfaithfulness, but rather
with q lack of malice and with a desire to
hurt no N
Glove don't KILL" observed one little
lady with q tone of assurance calculated to
produce the impression that there was
something behind the simple assertion.
"Why?" came in q chorus from the Cir
Gle az chairs were brought nearer and an
air of inquiry and attention was directed
at the first speaker.
"'Well, do you see that quiet appearing
gentleman promenading with the two Ia
dies? He is convalescing from q very Sc
we're attack of heart. A few months ago
he was engaged to be married to the daugh.
ter of a great banker-London, New York
and Philadelphia. She was eighteen, and
while she was an heiress and lovely, he too
has 30 much money that he devotes his
energies to taking are of it. He is not
bad looking, is highly moral and has
been broadly educated. I don't know
exactly how it all came about,
but I was told that when the trousseau
had been prepared and the presents gath
cred in, Miss - broke the engagement,
presumably because she had concluded
that she was too young to marry. The
Tilted lover has been knocking about the
country since his matrimonial hopes re-
ceived such an unexpected quietus, and
while at times I have observed a sad ex-
preston in his face, you know that, dur
ing the several weeks that he has been
here, he has made himself himself very
useful as q beau. I think the sulphur
baths and the mountain air, together with
pleasant and diversified social associa-
tions, have cured him e~ffectuslly."
"Now, girls" concluded the speaker,
addressing a number Of young ladies, who
like myself were but lingerers on the out
skirts of the circle, ''there is a good catch
aud may the most deserving of you get
him."
Wasn't the Metcalfe-H illhouse affair
sudden?" asked a prominent member in a
manner that lily concealed the fact that
she knew she had a rare piece Of news for
her COnfreres.
why, are they engaged" exclaimed a
pretty girl on her eyes widened, and all
present grew deeply interested after a lady
who had just arrived at the Springs had
asked who the people mentioned were, and
Mrs. - had settled down to her tale.
81 think" said the gossip, who had the
floor, in a meditative way, THAT it was
about four years ago when a number OF
English gentlemen sent o batch Of their
surplus younger sons to America to learn
farming, and if my information is correct,
Mr.. r. G~oldbourne Metcalfe, Of London,
who has been here for several weeks, is one
Of these. He has q fine truck farm at Fort
Mead, Florida, and has, l understand,
made q great success of his venture. He
is very tall and quite slender with fair
complexion, light hair and moustache, and
mild blue eyes. He came here with his
own horses and any number of vehicles
carts, Surveys, etcetera, and was O great
favorite.
Shortly after Mr.. Metcalfe arrived,
there came upon the scene Mrs. Thomas
Hillhouse, of New York, who was chap,
eroning a couple of charming girls, Miss
Addie, her daughter, and Miss Conkling,
a niece of the dead Senator. Mr.. Met
calfe fitted from flower to flower, as II
were, for q while, and then settled down Ia
court Miss Hillhouse in a most decided
way. She is tall and slender, a blonde
too, and they made q very we'll matched
couple as our horse friends would say
They fairly lived in the beautiful shade
about Lovers Walk and Lovers Leap, and
every n pronounced ii Case Mrs
Hillhouse and her charges were to leave
and did leave last Sunday for Saratoga,
and on Friday Mr.. Metcalfe announced
that he would return to Florids
that night. He went, and then it wa,
declared that his engagement Il
Miss Hillhouse had been announced
at q little supper given on tn.
previous evening. Those who were pres.
emit were non-committal. but it was decid
ed that the affair was Q bons-fde engage
ment, and that Mr.. Metcalfe got no neal
or. Florida than Charlottesville, where ht
awaited the train bearing his fance and
went on East with her. Miss Hillhouse il
the daughter of Mr.. Thomas Hillhouse
who has charge of the sub-tressury in New
York, and whose standing as q long and
faithful server Of the government Is very
high. Her family is an old and honoref
one. Mr.. Metcalfe, / have heard, Ia 8
member of the Junior Carleton, the mos
exclusive Of London Clubs; has wealth ant
is all Of o gentleman" g.
The buzz Of conversation that followed
the speakers closing remarks made mani
fest that the affair had created no end o
previous comment, and it was agreed thaI
if it were q match as it certainly appearet
TO be, there was nothing to be said agains
it. This is White Sulphur's first fruit O
the season.
Secretary Of War and Mrs. Endicott sni
Miss Endicott have been here for q week
They will probably return to Washington
in q few days, The arrival of Miss Endi
colt, who is slender and fair, with delicat.
and pretty features, gave the gossips /,
chance to renew the rumors of her engage
ment to Mr.. Chamberlain and all the othel
points of interest In her history. Th.
head Of the Army and Navy and his fam
lily have been visible . part of the time
but it was given out when they arrived