The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-04-14
THE RICHEST CHILD.

THE RICHEST CHILD.
The richest child in America has Just
gone to Florida with her mother for
few weeks. May Sharpless is her name
and she is 9 years old. Her closest
rival is Jay Kingdom Gould, the infant
son of Mr.. and Mrs. George Gould
and the grandson of Jay Gould. Young
Jay may be richer than May after
awhile, but just at present he is not
May Sharpless is estimated 10 be worth
$4,000, 900 in her own name and right.
Her guardian is Ex- Governor Leon
Albeit, of New Jersey. Even her guar
dian finds it hard work to keep track
of all the wealth that flows into pretty
little Mays Golfers. Before she is of
age, if nothing happens, she will be
enormously wealthy, and the man who
secures her heart will become the hus-
band of probably the richest woman on
the continent ten years hence.
May Sharpless is the daughter of
late member of the famous dry goods
house of Arnold, Constable & Co.
Sharpless was the resident member of
the firm in Paris, where he died. His
daughter was born abroad. She is as
bright as she is rich. She speaks French
and English fluently and is rapidly ac-
quiring thorough knowledge of Ger
man. She learns very rapidly and is
fond of the stage. Her youthful talent
has exhibited itself more than once in
tableaux and private theatricals. Two
summers ago she was at Sea Grit, a
fashionable resort on the New Jersey
coast, with her mother, nurse and COVER
ness. Some theatricals were given and
| May made big nit in several senti-
mental parts. Her lover on the stage
was little George Boldt, son of the
proprietor of the hotel and proprietor
of the wellknown Hotel Bellevue, in
Philadelphia. George was about Mays
age. During the same performance
Miss Mamie Albeit, daughter of Mays
guardian, made hit by her beauty
and talent in rendition of the "Mi-
kado." Mays histrionic talent is hard
to restrain, as she wants to appear on
the stage at every opportunity.
But it is May Sharpless' dolls that
are the wonder of all who know her.
She has probably the finest collection
of dolls in the world and she is con
stantly adding to her stock. Her dolls
range in size from the smallest to sew
eral that are nearly as large as their
owner. Two of them cost thousands
of dollars apiece. Every summer Mrs.
Sharpless and her child 60 abroad and
the latest Partisan inventions in the doll
line are purchased. The dresses for
the largest and most expensive dolls
are made in Paris by Worth. They are
perfect fits and cost more than the
average American girl, even in fash
ionable society, pays for her dresses
The dolls wardrobes of Miss Sharpless
are wonders. Each of the tavorite
dolls has half dozen miniature Saratoga
trunks filled with dresses and other
| clothes. The underwear of the dolls is
made of the best of lace and the finest
of silk. They have the latest style of
shoes, and wear the rewest shade in
hosiery. All of them have hair, not OF
cornsilK, but genuine, and the hair is
dressed according to the existing
fashion. Miss May takes down and
puts up the hair, and when she gives a
dolls party. as she occasionally does at
her home in this city, the dollies' hair is
arranged by regular hair -dressers en-
gagged for that purpose. At her home
here May has dolls houses, carriages
and regular dolls establishment. Her
dolls parties are we'll worth witnessing.
She invites her girl friends to bring
their best dolls and the reception is
modelled exactly after receptions in
high life. Engraved invitations have
been sent on several of these occasions
and dolls were brought in carriages by
their mistresses. They wore wraps,
their dresses were cut low in front and
V-snaped behind, and corsets, bustles
and the usual female paraphernalia
made up the costumes. As most ot
the dolls could walk when wound uI
the scene in the parlor as they moved
around, using their fans and bottles oi
smelling salts, was decidedly realistic
IT. was certainly decidedly novel.