The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-03-17
MISUNDERSTANDING
Curious Things to Be Seen in New York
asa Consequence Ofthe Lenten Season.
Clara and Frances HodgsOn Burnett Do Not
Admire Each 0ther-The Brief Stage
Career of the New President of Sorosis.
so,., ,,,.,.no,,. ror-n.,


NEW YORK, March 16.-Two curious
things are to be seen in New York. as con-
sequence of Lent, among fashionable
women. There is a groggery within sight
of my windows. 1t is quiet enough place
SO far as outside observation reveals, and
its mahogany blinds and screens hide from
feminine eyes, ordinarily, whatever goes
on within. But. yesterday afternoon, / saw
two swell ladies and gentleman, members
of one of our proudest families, alight from
carriage at the side door of this saloon.
That portal is labeled Family Entrance"
and into it l see many children go with
pals and pitchers. and subsequently emerge
with the froth of beer visible above the
edge of those receptacles. i believe the
common people call this working the
Growler." My exquisite acquaintance
from Fifth avenue gave quick glances
up and down the street, and then
stepped in little hurriedly, as though just
bit afraid of being seen. was astOnished
at the sight. Within few minutes another
carriage load Of modish bellies and beaux
did the same thing, and within an hour
score of that sort of folks had entered the
drinking place. All this was on account of
Lent. l speedily found out the explana-
ton. They had rented the bowling alley
in the basement under that beer saloon for
the evening. and therein played a series Of
games with the balls and pins. Bowling is
regarded, for some inscrutable reason, as
permissible diversion during the lenten
season, and Fifth-avenue people are not
only using the alleys connected with the
big athletic clubs, but are fashionably
sanctifying the alleys connected with the
beer saloons by occasional use. Of course,
these particular occupants are guarded
against the intrusion of the ordinary custO-
mers of these places, and are quite as ex-
elusive as though gathered in their own
homes.
The other singular sight is that of the
Salvation Army lassies entering the resi-
dences of the rich and grand. Young Mrs.
Booth, wife of the army's general In Amer
lea, IS pretty woman, with nice manners.
the purpose of a New York fad-she speaks
with the right London accent-nOt the
broad cockney dialect of Whitechapel, of
course, but exactly the speech of West-end
drawing-rOOm She has undertaken to
interest swelldom in Salvation Army re-
vivaliSm, and has lectured several times
informally to assemblages of women of
wealth. How deep an impression she has
made on them is a question of surmise. but
~
On her staff are a dozen very agreeable
young ladies, who wear the quaint costume
of the army, but are not of the vociferous,
rough-and:ready type OF eyangelists usual
they are gentle-mannered, sweet-faced
creatures. who wear their uniform without
being ridiculous, and with even cO1uettish
touches of stylishness about it. They are
sent by Mrs. Booth to residences of
influential matrOns, whenever requested,
there to talk to a few invited guests, to ex-
plain to them the purposes of the move
ment, to make as good an impression as
possible, and to collect money cOntribu-
tions. That is why you nowadays see Sal
walton Army lassies vending their ways
among the stylishly dressed ladies of the
avenue and entering or departing from the
transitOry whim to regard these evange--
lists as almost saints, and photographs of
Mrs Booth have largely displaced those of
the professional stage beauties in the bou-
dOirs of our girls.
An attempt at modesty of raiment COM
bined with expressions of captivating piety
is noticeable in the fashionable observers
of this season called Lent. Churches are
now being made usually interesting by
the presence of beauty holding prayer-books
curving its eyelashes to heaven. 1t is
"fad," and there is no religious disrespect
in saying SO. Society demands one at
every season. The opera gets to be
bore, cotillions dance themselves
dizzy, and late suprers fail to digest. If it
We're fashionable to keep it up it would be
done until death ensued. But fashion steps
serving Lent. This acts like Turkish
bath upon the jaded constitution. and the
fatigued angels fold their wings to rest, so
they may be able to come up smiling and
1tn f0lr mud ohf.pa a0xvf
summer ready for anything. even to con-
templating matrimony. Like cures like,
but excitement doesn't cure shattered
nerves. These demand sleep, fresh air and
in society until Lent lends it's aid.
But when / look at our girls
here in New York I am bound to
admit that, in spite of their feverish man.
ner of living, they are remarkably bright
and healthy. Driving through the park of
an afternoon the sparkling panorama of
fresh-faced young women perched high on
the seats of ~ carts and Stanhopes. or
more often on the back of q galloping horse,
| is invigoratiDg to the mind and q guarantee
for. a good future race. L know several
| girls who have been dashing in the surf of
the seasons pleasure, regardless of every
thing but the delights Of the moment, and
now that the storm has spent itself, bless
me if those girls aren't as radiant as so
many peonies and SO full of life that cleo
tricity fairly crackles in them as they move.
| There appears to be q sustaining energy in
| the air of New York. and / am be-
| ing constantly assured by men and
women who have lived in various
| parts of the world that, taken all
| in all. New York is the healthiest spot they
| ever found. Be this as it may, feel sure
that the London girls, the Paris girls, or
| the Boston girls never came out of the
maelstrOm of season" in better form
than our Athletic daisies now show as they
| course round the park drive on their
thOroughbreds, or foot it Off to church in
the dust and cold of these clustering March
mornings.
1t would seem that Mrs. Frances Hodgson
Burnett and / are out, although there
really isn't any reason why it should be so.
The distinguished authoress has written a
letter, which starts with the following quo
tation from this correspondence as a sort
of text: Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett
is still a regarded figure in New York on
account of her eccentricities of dress and
behavior. Boston honized her, but the
metropolis is inclined to find her
amusing" This is an accurate trans
script of what | wrote, at the time
her Little Lord Fauntleroy" was first pro-
duced at New York theater. But having
quoted it, the lady goes on to write very
fully in denial of an article that appeared
in the World, purporting to describe her
home life and her singular parlor behavior.
She doesn't devote a single word to the two