The Opelousas courier., 1889-03-23
AN BELLE.
GoW sht Ts Brought Up, Educated and
Grained for Social Life.

beautiful and incomprehensible a thing
as one of Browning's poems. Happen
ing to sit at lunch the other day next
to n Of the most successful debut
ants of the season I thought ! would
make gentle inquiries about her early
lie. She was a charming creature,
eminently New Yorkish, and, without
being strictly handsome, was irresist-
lble. She was tall and not too slight,
with a well-developed figure. A warm
color mantled on her clear cheek. and
her features wAre fairly regular. the
chief attraction seing a pair of large,
dark blue eyes. AIDED by long lashes,
which she kney very well to be her
best point, and ID with great effect.
As she pulled off er long gray gloves
and took up her aster fork I noticed
her beautiful haie which were long
and slender, wiWin,perfect almond
shaped nails that ~ poke the mani
cures frequent care, al taper fingers.
Her rings were few, lrt costly-too
costly. ccus>
Where did you go 8 wchool?" I
asked, to begin with. "Idohnw York,
or were you at boarding schdsL some
where?" -;
She turned her beautiful eyes cry Y
me in pretty perplexity. When
spoke her voice was delightful, qu4, .,
English in its rich, generous quality,
and she talked slowly, with a sort OF
| n1inf ltrrifx- fhn4 n ran1- oh n r,ninn
"Oh, no, / never went to school,"
said she, smiling. a had a governess
and master at home. My governess
taught me the necessary smattering OF
history, arithmetic and geography,
and being a Frenchwoman always
spoke her own language with me. My
maid was also French, that being one
of my earliest accomplishments. Then
masters came in for German and
Italian, music and dancing. Oh, dear,
what care they did take! l had to walk
so many hours a day, take a cold
plunge-bath every morning-that was
for my complexion-go to the dentist
every month, have my hair brushed
by Celine for an hour every night be-
fore | went TO bed, and sit for a long
time every morning with my shoulder
strained against a blackboard to make
sure that my figure would be good. ]
rose every morning at seven and went
to bed every night at eight. This
went on until I was sixteen.
eat SIXTEEN" she said, '"they TOOK
me abroad. Even on the steamer
was not allowed to make any acquaint
ances. I spent a year at school il
i. Leipsic, a very small and expensive
place, where there were young German
girls of high degree and a scattering
, of English and Americans from thu
best families, with whom / was no
only permitted but instructed to be
come intimate. Then mamma cam'
i, again, and this time took me to Paris
where | staid another year at the Sacr'
! Occur. Then / was eighteen, and i
was time to prepare for the importan
event of my coming out. | left tn
convent in March. and for the mex
three months we had a most gloria,l
: time getting my things together i
Paris. / $ you mamma spen
:. quite $4,000 for the gowns, hats an
= chiffon she said were absolutely neees
sary for my first season. From q mer
I child / suddenly bloomed into a youn
woman. Mamma took me with her t
one or two entertainments in Pari:
= after that we went to London just fo
:, the end of the season, but it was d
vine; then to Newport for August, I
. Lenox for September and October, t
. Tuxedo for November, and then I
: New York, where early this mont
q mamma gave a great reception to il
troduce me. And such a good time
!, I have had since! think, after all,
r Eds a good plan to keep girls in the bacl
l. aground until they are ready to con
:, out. They enjoy 1t all the more b
: cause every thing is SO new"
= Certainly, her education has been 9
: unmitigated success. She asked me
:. come and see her, which did the ne.
: day. She lived in a gorgeous houl
!. on Fifth avenue, away up by the par
: and I found her in a lovely little ne
- her own rooms, a dainty chamb
: all white and gold. with silver brush
:. and combs and glasses strewn all ov
= the toilet-table, costly favors, trophi
- of her many triumphant cotillo
= decking the walls. Then she had
luxurious little boudoir besides. Fl
brisk, ~white-capped maid, a quic
witted Frenchwoman. anticipated h
every want. She had but to ask for
thing. and presto! she had it. VIII;
ever IFS price. and it really seemed
If she ought to have been a perfect
happy being.
"a But ali! The little rift within t
r. lutei She had given her young hes
to Philip a V~anderness. who b
only 50, 600 a year. To attempt mat
h. mony on that meager pittance wor
l. be sheer madness. SD che fair deb1
~ ante's papa declares, and ae utter
"a scorns such q parti The deGatar
herself knows it to be impossible, a
while she tells her impecunious loy
that she can never marry any N
"A who hasn't at least an income I
times as large as his she feels that
+ would rather be less fond OF the II
"a ~ which has become q necessity
IL err and be happy in a simple way. tn
Nv however, her education had made
of the question:. 7. Cor. Pro
all derce Journal.