Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-24

NA ~ ~\NAI3 coacnman. IL was
SN N not so until very
~1MNSN Mn \ lately. She might
fRFNNN W\ IN go out shopping or
III HEWIN Hcalling by daylight
w GN<SY ~ with no carriage
III ~ J%SENN Ncompanion, but
S"''-->-s ''o after dark she was
forbidden to make the shortest trip on
wheels, no matter how safely inclosed. all
alone By her own SELF They used to tell it
OF a wary father of frisky belle that, hay-
ing to send her in close carriage one even
ing to the house of friend. he sealed the
door shut, as though it had been an official
envelope, to be broken only at the end of the
drive As that same girl has since eloped
with forbidden wooer, it seems that par
entail caution was Of no avail. Presumably
it was against invasion, and not escape.
however. that usage demanded a chaperone
for the McAllister maiden when out in
carriage at night.
But we in New York are not apt to let
customs stale, and so we have for the winter
made it an unwritten law that the coachman
may serve as q chaperon. He must be a
genuine employe Of the family, and not
man hired with the equipage from public
stable; he must be sedate and middle-aged
fellow in full livery; and he must impress
lively escort his charge betwixt eurbstone
and portal whenever she enters or cults the
house of her visit The innovation is sane
toned by several Of 'our best families" /"
and is therefore bound to be generally ac-
cepted. Who knows but the next advance
toward freedom of action for my sex NAV be
permission to go to the Iheaters unattended.
save to the entrance by the chaperoning
coaehman.
THE LITTLE SNoBLET.
Well, none of us girls wishes, am sure.
to embolden our conduct; yet a relaxation
of really unreasonable restrictions would be
welcome. Some of these are mere snobbish-
ness, and we ought to despise snobs and
their foolery. The snob is of either sex and
all ages, but if you wish specimen it is as
we'll to begin at the beginning and choose
little one. A carriage drives up to Fifth
avenue mansion at the time of fine even
ing occasion, and the smallest of snobs
alights. Behold him, as sttired in hannels
he crawls lazily into the portals, too fatigued
to go faster. A single glass in his half
closed eye, the odor OF brandy and soda per-
fumes the air. What is the purpose of this
little snob2 Why is he? What aim and
end in existence does he serve? The dues-
ton is answered in a minute or two. A
great lady of the New Rich contingent
sweeps down the staircase, her matchless
riYiere of diamonds flashing as she moves.
Behind her, nearly submerged in the tulle
waves Of her spangled dress, comes the wee
little snobbie, staggering under the weight
of huge bouquet. It is as boquet bearer,
therefore, that the little parasite excels.
Our society, keenly alive to the ridiculous,
has designated the coterie of which this
snoblet is type, ''The Little Brothers of
the Rich"
See this estimable woman wildly waltz
ingl A few short years ago she passed her
days between the nursery and a quiet drive
with her husband. Her evenings were
spent by the domestic hearth, or at an occa-
sional concert, rare play or a reception
that formed an event in her monotonous
existence. She made her children's clothes
and fashioned her own bonnets. She liked
her friends for what they were, not wha.
they possessed. And although she did not
realize it,
SHE WAS HAPPY.
All at once she found herself elevated to
great wealth, and the dweller in q mansion
in Fifth avenue. Mrs. Dollarsandcents
graduated from the hands of dressmakers,
from the Golfers Of the jewellers into the |
rank of the Four Hundred. Surprised at |
finding herself there, uncertain how long
she was going TO stay, insecure in the social |
saddle and yet determined to take every |
fence in her path, she realized that the first |
thing to be done was to rid herself Of her |
old acquaintances, q few of whom would |
insist on cropping up. Certainly 1T was
painful, but had to be done, and finally |
when Mrs. Dollarsandcents cut q friend |
from whom she had accepted a wedding |
present in the old days there |
could be no doubt whatever about it, she |
had taken her degree in snobbery and was |
past mistress in the black art of ingratitude. |
There is, however, no royal road to snob- |
berry. Disagreeable tasks must be per-
formed, and the path is streWn with thorns |
that leads to the temple inscribed, 81 am |
better than thou" Thank goodness, the |
snobs are small minority, and a lady is a /
lady, or a woman isn't lady, according to |
her own conduct.
1t was in the private parlor Of q fashion
able hotel. The mistress OF the suite had
Just received a new bonnet from milliner
and the open box was on the table when
several friends called, one of whom was an |
admirer. The bonnet was
espied at once; the lady not unWillingly /
yielded to the call to try it on; its perfect
tast and becomingness were commented on
till the owners fair face flushed and sparkled /
with gratifed vanity. Suddenly she sum-
moned her maid, and, with a wicked smile,
unsuited to beautiful lips, gave the aston
ishing order: Lucille, go ask Mrs. x. if
she will let me see. just for moment, her
last bonnet-with my compliments"
you'll not get that bonnet, laughed one
If her friends.
SOh, yes, will K. is immensely oblig-
ng, and we are prodigious friends.
The maid quickly returned and actually
brought box with ''Zs madam's complee-
nenz." The borrowed bonnet was then ex-
libited with more wicked smiles, shrugs and
.rimaces, which eloquentIY expressed the
ady's opinion of her dear friends taste.
The bonnet in truth, was not a thing Of
beauty, but one could see that it was i'm
expensive. When the vivacious
ady, however, flushed with the praises Of
Ter own taste aud beauty, placed the COM
,ination of velvet, feathers and lace over the
luffy head of her poodle and filed the suite
With peals of mocking laughter, even her
.dmirers forced the smile that responded to
Ter ill-timed mirth. Happily, she had the
race to make the play short one, but when
lucille was recalled to return the bonnet
nth the meaningless thanks of her mistress,
{ was evident that there had been, beyond
he portiere, one appreciative witness Of the
performance.
A LADY, INDEED.