Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-22

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fear that they may be counted out. Madam
Vanastorbilt comprehends fully the import
ance of her work of annual revision of her
list of acquaintances. ALI sorts of consId-
erations must be measured for or against
the candidates for her favor. She will prob
ably send out something like a thousand
cards, each bearing her name and the days
she will be "at home" Mrs. William
Astor has ], 100 names In her visiting book,
and the rumor is that she will now increase
the number to 1, 200. No other of our ac-
knowledged matrons keeps so long a roster,
those of the other Astor ladies, as well as
those of the Vanderbilts, ranging from
1000 down to as few as 800.
To great majority of these recognized
persons the honor comes as a matter of
course, but there is in each list minority
of names belonging to families who are
barely more than Sin society,"" according to
boundaries arbitrarily fixed. In the card
baske of those households you may look
confidently to see the cards of the Astors,
the Vanderbilts and other magnates always
lying conspicuously on top of all the other
bits of cardboard. The season of formal
calls will begin just as soon as the swells re-
turn to their town residences, and from that
time until the Holidays no toilets, not even
those worn at balls and the opera, will be
finer in their way than the costumes worn
in making the round of visits.
A CURIOUS VISITING CARD.
A visiting card which was given to me
the other day, and which shall keep as a
curiosity, bears the neatly engraved words:
"Tennie G. Clafin, Ludlow Street Jail.
Every Afternoon in December" Copies of
this card were sent, about 15 years ago, to
most of the brokers of Wall street, to q
number of leading Spirithalists, and to a
few fashionable families Tennie G. Clafin
and her sister, Victoria Woodruff, had
then exploited themselves in way to send
them temporarily to prison, and it was to
emphasize her disdain of bolts and bars
that Tennie, the pretty one of the audacious
sisters, sent these cards to her acquaint-
ances.
The one which has come into my hands
was the card sent to the late Commodore
Vanderbilt, who had befriended the Wall
street firm of Woodruff g Clahin in their
stock operations, and, as he subsequently,
testified in court, had consulted them with
considerable faith as spiritualistic mediums.
The Commodore lived then in Waverly
Place, and had lately taken a second wife
an estimable lady of fine culture and
sincere religion. The card came when the
aged Commodore was at home, and although
it was impudently addressed to Mrs. Van
derbilt, it was delivered into his hands. A
small poker party was in progress, for
Vanderbilt did not abolish his favorite
game of chance when his piOus bride came
into the household. The card was passed
around, humorously commented on, and
then handed to Mrs. Vanderbilt, who threw
it aside somewhat contemptuously. One of
the poker playing guests thereupon asked
for it, and she declared that he would do
her a favor by taking it away.
A DISMAL RECEPTION ROOM.
will take the reader along for call
which I actually made on a New York
woman of social prominence. A pretty maid
opened the door, showed me into drawing
room that was as melancholy in its gloom
as uliet's tomb, and after an absence of
40 minutes, that filled my thoughts with
the dismal grandeur of the place, returned
with Madan1's compliments and q desire
to see me in her room. 1 followed the
almond-cheeked maiden, falling rather than
walking upstairs in order to avoid the grim
ugliness OF the harpies, furies, dragons and
genii pictured along the wall. From the
inches in the upper hallway the fragrance
OF burning joss sticks sweetened the air, and
on console brackets were carelessly placed
scent bottle, fan, photographs of famous
men and women, and an enameled hand
glass for passing glance.
We passed through the dimly lighted
boudoir, with its canopied divan and soft
hangings of mandarin silk, and into q
chamber sumptuous enough In It's appoint
ments for a queen. The afternoon was
scarcely half gone, but the curtains were
drawn about the windows, and a burning
lamp of garnet and carved bronze, and a
chancel lantern, that hung in corner just
above Moorish screen, threw from their
CRYSTALS of amethyst, ruby and carbuncle
those glorious colors that fancy paints about
the heads of hallowed saints.
IN BEAUTY's BOWER.
In brass-bound bedstead, with canopy
of old pink, fringed with silver, lay
Madam, the most captivating creature 1
had ever seen in my lite. either in a ball
room, proscenium box or amphitheater She
wore a night frock OF fine white cambria,
cut decolete, with sleeves OF narrow futed
lace that reached to her elbows without cov-
ering them. Halt way above her wrists she
wore a pair of narrow gold bands and
two or three jeweled pins held the
lace frills together in her filmy, dreamy
corsage. In one hand was
handkerchief as delicate in the magic
of its web as the one that ruined the Othello
family, and in the other was shell fan of
matchless beauty. On the pillow support
ing her head was smaller one hlled with
Dalsam and orris powder, and the mingled
sweetness that came and went gave me the
sensation of momentary giddiness. 1t over
powered my'senses, made my brain reel, and
made me bite my lips to keep from swoon-
ing away. In The other pillow was the
o'clock mail containing perhaps 20 letters.
Over the counterpane was spread white
quilt of Chinese silk finished with border
of rich embroidery and trimmed on two sides
with deep knotted fringe. The drapery was
lovely enough in texture aud workmanship
for belle or bride. Madam gave TO me
her soft little hand in greeting, and bade me
be seated in the chair beside her bed, but
the purpose OF my visit was gone, and all
could do was to sit and gaze enraptured and
enamored by this matchiess queen OF com.
merce.
THE ART OF HANDSPRING.
I lately heard it said of pretty but
affected girl that she "shook hands badly"
and was much amused by this recognition
of hand-shaking as an art to excel or fail
in. Most o! US are quickly impressed
favorably or the reverse-by a persons
manner OF performing this salutation, but
instead Of being criticised or commented
b. L. tod