Telegram-herald., 1889-04-15
ASEMI-LITERARl TEA
Iaonessss Who Drink II az Five II
the Afternoon
MERE TIE WOMEN CoSCREcAIE
r. = Fringe or Wutasi AanlEsttoH >ets-
ssi-s Wb4ch Haas ga ths tdge ~
Real Ilfereture thss are
Frrfeftly Harmless.

shake - thr snow FAKES before you
euter. foE modern 4pari lient. though
literary ioueSs dwell "a &c. b tiny. aud oae
mast lOt bros dgilts TO dunloer tie cor
ndors.
The place is iiSei.est at Five or haifpast
Ia the afternoon. Women begin 20 arrive
80 three snd they viii ~ away AZ SIX or
shortly after. The eshaaes are drawn. can
dies lighted. Omen iire burning. Tue lion
ess rises from a deep low spfa. "Have you
really come 10 see poor little me You dear.
dear creature this tcild afternoon p
There Is q woeful confusion 81 voices
or all the minor goddrsses. the Silences. ss
Carlyle called them, are least cultivated
And such voices. Every sentence ought
20 have breathless hush Of expectation
for a bao ground. Is IL still snONins1'
i delivered with tone and expression : II
life aud death hung o. the phrase. There
i "A strained. theatrlc exaggeratlon IN the
habitue's manner which suggests dress
rehearsal
But 10 the presentations. Mrs. Ann
Amanda Siplthe, who wrote \ story Of
Passion which thrilled Us SO hen II came
from the publishers"
This is Miss Julia Margaret Brown.
sister To J. Stuyyessant Brown. with
whose wonderful singing we are all faIni-
liar"
Il am sure you will like TO meet Mrs
Mary Eleanor Jones, whom we are So
much interested in because we're all in
love with her husband. Jones, the actor,
OF the Comedy. you know. "
We are not spared one syllable of the full
title The liouess Is giving her attendant
lionesses the measure OF glory which is
their due.
The room is full and Il runs 10 Empire
gowns. The lioness wears one: IL Is white
and cut low, with that peculiar lowness
which suggests that IL may fall of in the
course OF a minute or two. Three or four
other women though it is afternoon, wear
decollete costumes. Half dozen wear
half-high gowns with open throat and
elbow sleeves. A majority are in elaborate
visiting dress and retain their hats One
or two have not uncloaked aud are muffied
in furs. These are the tall, slender wo-
men who even in a room whose tempera-
ture is nearly 90 degrees like TO wrap
themselves in skins of fox and bear.
The lioness holds court at a tiny table
Two or three of the half dozen men present
bend over her. Sometimes she stands in
the middle OF the room and holds visible
dominion over its occupants. Those who
can talk TO her do so, those who cannot
form three or four minor courts about
lesser divinities at the music school, at a
window seat, in corners. A girl with
large gray eyes stretches out her arms to
the fire. They are pretty arms and it
makes graceful pose.
A late conner is rebelling Mt the introduc
ticn. Mrs ----. who is -"
"Oh, please don't. Everywhere I 90 1t
IS told who / am and what do. Just let
me for once make acquaintances who will
prize me for myself alone"
Clever little lady. Now we are all won
dering what celebrity she can be- She has
a column In a religious weekly, We learn
by and by.
What have you .writteni" asks a
buxom matron OF little woman in brown.
The little woman is confused. She came
Eith a friend 10 see the sights and never
wrote anything, but it seems a confession
OF weakness 10 say so.
Mrs So aud SO is going 10 write novel
Of New York society"
Indeed, wonder at IL. All that she
has ever seen of it was in your parlors."
Was there touch OF malice here' The
cordiality is painfully ELUSIVE on the sur
face, but sly little thrust may be sus-
pected sometimes.
How do yon keep so youthfulf" asks n
clever woman of rival whose paint and
powder have been too hastily and streak
edly put on. Now that have seen you
must really try Recamier balm"
"Who will write tn most erotic novel2"
Is the query that goes round.
81 have written it," whispers grey-eyed
innocence before the fire, and when |
took It 10 publisher he said the market
wouldn't stand il, it was so wicked"
Here am standing back to
Princess" cries "A young girl in black
velvet Of MEDIEVAL cut, her hair. yellow,
like ripe corn. hanging in "A half curling
mass or her shoulders. And she wheels
hastily around.
Eat ees no mattare." replies the quiet
end withal very democratic Russian lady
10 whom is ascribed the rather startling
title She is indeed the simplest and most
natural in manner Of any person in the
room.
maid in Greek go.xn stands MP and
recites poen. She Is young maid and
modest looking maid. but IL j. q pArch-
ing aud n scorcLing poem.
who wrote thatf' asks somebody when
the reading Is done. 1T &. like drop of
liquid Ere let fall in the veins
why. don't you know comes the
counter query. Here il the authoress."
and two or three pairs Of hands push for
ward pink checked young woman ia
black Josephine gown
Is shat yoursYf cries the lioness and
the minor iionesses. and they throw their
arms about her and kiss her with devo-
ton The young man who first asked the
question drops on one knee and takes her
band.
Bless you. bless yon. my son. " SAYS the
blushing and laughing poefess. nnd TIE
dramatic. yes. melodramatio little scene -
brought 20 An end.
But an the conversation is not % liters-
ture
- have The smallest foot % any woman
living il one scrap which floats 20 tbe
ears Valentine the sea ptor. modeiied
e. for his most famo1s statue. and -.
mentions three fairly well known women
vho contributed respectively ths lez. fhe
fsrs and the bnsf ~ the figure "l wear
I2,s size shoe and el~sys get them made
e. order It Al sc7ress and reader who
T. reves'inz this b.f ~ sutohioxrsphy.
Her csst aosts zhflT over ths surfsc-.
but much ~ that which on- ears DlunZ.~
strsixtt into the deeps or = divsn in =
recess sIts siIz zkt woman with olive skin.
She wears dress p scarlet ret II is
ouen a. 80 throst nd knottef With black
velvet hbors s.. as inst heen Intro
cnced - msn 'Csn one fesl tine iovs
more fhAa onae f- shs &. sskios Her -ap-
sirs iooks bsvii3srs5 sn8 cssfs aho1t fer E
re- g TIE restter sbsekne7e' ~ stoose
- -oaversa-iao 90 is0't T7ot Form BE- tr.rz
in wlth = n,sa on 3 housskeepsnE ~ mn