The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-03-17
TELIX' LETTER.
IT INTERESTINGLY TELLS WHAT is
GOING on IN SOCIETY.
HIEROGLYPHING COMMERCIAL
NOTE THE PRACTICE NOW
MILD AND HARMLESS DIVERSIONS
DURING LENT.
"Vhor0 There 10 "A viii There Is n Way
a Delightful Gioe Club
formed-A supper
Club-Personsls.

J lie UlNNA -Nl4hIi- Altid'ifl4-Nii -
this. the age IN which we live, Is il
perfect naturalness IN social as well q
political history. As the century grow
|. older il gives continued and incrcasin.
evidences Of arriving at the years Of dis
cretiOn, and doubtless when II l. wei
{ ont Of It's teens every ~artiice which
tends 10 choke the struggles Of spOn
%taneous growth will be entirely alb
Olished. Various and numerous illus
tratiyc proofs Of this may be de
Quoted from the expensive spher,
OF fashion, and there where many a pure
germ is poisoned by the atmosphere o.
the ill weeds that grow apace. ANY
revolution which eradicales the latte
should be hailed with unfeigned joy
Have not The tiny pcdestal8 upon which
the noble danes Of the court OF Loui'
Quinze were wont 10 walk, and which
up TO a very recent date, continued I,
make weak backs ache, been given up fol
the broad, solid flat heel, "cOmmOn-sense'
shoe We have the stalwart daughters
OF John Bull TO thank for setting thi,
fashion that will bring TO all its follow
ers the fac simile of their rudy, health
glowing cheeks. Then the ono tortu-
Gus, wasp-like waists are now only 10 pc
seen in the portraits of Our ancestors
and q great many other such departures
from the absurd TO the reasonable; bui
q most noticeable evidence OF The freedom
and liberty of style I'm the present among
ladies. is evinccd in their handwriting.
If there can he found no FADED tell-tale
relics Of the vO0ucOf "ye Oidcn time, the
retrospectiOn OF O. mothers can easily
recall the diminutiyc. fine. contracted,
writing which was IN their girlhOOd the
accepted form of elegance. These deli
cate spiral characters were only TRACED
on the daintiest lace margined paper,
and sealed with the impress of o tiny
/ heart or cupid's arrow, and, altogether,
pcrmeated with the aroma Of senti-
mentality but the lapse of time
has made this a. mnch an item Of
history as The record of her papers writ
zen i'm crimson blood. and secrets being
communicated by being written in lemon
Juice. which reveals nothing until held
before The fire. That was a period
though when mistaken chiyalry would
have scOrned the thought that the fair
hand or q lady could DO more than guide
q fragile pen. or wave away IN grace IT.
devOir kisses.
few years ago it really seemed the
effort of every fashionable feminine
scribbler 10 mystify rather than mske in
telligible the meaning m their writings
and ii the last generation dwarfed their
chi0graphy their mission was 10 bring
about The averages by making giants
i'm theirs. Three short words, or one long
work 10 a line, and six words TO a sheet,
was the rule for hieroglyphing ON
mcrcial note, and that was usn-
ally the long and short Of it.
Then followed o slight modification
in size. and from e%longatiOn the angular
hand became quite the thing The top
Of every letter was sharpened to a point
like an arrow. and every letter locked
exactly alike. So but for the position Of
such guide posts as the dots to The is
and crosses to the rs, there would have
been a Ruthless search for IFS road % in
formation. Next came the fashion OF
using a stub pen, the bold, heavy lines
being IN suited to the del cate wording OF
my lady, 5ihel dou1, but 1t was in imitation
OF the style of the old quill pen, and in
the eternal fitness of things the ancient
crests and seal were resurrected at the
same time. There is an inconsistent
apology that every poor writer inyaria-
Div renders in ~eXtenuatiOn of this pecu-
liar short cOming-"aN great men write
badly, forgetting the poverty Of the rule
that doesn't work both ways, and that all
bad writer's are not great men, for which
The iafcs be praised, or the country would
be Oyerrun with heroes. II is true that,
Judging from the signature of Daniel
" ebster, the only distinct impression
would be that spelling and not writing /
was his forte, while absolutely the
sole things that the mfallibie
Father of our Country ever failed
20 do was 10 tell a lie and
write intelligibly. But in latter-day
education good p%enmanship is a require
ment, and is often an accepted c%redential
of capacity, and In It's style there is no
prescribed fashion TO follow. To know
the individuality, the character of any
hand has full and free scope to follow in
perfect naturalne-s The bent of its way.
Where there is a will. there is = way"
even OF arranging the diyersities Of Lent
without destroying the peace of the con-
science, and in the past lew days many
mild and harmless diversions have
into joyful existence.
On Wednesday evening Mrs. Bronson,
in honor OF her neice, Miss Allen Hobby,
and her guest, Miss kaufman, gave a de-
lightful bean party. The contest in toss
ing the little bags Of beans in the hole
in an inclined board seemingly
so easy, was difficult enough to make
The failures many. and to provoke much
merriment. The party was composed of
Mrs. Bronson. Mrs. CABOT, Mrs. En-
mons, Miss Hobby, Miss kaufman, Miss
Nellie Rogers, Miss Juliet Powers, Miss
Powers, Miss Irene Peasants,
Miss Nirgie Brock, and Miss Virgie
CABOT. Mr. John Jones, Mr.. 10. Lane
stern. Mr. Dudley Mcdonald, Mr.. Massie,
Mr.. VIM Northern, Mr.. Fred Peasants,
and Dr.. Wilfred Peasants. The ladies
irst prize-a glove case-was won by
Hiss Juliet Powers, and the BOBBY
hree OF less on q branch-by Miss Irene
'leasanis. The genileman's 1rst prize
shaving case-was captured by Mr..
fred Peasants, and the BOBBY by Mr..
Nm. Workman. SiX-hand euchre and a
'ery elegant repast were the other
actors in the evenings enjoyment.
There is something about the very
lame of a glee club that brings many
harmonious recollectiOns OF the sweet
0neful days of long ago, for il has been
ears since any such organization has
.een in existence in u social world un- 3
IL a very recent date. y delightful one
as been formed. Although as yet the
membership is very small, at its
rst meeting, which was held at
be residence Of Miss Callie Ryland,
IS object was achieved with great sue 4
ess, viz The rendering of some very
retty music. The little band is com
the following musicians Miss ,
larry Anderson, piano; Miss Elise vii :,
ans, guitar Miss Bruce Williams, !,
Miss Callie Ryland, violin; Mr.. =
ack Peasants, mandolin; Mr.. John =
Nr.tr ruffap ap1 Ar I.Ir k,If ~