Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-02-21
AN AMERICAN BELLE.
now She Is Brought Up, Educated and
Trimmed for SnciaI 4 La

AN AMEhlCAN BELLH,
How She Is Brought Up, Educated and
Trained for Social Life.
A New York girl is as brilliant,
beautiful and incomprehensible Il thing
as one Of Browning's. poems Happen
ing to sit at lunch the other day next
to one OF the most successful debut
ants of the season | thought / would
make gentle inquiries about her early
life. She was charming creature,
eminently New Yorkish, and, without
being strictly handsome, was irresist-
ible. She was tall and not too slight,
with a well-developed figure. A warm
color mantled on her clear cheek, and
her features were fairly regular, the
chief attraction being pair of large,
dark blue eyes. shaded by long lashes,
which she knew very well to be her
best point, and used with great effect
AS she pulled of her long gray gloves
and took up her oyster fork / noticed
her beautiful hands, which were long
and slender, with perfect almond
shaped nails that bespoke the mani
cures frequent care, and taper fingers.
Her rings were few, but costly-too
costly.
where did you 60 to schoolp''
asked, to begin with. I'm New York,
or were you at boarding school some
whereof
She turned her beautiful eyes upon
me in pretty perplexity. When she
spoke her voice was delightful, quite
English in its rich, generous quality.
and she talked slowly, with a sort of
quiet dignity that was very charming.
ooh, no. / never went to school,"
said she, smiling. II 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! had to walk
so many hours a day, take a cold
plunge-bath every morning 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 long
time every morning with my shoulder
strained against o blackboard to make
sure that my figure would be good. l
rose every morning at seven and went
to bed every night at eight. This
went on until | was sixteen.
''At sixteen she said, they took
me abroad. Even on the steamer /
was not allowed to make any acquaint-
ances. spent a year at school in
Leipsic, very small and expensive
place, where-there were young German
girls of high degree and a scattering
of English and Americans from the
best families, with whom / was not
only permitted but instructed to be-
come intimate. Then mamma came
again, and this time took me to Paris,
where staid another year at the Sacre
Coeur. Then / was eighteen, and ii
was time to prepare for the important
event OF my coming out | left the
convent in March, and for the next
three months we had a most glorious
time getting my things together in
Paris. l assure you mamma spent
quite $4,000 for the gowns, hats and
chiffon she said were absolutely neces-
sary for my first season. From mere
child suddenly bloomed into a young
woman. Mamma took me with her to
one or two entertainments in Paris;
after that we went to London just for
the end OF the season, but it was di-
vine; then to Newport for August, to
Lenox for September and October, to
Tuxedo for November, and then 10
New York, whore early this month
mamma gave a great reception to in
troduce me. And such u good time as
have had since, think, after all, it
Is a good plan TO. keep girls in the back
ground until they are ready to come
out They enjoy it all the more be-
cause every thing is so new"
Certainly, her education has been an
unmitigated success. She asked me to
come and see her, which / did the next
day. She lived in gorgeous house
on Fifth avenue, away UP by the park,
and i found her int lovely little nest
her own rooms, dainty chamber
all white and gold. with silver brushes
and combs and glasses strewn all over
the toilet-table, costly favors, trophies
of her many triumphant eotillons
decking the walls. Then she had
luxurious little boudoir besides. Her
brisk. white-capped maid, a quick
witted Frenchwoman, anticipated her
every want. She had but to ask for n
thing. and presto! she had it, what
ever its price, and it really seemed as
II she ought to have been a perfectly
happy being,
But ah! The little rift within the
lutte! She had given her young heart
to Philip van Vanderness, who has
only s., 600 a year. To attempt matri-
mony on that meager pittance would
be sheer madness, 80 the fair debut
antics papa declares, and he utterly
scorns such a parti. The dehutante
herself knows it to be impossible, and
while she tells her impecunious lover
that she can never marry any man
who hasn't at least an income ten
times as large as his she feels that she
would rather be less fond of the lux
ury which has become a necessity to
her and be happy in simple way. That,
however, her education had made out
of the question. Y. Cor. Frovi-
dence Journal.
- . -
1t was recently decided in England.
in legal contest for the possession Of
dead body. that the executors of a