San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-02-12

skill and unity OF plall, her pretty dresses,
in which she Craled about her soft colOred
rooms, her energy, her kindliuess aud even
the evident but quito innocent pursuit of so
cial perfection i'll which she delighted--all
made her popular, and it was not difficult
for her TO gather together whom she would
when she wished TO launch a social novelty.
On the present occasion she was very much
III her element. All around her werU people
mora or less distinguished in the London
word; here was an editor, there al artist,
a junior member of the government chattcd
over hi, tea with foreign minister and a
flow Of tue usual London chatter of u SUI
p2r,or kind was ripping through the room
when Kendall entered
Mrs. Stuart put hIIn in the way of Il chair
ana of abundant chances Of conversation,
nd then left him with shrug of her shout
ders and IA WHISPER. The beauty Is shock.
ingly latel Tell me what | shall do if all
these people are Disappointed In reality
Mr., Stuart was beginning to be restless.
Kendall had himself arrived very late, and
d, he talk flowed faster and the room filed
Iullcr of guest, eager for the new sensation
wuch had been promised them, the spirits 81
III" little hostess began tOSnk. The minister
had surreptitiou.lv looked at his watch, and
d tireSomo lady friend had said Good-by in a
voice which might have beeu lower, and with
lament which might have been spared
Mrs. Stuart set great store upon tie success
Of her social undertakings, and 70 gather .
crowd of people to meet the rising star OF
tho season, and then 10 have 10 send them
home with only tea and talk to remember,
vas one of those failures which no one with
any self respect should allow themselves u
risk.
However, fortune was once more kind tn
one of her chief favoriteS Mrs. Stuart was
jusS listening with tired face TO the Is II
meant, but depressing condolences OF the bar
rster standing by her, who was describing
to her the 'ahsurl failure of party t. meet
the leading actress OF the Coincide FraAaa Sc,
to which he had been invited in the previous
season, when the sound of wheels was heard
outside Mrs. Stuart made quick sep :or-
ward, leaving her Jobs comforter planted in
the middle of Gl, story, the hum Of talk
dropped in an i!staut and the crowd about
the door fell hastily back as it was thrown
open and Miss Bretherton entered.
What glow of radiance and beauty en-.
tered the room with her! She came in
rapidly, her graceful head thrown eagerly
back, her tace kindiing and her hands out
stretched as she caught sight of Mrs. Stuart
There was vigor and splendor Of life about
her that made all her movements large and
emphatic, and yet, at the same time, nothing
could exceed the delicate finish OF tho ply
steal structure itself. What was indeed
characteristic in her was this combination of
extraordinary perfectnesS Of detail, with a
flash, warmth, force Of impression, such
as often raises the lower kinds of beauty into
excellence and picturesqueness, but is seldom
found in connection with those types where
the beauty is as it were, sufficient in and by
Itself, and does not n"ed anything but its
own Inherent harmonieS Of line and hue t.
impress itself on the beholders.
There were some indeed, who maintained
that the smaIlncss and delicacy of her feat
ures was out of keeping with her stature and
her ample gliding motions. But here, again,
the impression OF dciicacy was transformed
kqlf way into ono ct brIliancy by the large
La1el eyes and the vivid WhitenesS of the
ska. Kendall watched her from his corner,
where his conversation with two musical
young ladies had been suddenly suspended by
the arrival of the actress, and thought that
his impression Of the week before had been,
if anything, below the truth
"She comes into I'll" room well, too he
said to himself critically; ''she is not mere
milkmaid; she has some manner, some indi
viduality All, now misunderstanding
the miniSter-"haS got hold of her Then,
suppose, RushbroOk the member Of the gov
ernmenN will como next and wo commoner
mOrtals in our turn What abSurdities these
things are!'
His reflections, however, were stopped by
the EXPLANATIONS OF the girls beside MIN, who
were a ready warm admirers OF Miss Brother
ton, and wild with enthusiasm at finding
themselves IL tho same room with her. They
discovered that h. was going to sec her in
the evening; they cnvied HIM, they desert bed
the play to him, they dwelt in superatives
on tho crowded state Of the theatre and on
the plaudits which greeted Miss Brethertou'S
first appearance in the ballroom scene in
tue first act, and Chey allowed themselves
being 9ithctia dauISelS rObed in sober green
ish grays-a gentle lament over the some
what violent Colormg Of one of the actress
costumes, while all the time keeping their
eyes rurCively fixed on the cleaning ami.
mated profile Had graceful shoulders, over
which, in the entrance of the second drawing
room, the minister's gray head was bending
Mrs. Stuart did her duty 6ravely. Miss
BrethertOn had announced to her, with
thousand regrets, that she had only half an
hour to give. we poor professionals, you
know, must dine at 4 That made me late,
and now | find am such long way from
home that is the lat sSt moment can stay
So that Mrs. Stuart was put to it to get
through all the introductions she had prom
ised. But she performed her task without
dinching, killing remorselessly each nascent
conversation in the bud, giving artist, author
1hnr IF ri