Morning journal and courier., 1891-03-25
NEW YORK,S MYSTERIES.
The Devices of Two Female Would
 Re Syyells,


 From the San Francisco Argonautl
 Any one who has been 8 student of life in the metropolis, who knows the faces on the avenue and in tke lobby on first nights, as well as he knows those on the Rialto and Wall street, cannot but have noticed that new feminine type which has come to the fore in the last twenty years, but which is as yet unclassifed.
 No one seems to know under what head this type should come, or what name to call it. Yet every one knows of it, and a few people have watched its gradual devel- opment with thoughtful interest. It has two or three salient characteristics, but none of these are as yet prominent enough to warrant one in classifying it as a new specimen evolved by metropolitan life. The women of this class seem to be fe- male prototypes of the cheap swells among men. At certain places during certain hours of the day you may see them-not in large quantities, for they are not a nu- merous order, but scattered through the crowd of well-dressed fashionables. The casual wayfarer, though he may have been born and bred between four brick walls and have never seen the sunset except at
 
 ! telegraph wires, may pass them by un- ! thinkingly as women of the patrician rich | world. For they are perfect in every out ! ward appointment of elegance and good | taste. An accomplished and sharp-eyed | faneur will notice that their smooth com | pleteness of appearance is here and there | ruff1ed-there is too strong suggestion of | ce-powder about their faces, their shoes l are worn little, and though they assume ! a look of bland and somewhat naughty | complacence their glance is at times rest vously on the alert to apprehend every ad miring and approving look directed to- ward them. They expect and desire ad- miration, and though they make good attempt to hide this expectation, it some times will not be hidden.
 l There are generally two of them-s mother and daughter-and stranger passing them would say to himself; "There go two typical, well-dressed, aris. tocratic New York women of the highest class" It is natural supposition. They look as if born to every luxury and com l fort In dress they are perfect-not mere ly perfect in the general air of their clothes, but perfect in detail. They look healthy and fresh and blooming. Their hair shines as though maid brushed ii by the hour every day. Their lips are red and smooth and their eyes clear. They wear the newest fashion in everything not such new fashions as will grow cheap and shoddy but the new fashions which will only be adopted by the rich and ex elusive. When a fashion falls to Four teenth street they are done with it forever
 In air and appearance they look as il
 they were somebody. They do not appear to notice the passers-by, but they forge along with self confident, naughty swing their eyelids indolently dropping and theil mouths curved into smiles of rather bias, indifference. The daughter-you may SCI her almost any weekday morning shop
 ping on Twenty-third street-is rather pretty and very good form. She is slen
 der girl, about twenty-five, dressed alway.
 with quiet elegance. Her face, which ii delicate, almost sallow, with dark eyes ant | a few locks of hair on her temples, ii
 marred by somewhat arrogant and eros
 expression. She looks like young lad,
 who was spoiled and could be querulous i
 she were thwarted.
 She appears to lead the life of woman of means and fashion. In the morning
 in her warm street suit and rich furs, sh goes shopping. Sometimes her mother i with her-a pleasant-faced and refined
 looking woman-but generally she is alone
 She always shops in the best and most ex
 pensive stores, and she has a way of ask l ing for what she wants which makes yo, l think she could buy up the whole place i
 she wanted to. On the contrary, however
 she is almost invariably dissatisfied wit the wares placed before her. She seems t 7 disdain them, and an air of scornful irri tation crosses her face as she pushes ther aside and goes away. When she doe
 make purchase, were it but a spool c thread or a handkerchief, she would nc 5 dream of carrying it. It must be sent l And, as she gives the address, she lean P across the counter and speaks it very low At all the openings of the most e1per
 sive places for hats and women's clothe l she is present. With her lorgnon up sh goes peering about at the new chiffons a She takes many of them in her hand an ! examines them disparagingly. They rare q ly suit her. When she was in Paris, las : year, she saw just those same things-an 6 now they are old and passe. The onl
 way to get your clothes and have them a
 all chic is to go over there yourself an ! buy them. A modiste's taste is invariabl
 inclined to be shoddy.
 When she gets out into the crisp wints D sumhine she tucks her trim little hand I- into her sable muH and walks briskly U