The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-04-09
Browning Carried Him.

Il got into pleasant section OF So
cietv by shrewd manipulation, said
Young man who is now member of
the most fashionable New York cir
cles, and is well known in the artistic
world. ''Of course, there was nothing
to be said against my birth or my rec
ord when | came here to live three
years ago. but | did not have recon-
mendations sufficient TO make me eli
gible at once. In the first place | was
very poor. No one knew it. but |
was Nv father allowed me 4 sum
upon which l could just manage to
dress decentIy and live in a back room
in an uptown boarding house. | lived
on crackers. devilIed ham and tea. L
loved the theater, aud used to 90 into
the top gallery to see all the good pro-
ductions. | had letter to one very
nice woman, who invited me to her
afternoon receptions. There | met
the real swells, but none of them knew
me or thought of me afterward. l
would have sunk out of sight had | not
resolved 10 make Il pronounced effort
to attract attention.
AT Just that time the craze for
Browning readings was in progress. |
was student Of Browning and l had
read good deal at college with con-
siderable success. so | determined to
give Browning reading in my room
to very select gathering. Now, my
room was very handsomely fitted up.
All my life | had been collecting tap
estrieS. old paintings. unique orna-
ments and antique furniture, and
though my entire collection would not
sell in an auction room for 81, 600, it
looked. crowded into my apartment,
fit for the reception room of Il duke. /
engaged the colored man of the board
ing house to act as my servant, and. as
! wished him to look very fine, he
wore my dress suit, while was attired
appropriately for an afternoon event
of this kind. BY very careful maneuv-
ering | succeeded in getting full
dozen excellent women to attend my
reading, and when they saw my curios
and had heard my eloquent rendition
of the great poet, they Immediately
thought | must be very extraordi-
nary Young man. And then when the
colored servant, looking extremely
neat in my dress suit. passed an en-
tirely new sort of biscuit about among
the company, with overland tea served
in cups that could not be duplicated
this side Of Rome, my triumph was
complete. The entertainment was en-
trely elegant and yet there was orig
ina.ity in it. My household goods and
my edibles were out of the common
run, and those dozen women made up
their minds on the spot that / must be
taken up. They had known before
that | was respectable, and now they
knew | possessed taste. and they
thought that | must be atfluent.
The very next day received in
vitations TO really swell affairs. Wher-
ever | went | heard myself spoken of
as the accomplished young Browning
student. who lived in nest of tapes
tries and siIken cushions where tea
that had the scent of roses and biscuits
Of new and exquisite sort were served
upon perfect china. That was my
start, and now they are after me to
lead cotillions, and | can't paint pict-
ures enough to keep up with the de-
mand. | have spacious apartments
and crowds come to my afternoon teas.
None of them knows how. at the out
set. / put everything. to the touch to
win or lose it all The bill for the bis
cults that | had bought Of a little
French baker III Seventh avenue was
not paid until six weeks after they
were eaten. ~ Y. Sun.