The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-08-30


SHE HAD TAINTED.
Most men regard five o'clock teas as
IN unmitigated nuisance, and class them,
y together with house cleanings, shopping
tours and sewing circles as necessary
evils imposed by society and dear to the
hearts Of women. One cause of this
feeling may arise from the fact that here,
T Il nowhere else, the lord of creation is
put in the background, and is of no use
whatever, except to fill mp pauses in con-
rersation and throw into holder relief
BY his plain attire the more striking cos
tunes of the fair sex This tea drinking,
= moreover, seems to many men a useless
waste Of time, because it is Of no prac-
3 teal value in the sight Of the world.
Let It be understood once for all, then,
that to give q successful five o'clock tea re-
Quires great talent and is an art acquired
By few, Implying as it does the ability
T to Get Just the right people together
Z aud 10 let them eat, drink and be merry
= 1T the time when the majority of man
kind wishes to be doing something else.
Mrs. X, as is well known In Cam
bridge, possesses this talent in marked
feeree.vaud happy IS he who is favored
with one Of her invitations. /, myself,
never fail 10 attend, and from the crowds
that tl1rong her parlors do not think
that am any exception to the general
rule I do not know whether it is tho
pleasant people you always meet there,
e. the beauty Of the house, or the de-
lieious waters you are treated to, or the
esgshel1 cups cut Of which you sip your
choeolate; or last, but by no means least,
s HE grace Of the hostess herself; but it is
el2azning and soothing and restful, and
od 30 away feeling that you have spent
y ver deli 9htful half hour. /, indeed,
S6od reason to remember one Of
these teassat least, for 1t was there first
met Miss Ormsby.
She impressed me as soon as saw her,
Tor she combined qualities unusual in a
woman Tall and slender, with golden
brown hair and far skin just tinged
here and there with a suspicion of the
brunette, she presented externally the
appearance Of woman easily moved and
easily influenced. When you heard her
talk you changed your opinion, for you
knew that she meant what she said.
Miss Or1nsbyanever said, II think such
thing is SOL" it was always, 81 know it is
30, and this was key to her whole
character. Like plate, her motto was,
What have written, have written"
and her win was as the law of the Modes
and Persians, unalterable. Her purpose
might be crushed by the force of circum-
nut, and to the world as a whole, she
was as docile as kitten; within, and to
herself, she was tigrsss In strength and
s brutality. The world at large does not
know this and probably win not believe
Il, for Miss Ormsby il a leader in society
and society does not ike tigress; she is
4 like a wolf in fold Of conventional
lambs, and is called by the world strong
minded woman. So well, however, did
the kitten conceal the tigress that no one
has ever suspected her, nor would ! If
had not seen her claws.
AS said, was introduced to her at
Mrs. KS five o'clock tea, and l at
once became interested in her. 1t is con-
4 sidered a fine thing for man to be able
s to size up mentally and morally any
woman that he meets; but it is very I'M
4 pleasant when woman turns the tables
Aon you and does the SIZING up herself.
30 it was with Miss Ormsby; I knew be-
fore ! had been talking with her Eve
minutes that she had taken my measure,
K 70 to speak, and also had an unpleas-
ant conviction that the result was not
complimentary to myself. Nothing in
her conversation, which was confined to
social commonplace, betrayed the fact,
and after awhile we drifted apart and /
4. did not see her again that afternoon.
saw her qnite,often after that at din
ners and teas, and though we talked to-
S gether on these occasions never knew
her better than on the first day ] met
I her. often wondered why she tolerat-
ed me, for / felt sure she disliked me.
but I had totake itsout in wondering.
started into Boston on a warm after
3g,on ia June to attend to matter of
business. Taking Park square car /
4 fode'into Beacon street and from there
walked across the Common. When j
had gone about half of the way I saw
Miss Ormsby approaching from the OPP
posite direction. She was bewitchingly
dressed and locked even more fascinat-
ing thanusual | was lazy, for it was
e y hot day, and did not feel energy
enough for protracted conversation; so
E Il WAS with determination of not stop
s ping II could help it that advanced
howard her.
All, Mr. Cummings, she cried, as !
kfeeted her, you arc the very man