The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-07

photographed, eNtOlleQ In paragraphs, ana
so forth. My mental attitude then toward
the charming and pretty woman with whom
l made acquaintance was that Of a humble
servitor at the shrine of beauty. I was de-
termined she was the Mrs. Wheeler, and
the Mrs. Wheeler she did remain, de-
spite all, 30 far as | and my paper were con-
cerned. Consequently | remarked some
what after this fashion in my article: The
speaker is Mrs. Wheeler, who requires no
introduction beyond her name to a public
who will recollect her with Mrs. Langtry
and Mrs. CORVALLIS West in the beauty
era, when, as now, she was as famous for
her delightful manner and wit as for the
perfection of her face and fgure"-and SC
on. OF course it tFanspired later that the
lady was not the Mrs. Wheeler, but another
answering the same NAME who had taken
up shopkeeping mainly to encourage aud
help somewhat needy friend. Several of
my comrades informed me Of my error
when my article appeared, but my indulgent
editor spared me, most generously, and
from his lips l never heard "A word OF con-
domination or even comment But what,
you may ask, mas this to do with your shy
ness2 How in the world could you find out
by intuition that the lady was not what you
beiey ed her to bel Well, naturally, might
and ought to have asked. But the intensity
OF my horror Of prying would, am sure,
have forbade me from this step. Yet was l
doubly guilty for during our interviews
those were two, one in the lady's home and
another at her place Of business) my
charming victim remarked once OF twice
that she was Mrs. Something Wheeler-I
forgot whab-not Mrs. Something else
And yet never suspected her mean
ing, but merely acquiesced po-
litelg In the volunteered information
without further remark. 1t was upon the
eve Of her retirement from business that /
interviewed "Somers'" Delicate health
compelled her to spend her winters abroad,
and believe that she sold her thiving little
concern before departing in the November
OF that year TO southern shores. Har rooms
were lovely, oertainly-pictures rather than
realities, with their precious old Sheraton
furniture, their Bartollod enGraviugs and
their antique embroideries. Her Hall was
simply covered from top to bottom with
Vanity Fair cartoons, framed in narrow
dark wood, with an effect that admired
immensely. Before she left England she
wrote and thanked me for my kind remarks
concerning her, but reproachfully reminded
me that she had declared more than once
that nhe was Mrs. Something Wheeler.
A STROKE OF woMAN's ENTERPRISE.
The most erudite milliner with whom /
came in contact was certainly Isabel or
as she was better known, Mrs Cooper Oak
ley. Owing to the usurpation Of her trade
name by another shopkeeper, she used her
own more frequently than il. "Isaber' was
once Sweet girl graduate" at Girton, and
to use her own expression, zone of the most
unlikely of her day to take up millinery and
dressmaking." But need arising for en-
ployment. she was induced by her friend
the late Duchess OF Norfolk, to attach her
self to that particular kind Of business. and
right well did she succeed, demonstrating
once more the truth OF the adage that
"Where there's will there's a way.n Mrs.
Cooper Oakley's method Of procedure with
regard to her workroom was at once unique
and served TO solve one of the diff
culties Of the British dressmaker. 1t would
appear that the trouble in this trade of
superfine requirements is to keep fashions
up to date, always to have in stock and in
process of manipulation the very hight of
la mode as it Is in Paris Most of our best
milliners and dressmaksrs make journeys In
parson to the headquarters of Dame
Fashion once in six weeks or thereRbouts.
Mime. Isabel did more. In full force she
transplanted every month from the Rue de
Quatre Septembre In Paris the entire
atelier Of famous modlste. who cut and
made all the costumes ordered by her large
clientele, and what she had not time TO COM
plete here bore back to Paris for finishing
touches. This was stroke Of policy, but
one that paid.
Mrs. Cooper Oakley used to maintain
that her college career aided her immensely
in the conduct of her business, and that in
particular her mathematics stood her in
good stead But her energies were not en-
tirely confined to pretty hats and cunning
frocks. Full of fabrics for such women
and girls as were bound to seek their meals
in restaurants, she started In a street adj
joining Langham place, women's eating
house called The Dorothy" which was
followed by one OF more Of the same per-
suasion In Oxford street and the neighbour
hood. AS eating houses Of the kind, exclu-
svely for the fair sex, were a novelty, and
as they were iuaugurated most energetic
ally, that scheme also succeeded and does
succeed,
II was from Mrs. Cooper Oakley that
first learned that there is a right side and
wrong side Of street from a bridesmaids
point of view. 1t had never struck me be-
fore that fashion extended even to sides of
thoroughfareS, but recognized the fact
when 1t was pointed out to me. Needless to
say, this far seeing lady was on the right
side of Bond street. / may add that she IS
u disciple of theosophism and an ardent
friend of her own sex and that SCI 8 rights,
and that latterly she has been compelled by
i'll health to abandon trade.
THERE ARE MANY ON THE LIST.
hardly feel justified In dwelling much
longer on this theme, though have by no
means yet exhausted the recital of my in
terestinS researches. One occasion took me
to the newly organized business Of a couple
of young ladies trading under the name
"Gothon," In Great Portland street. who
had hit upon the ingenious method Of dis
pensing with fashion plates by issuing big
models in muslin exact representations Of
their design in miniature, plan which they
fouud to merit favor with their customers,
and especially with country ones. l
might also find topics OF diversion in the
condemnation Of my recolections con
corning my interview with Mrs. Quincy,
who under the nom de bretique "VGlen-
tine shared in the famous establishment
of Nine. Elise in Regent street, after that
business was sold by Mrs. Wootron Isaac
son, mother of the recently widowed Lady
Beaumont. Mime. Marion too Mrs. Stuart
Menzles of South Audley street, where
there was a sad history, with brave woman
as its heroine, might probably occupy my
pen. OF Mime. lie Breton, Cornish girl
named Miss Symonds, who still flourisheS
in Welbeck street, where she settled after
serving her apprenticeship with Nine. Lii,
| might descsnt. Her sister, Angela Cud-
more, was attached as ingenue, to the Mrs.
Kendall company and played with chat dis
tinguished actress and her husband on
one of their tours in America, settling down
after ward in England as the wife of a cler-
gymau. 'Victoiren of Bond street, VINO
came to a speedy end after doing much ex-
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