New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-21
THE SEASON OPENS.
RESPECTABILITY DISCUSSES HEhoELr VIII"
LORGNET'TE AND STARES AT
OTHER PEOPLE.

| the season. Everything udV "i"N''
SON is here. There are yachts IN the haroor AM,
yachtsmcn in the Casino There are 'housanu
people in the surf every morning and another
thonsand looks on from the beach. There are
dozens Of the handsomest gowns on the pre''les'
vomon that ever were seen, and there is gossip
enough to keep every tongue IL u'e pi"'0 ""e
ging from dawn till dark.
aThe season at the Pier is that portion OF the
summer when the crowd is the thickcst and the
most mixed When the people in the Casino are
hacked so closely that you can't pass down 'he
balconv without treadng on women's trains anu
mems feet. YOU may be sure 1t is the season.
When the talking is so loud and so CONTINUOUS
that you can't make out whether the Daho II
nlavinp the overture of william Tell or uc
evening star song from "Tannhaueser, you may
know it is the season. When the surf Is 30 uhicA
with people that every time you try 10 SWIM
YOU kick some one behind you with your iee'
and slap some one in front OF you WIN your
hand, rest assured il is the season. Wnen 'he
Saturday night hops are so packed WIN loni'
Dick and Harry and their respective "oiian-
kind. that II is impossible to insert another couple
into the circling mass Of dancers you may re-
mark to your companion without fear OF con-
tradictlon: This take it, Is the season.
Narragansctt Is unique OF lts kind. III "e
whirlpool all sorts ana coHullo"o Vi '" 49,
mixed in inextricahle confusion. Never was a
watering place more varied In lis SOCIAL VPe''
The great. stately brass pots go sailing down the
stream with the cracked and clipped carmen
lars and the big. clumsy iron kettles. The
shabby Oepteel ladies. in their cleaned gloves and
their turned gowns. rub elbows with ladies VINO
orc neither shabby nor gcntccl, and while they
would rather die than he the former. have han
cad IN no the laftrT INT
ciqale in all her dazzling white bravery, spreads
her parasol and shakes ont her scented, lace
frilled skirts. sidr by side with the quiet fourm
who is using her recovered sunshade AMI wear
ING her retrimmcd last summers hat. Inc III
Maid clerk-hcrc on brief vacaton-runs into
his rnbIcund rotund employer. Corneia, WIN
the Gracchi. one on each side of her. secs ASpaslh
90 pcncocking along the beard promenade, we'll
dressed, impudcnt handsome, daring, and throw
ing challenging glances from under her great
white hat.
The West. too has cast Of its pearls
on the Narragausett shore. IL Is broadening
sight 70 see that the West has got beyond the
stage Of diamond earrings at breakfast ana frehcn
heels on its walking boots From the outwar"
view the West is becoming a. creditah!c az New
Yorl, iteelf The girls that II has sent rom l''
Golden nro,re. and it's slxtceu-story apartment
hOnscs 10 hgurc AZ tle TIT ART ~ r''" W -.
a, as though Gotham was their cradle or Phil
ndelphia the home OF their ancestors. Ihey
have the sharpness the daring. the energy of the
civ of Pork and the land OF promise. Even
their mon are prcscniablc and though in their
native cities they may wear fur-coared over
coats and eat timed oysters and cellars 1or
lunch NJ the Pier they conceal these eccentrcl-
tics and might by their looks. be the. sclons OF
a race which has MI the aristocratc wees ana
none Of the domestic virtues
But every ono at the Pier looks well-'lresSed
and PROSPEROUS ami charming. The only people
who mar the general harmony Of beauty ana sood
clothes are the few military lights who naturally
have the appearance Of IA strange, odd tribe. but
they come and 90 rapidly, making only bret
stay Now and then one secs one OF them; catches
a glnmpse Of a secdy man with uncut hair ana the
eyes Of thinker or is startled ny the suuI'h
view Of womans face, with the low pr"N' ue
loosely dressed hair. the strange, stll, cohtehpa
tive glance Of the brain worker. both wear
badly fitting clothes. Tho woman. rs rule, mas the
fat waist that fashion loathrs and that BalZac
said was an indication that It's owner was per
ON Of n tender heart and a fond and faithful ma
ture II this is the case; there are few tcntcr
hearts or fond and faithful natures at the Tier
All the waists small, perhaps the largest are
the Western Waists BNt Ine NcW-lofh N'''0"'
are fearful and wonderful little tiny, wasp-like
things making the girls who have them look as H.
should they suddenly bend they would snap
crispy in two. They have strange unnatural
look. these girls They are real doll-womcn In
variably pretty. with small, meaningless textures,
and thin, undevclopcd figures. They have gen
eral look of sIperabundance OF nerves and an alb
solute lack Of passion and force. They have
singulary restless, wire-likc vivacty, an entire
absence of repose and leave upon the behoder the
impression OF a fine drawn, thin. vibrant inten-
sity of the brain-not the intensity that the
French vaguely call temperament the lack OF
which is said TO be the great defect Of the Amcri-
can woman.
The Pier this season shows a decadence In its
general tone 1t is a cut below Eli this year.
Eli was never very distinguished That delight
full suggestion of swcldom though II was wild,
sprecing sweldom that used to hang about it, Is
here no more. There is more shoddy even than
usual. There is shcddy from the West and shoddy
from the South and worse than this, there Is
shoddy from New-York. Shoddy is always bad,
but New-York shod,ly is the worst going real
Gotham snob is hard 10 beat western snoD Is
q mere simple fond, foolish thing compared with
him. There is a frankncss candor about the
snob of the West that, with all his faults, makes
you love him still. But Ncw-lork snob Is
deadly thing and he is all over Narragansett and
is never still
With him he brings o female train of sisters and
aunts and cousins who go about the ways Of the
watering place with short.handled lorsnette
held to their eyes, and fire of comments running
of their tongues They are always admirably
dressed in wonderful diaphhnous organdie frocks
with a snowy cdging Of lace frls and falling
flutter Of pale ribbons. Sitting at ease under
their spread parasols, they view the moving show
with keen, investigating eyes. Nothing escapes
their penetrating gaze. They know that the
woman who has constituted herself their rival is
without man this morning They know that the
girl who ~ said 10 the prettest frocks in the
place has come to the end of her wardrobe and