Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-16
A COLUMN OF SMALL TALK.
WRITTEN FOR THE prsrArcH.r

Although mourning garments are much
more generally worn than they once we're
cUnventionality is losing its hold upor
many Of the old rigid rules in this respect
Not only has the unhealthy custom of wear
ing heavy Grape veil over the face for tn,
first six weeks Of the mourning period en-
tirely disappeared, but many minor law
are more lax. For instance: A piano unit
! recently was never opened tor from 81,
months to year in home where there hat
been death Now, although delicacy
must naturally eschew all music that might
jar by its gayety, the sad in heart deem il
no sacrilege to soothe their troubled spirit,
with soft symphonies in the first flush O
their grief.
Miss Ruth Gentry. who won the fellow
ship in higher mathematics of the Associ
ated Colleges, is pursuing her chosen study
at the University OF Berlin, which no Ger
man woman has ever succeeded in entering.
Miss Gentry is pretty Western girl, pale
and quiet, and of the most unassuming
presence. In the late controversy anent
feminine creative faculty, this young
country woman of ours was cited as an in.
stance of positive original talent, put forth
by one of the sex who-the other side de.
ciared-were in possession of no such
power
If 1t were generally known that bangs
frizzed with hot iron will stay in curl In
initely better if famed up till quite cold
after the crimping process, clouds in the
sky need not necessarily mean clouds upon
iair feminine faces.
1t should be more generally known than
it is that slice Of lemon, rubbed over the
hands, will remove the most obstinate of
stains.
A Philadelphia girl displays two gowns
Of solid crochet work that she has fashioned
for herself with patience and ''3O cotton, u
one of these toilettes alone being the labor
OF two entire years.
A society Mrs. Partington, of this vici-
nifty, thinks it seems good after her SUM-
mer outing, to get her house open again,
and "the burlesque oft the furniture.
+ X
Very little is expected of guests at pres
ent. The latest Interpretation of enter
tainment brings people together solely to
be amused. A popular custom provides a
whistler, harpist, an elocutionist, a pro-
tessional singer, or some other attractive
hirsling, when fashionable companies are as
ssmbled. The only advantage in this sort
OF thing would seem to be that people who
can amply afford to pay for good amuse-
ments are furnished gratuitously with a
weak solution of footlight Joys However,
though society's demands would thus seem
to be growing lessupon our women's mental
powers, on the other hand utter idleness
was never so universally condemned as it is
now. Behold the latest fad of the wealthy:
sewing class. It meets about at the
sumptuous homes of its different members
with the purpose of studying dressmaking
under competent instructor.
There is lively feeling now DAYS,
anent Spoon VS.. Fork, that this rule may
be remembered to advantage: Nothing ex-
cept soup should be eaten with spoon.
xx
No one has ever explained, yet many
people must have noticed, the peculiar
odor which Is attached to all things belong
ing to San Francisco. The very stationery
coming from there is impregnated with it.
Those who have once detected it often say
afterward over collection of mail matter
"What is that peculiar musky smell?
There must be letter from San Francisco
in this pile" There alwaysis.
Mrs. Livermore tells this anecdote of her
husband. They were travelling in France
where he left most of the conversation to
her although lie picked up few laborious
phrases. One morning he rang up a ser
want and turning to Mrs. Livermore said:
Il want some boiling.hot water. What is
hot water, anyway?" "L'eau ,choid."
IL eau choid, he repeated to the maid.
Then hesitating: "Et-et-et tres l'eau. sill
vous plat" (and very water, if you please)!
4
A quaint sort of entertainment, called
thimble teas, is popular just now with socia-
BILE femininity. Every woman brings her
fancy work and appears at her hostess not
later than o'clock. A long afternoon is
thus provided for conversation, and at 6
o'clock tea is served upon small tables that
accommodate talkative quartet.
=.
One of the chance acquaintances one falls
In with at the club said the other night
over his cigar: 81 have only written one
book in my life. That was the result of a
wager; but won the bet.''
Something in his tone awakened Curl
'sity, and he was asked: "What was it,
and with whom?"
with my sister-in-law. You Americans
know her-or your women do-as THE
Duchess We were discussing her style,
which granted was odd, but not as odd as
'he thought, for she thought it was beyond
,opving. At last laid her q wager of SO
hat could write novel to be sold under
1er name and that the public never would
1etect the fraud It never has"
What was the book?" his listener in
luired
1T was called Mrs Geoffrey.'"
RUTH HALL.