St. Paul daily globe., 1892-03-13

ington correspondent of the New York
Recorder.
As far as can be found out she is
never invited anywhere, and certainly
not to the White house, yet she always
appears at every reception and calmly
takes up position back of the line
among the invited guests who nave
been asked to the Blue room.
She pursued the same course straight
through last year, and went everywhere
without invitation. This winter new
tack has been adopted. An hour or
two before the tea, reception or what
ever she elects to go to she sends a note
to the prospective hostess regrettlng
that her invitation has not reached Its
destination safely, but as she knows. of
course, it was sent and must have gone
astray, she is coming anyway. VI
course she hasn't been invited, and OF
course she does appear, and what can
the hostess do? i
On another occasion, at caro- reeep-
ton to the president, she informed a
representatives wife that the lady for
whom she was waiting had not arrived.
Gould | accompany you down
stalrs?" she asked.
The woman made no answer, but
s'The Climber" aud her husband fol-
lowed the silent congressional pair
down stairs past the surprised hostess.
When the congressman and his wife
Started to go 'sThe Climber swooped
down on them, eXclaiming that as sne
came with them she knew she ought to
leave at the same time.sbut shewas en-
joying herself sOmueiF that she would
wouldn't feel hurt at her detection.
ho In M
cared about was escaping, and she
never said word.
1.-The Climber" has a fine suite OF
apartments at fine hotel. She wears
extravagant gowns, but they arrive by
express marked G. Cd. They never
remain on their arrival. There is some
scurrying for funds for the next few
days, and finally some of the gowns are
located permanently in ''The Climbers"
wardrobe. Her career is exciting more
interest than anything else.
The gowns of Mrs. w. Decollete
Brown continue to be the amaZement of
the connoisseurS, and it is freely
wagered that she can wear less corsage
and still hold what there is above the
waist line than any woman in America.
1t was supposed that the lesson she re-
ceived at a reception last season. when
1T was thought her dress was bidding
her arms a fond farewell, would
prove a warning sufficient to raise
the top line just trifie higher,
But these hopes were vain, and her own
sex and her escorts live in fear and
trembling. lest OH some night when her
maid has been hurried there will be a
dreadful revelation. 1t may be added
that Mrs. Brown does not look so we'll
in these gowns as she might have looked
ten years or more ago.
She is excused by the very generous
on the ground that her mother was SO
eccentric that finally exclusive medical
care was required to prevent her pecul-
iaritieS from entertaining the world at
large. Mrs. Decollete Browns husband
is also eccentric. although he seldom
appears in the capitol to display his
oddities. He, too, comes from family
full of as many vagaries as European
royalty. The Browns belonged to an
inland New York city, where one of the
sons was crank On the subject of fires.
He attended to every fire alarm as reg
ularly as the chief, and was SO infatu-
ated that he bought fire engine at his
own expense and for some time main
tanned an entire company to man it.
Another brother was as daft on steam
engines. He knew the sound of every
whistle and bell on every engine Of the
New York Central, and. no matter when
or where he heard it,could tell the num-
Der of the engine and the names of the
engineer and fireman.
Mrs. Decollete Brown husbands
mania runs to blo0ded stock, especially
hol ses. and, like all manias, it isn't
profitable financially. Mrs. Decollete
Brown herself has, it is said, felt the
effects of mental strain, and the chief
trace of the trouble now left is the hor-i
rible tendency to decollete attire, which
keeps her friends in state of terror,
and her enemies in quiver of wicked
anticipation.
Here is strongly contrasting pict-i
ure: a prominent woman came down
to see a caller Thursday night in the
plainest kind of street gown instead
of grand toilet, as is customary after
dinner. She explained that her. hus-
band and relatives were waiting for her
to go to prayer meeting.
Prayer meetingn exclaimed the
caller.
"YeS, it is our regular prayer-meetlng
night, and if | don't go don't feel
right"
This woman is in as great demand as
any in all the city. She probably had
been to half dozen teas and receptions
that afternoon. and as likely as not
would come home and dress for ball
or another reception after the prayer
meeting. She is woman of e0smopol
itan experience, and no one in Wash
ingt0n Is considered more desirable
society woman. She never parades her
religion, and yet in the midst OF all the
whlrl finds desire and time for Metho-
dist prayer meeting.