The evening times., 1895-10-25
AUCTION SALES
The FRI Of READING.
New York Herald.

1t has been for years the custom for
the world to speak of society women a.
spending their lives in the pursuit ouly OF
pleasure, and to ascribe all literary tastes
and knowledge to those women who do
not care for society"
The woman who would be q belle In
these fin de steele Us has to depend on q
great deal more than mere beauty and
fine clothes. The first will take her Q
long way, 1t must be confessed, and the two
combined will do a great deal, but there
must be something more. She must not only
be up in the topics of the day, which in
clude. the books of the day. but must be
able to talk well. on all subjects. One
reason why married women have sucn .
good time is because they devote SO much
time to reading or being read to.
Readings are always fashionable, winter
or summer. A series OF readings viii be
gotten up by fashionable woman, or
women. for a protege-man or woman, az
the case may be-in whom they are inter
ested Circulars are sent around to .
number of intimate friends, and it is ar
ranged that the readings shall take place
at the houses of the different patronesses
one day week
The price of tickets for a course of read
ings varies, but not always in proportion
TO the ability of The reader Very rarely
are even light refreshments served Tho
hostess in an urdertone begs her especial
friends to stop and have luncheon, or, IL
IL be in the afternoon, to have a cup OF tea,
the only difference between a reading in
a private house and a lecture in public
being that one is thoroughly impressed
with the feeling that the former is more
select and exclusive.
READINGS IN LENT
The LenteB eason is par excellence the
time for these entertainments, but all tie
year round they are going on Before the
summer gayety begins at Newport, or tn
autumn gayety at LeDox, is conceded to b
an excellent opportunity, and 1t is aston
ishing how many different readings FASH
Dnable woman finds it possible to attend
without feeling brain-weary. French read-
ings, or Iectures-for that is really what
they amount to-always 60 well, winter
or summer.
Mrs. Frederick Vanderbilt is known to be
a lavish patroness of readings, and is most
generous in Organizing them as well as in
E'Niin- tur uSC u Htt Ht0sC- ouc - INV
much interested in 4 series which is to be
given in Newport at the different cottages
there.
The Misses Furniss also are known 60 be
always ready to give their houses for any
one who has talent enough to secure him
or her an audience. At Lenox no less than
in New York they pursue the same plan.
Mrs William T. Biodgett, Mrs. Theodore
Havemeyer, Mrs Burden, Mrs Wysong. Mrs.
Arthur Dodge. Mrs. Van Rensselaer, Cruger
and score of others whose names appear
on the lists of Fashionable people constantly
give their houses for readings.
In consequence they are besieged with
applications until they sometimes say they
will refuse everybody, even their friends.
Mrs. Cooper Hewitt and her sister, Mrs.
Burke Roche, can always be relied upon to
make part of the audience at any reading
worth listening to- They, like most other
society women, are good Inguists, so the
fact of the reading being in a foreign Ian
guaGe does not deter them. That fact does
not deter any -one, though, for nothing 10
easier than to .pretend to understand.
PASSES AN AGREEABLE HOUR.
An hour OF an hour and a half is tho
-thctnA tAht dllblttus duu Wien Oht EDt1
late and comes away early there is no rea-
son for feeling overtired, even in summer
weather.
At Bar Harbor this season there have
been a succession of good readings, and
some of those given at Newport have been
well worth hearing. The series that is
going on now is immensely popular, and it
is said VIII be repeated in New York before
the winter is over.
1t must be confessed that quite different
people are often to be Seen at the readings
given in New York from those who origi-
nally subscribed to the course. 1t is quite
the fashion to transfer the tickets to some
friend whose life is not so filled with ex-
element and to whom a reading comes as
q novelty. This applies more to the larger
of the kind where the inyi-
tations are not limited to a select few, and
where quantity, not quality, is the desider-
atum.
II one is really desirous of gaining
and information, such read
ings afford an excellent opportunity. No
reader succeeds who is not thorough. The
subject must be carefully prepared, for
the audience is generally critical and be-
sides. as rule, has studied or read up in
advance
Fads may be f1eeting, but while they
last they are most intense and brook no
surface treatment.
1t is certainly the fad of the day to be
we'll read and cultivated, and while
and philanthropy influence wo-
men to give their patronage to those in
whom they are interested, If there be not
really clever in the protege ono
course OF readings VIII end the career.
1t is we'll known that the demands made
or patronage of this kind come by every
nail, and the only wonder is that people
10 not get tired out with opportu mites.
That they do not shows two things
natural kindness and a desire to learn