The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-27
THE GOTHAM GOSSIP.
News and Views by Edith Sess ions
Upper.
HOUR CHAUNCBY" AND TIE TRAMP

S0ne6 OF women.
NEW York, Feb. 25.-I heard an
awfully good new story about Chauncey
Depew the other day. don't believe it
has yet seen print. Here it is: Mr..
Depew was taking his walk abroad
quite recently when he met tramp,
who begged him for the price of a meal
In burst OF generosity Mr.. Depew gave
him half dollar. The beggar, over
whelmed at his munifcence, took off
his hat and bowed unto the earth.
MAY 1 not inquire he asked, "to
whom I have the honor to be indebted
for this magnificent loan?" Genial
Chauncey quickly replied: Certainly;
the Hon. Grover Cleveland, president
of the United States. May not inquire
whom 1 have the honor to assist in his
financial straits?' Quick as a flash
came the tramp's answer: Certainly;
the Hon. Chauncey Depew, president of
the New York Central railroad
saw young Mrs. Astor at the opera
last Wednesday evening. She was prob
ably more stared at than any other
woman in the house. She is certainly
very handsome woman, a brunette,
with brilliant coloring. While she is
slender her neck and arms are not pain
fully thin. She was exquisitely gowned
in a superb white satin, trimmed with
laces fine as cobwebs, deep bertha fall
ing over the shoulders. She wore no
jewels, save one diamond comb, which
glittered amid the masses of her dark,
abundant hair The great leader Of New
York society for 20 years, her husbands
mother, sat with her in their box. Old
lady Astor was in black velvet, the
front of which was one mass Of jewels.
I am gratified to remark she was not
decol1ete.
In the box next that Of the Astors sat
an old lady so faded and CHASTITY she
looked as if sac might have arisen from
the tomb for this special occasion, and,
alas, she was horribly decolleteI 1t was
a sad and sickening sight. John Jacob
Astor sat behind his wife and mother,
devoted to both, but promptly efacing
himself and Withdrawing into the back
ground when other gentlemen entered to
pay their respects to his family. It is
said by those who know that young Mrs.
Astor has most amiable disposition or
in-law SO beautifully.
Have you 'Fscrojack?" Perhaps you
don't know what 'scrojack" is. I'll
tS44 yOAs IL 10 q 4dAA44Ao1 csAA az OF44
imp who is ever at your elbow, planning
worry, mischief and annoyance for you.
1t is your ''scrojack'' that makes you
lose yonr collar button in the morning
when you are dressing in deuce of
hurry to catch a train, and forces you
on all tours to hunt for it under bed and
bureau, and then suddenly causes it to
reappear in plain sight where you know
you have looked dozen times. 1t is the
''scrojack'' who smashes the china and
glass, and makes the chimney smoke,
and hides your eyeglasses, and spills
things, and does all sorts of damage.
Every family has one-a miserable, in
visible sprite, who mocks and jeers at
you after it has driven you to drink or
profanity. 1t is a well known artist who
has given this unseen witness its Gu
phonious name. Henceforth blame your
self for nothing. Blame all mishaps,
calamities and general cussedness on
your "scrojack. "
I saw Miss Ellen Yaw, the young wo-
man with the formidable voice, the 9TH
er morning at the Waldorf. Where she
keeps it is mystery, for more fragile
looking girl never beheld. She looks
as if she might break if you touched her.
Her German Gretchen hair was illeted
with black velvet ribbon, and over her
dainty mauve silk bodice, powdered with
blurred roses, she wore a sable boa to
protect the wonderful machinery in her
delicate throat Miss Yaw did not make
the tremendous sensation her manager
predicted. Her voice has remarkable
compass, and her tril1 is excellent, but
certainly many of her higher notes bear
a suspicious resemblance to plain, ev-
eryday' sQueal.
Nine. Calve has with her as compa-
gnon du voyage this season very clever
and distinguished Anglo Frenchwoman,
Mrs. Rhodes, better known as Nine.
Guy d'Hardelot, the composer. To the
writer Mrs. Rhodes recently expressed
her undisguised disapproval Of the ex-
travagance of American women in dress.
It seems to the observant lady, who has
been everywhere this winter, that COM
paratively few American men give
themselves any social relaxation.
"Where are they?'' she asked. cat
their Offices Shaving and toiling to make
| money for their wives and daughters to
spend upon their backs. They are the
most indulgent husbands in the world.
Certainly were ever to marry again I
should want an American. But when
see such willful, needless extravaganza
in dress. when there is SO much to be
done with money in the world, it seems
deplorable. - Mrs. Rhodes is not far out
of the way. Certainly never was more
money spent upon dress than at the
present time; never were fabrics richer
Or more tempting; never were colors SO
alluring, never jewels SO seductive.
The worst feature, however, of this
question is the example set before self
supporting and working women. Look
at our working girls Their clothing is
a cheap and tawdry imitation of that