The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-12
THE
What They Do and what They Appear
Not TO Do Mt the HE show.

Nnnt AneY 10 huu IneV appear
Not to Do Mt the big show.
II think I've made a discovery about this
thing" said a man Mt the Horse show.
Don't believe t." briefly replied his compan-
ion. Every phase of 1t was discovered years
ago and thrashed out by the papers. There
Isn't anything new this year except the ma
terials -tanbark. corduroy, satin, velvet, rouge,
hair. teeth. and all those things"
Maybe you're right. but | never heard any
one speak of Tiny discovery. l mean"
We'll. what is It ~
"Why. it's the abnormal quiet of the thing"
E"QuIet! Abnormal quiet! oh. come now.
You've been taking quinine-or a cold. II you
| call this place quiet, | wish you'd lend mo your
ears and let me enjoy n little repose."
You don't need them. You're doing what
everybody else here is doing. You're listening
with your eyes"
Listening with your grandmother"
But you are. You'll go home with the i'm
preston that you've been in n perfect hubbub.
and all the time tho place is so quiet that you
can hear n whisper behind you ana catch the
words OF an ordinary conversation ten feet
away"
The other man was evidently using his ears to
decide how true all this was.
THE reason you think it Is noisy is that You
have. for the time being. reduced yourself to u
pair of eyes and legs. The legs carry you
around the ring in this eternal promenade, but
you are not conscious OF them until you start
for the exit. You are simply living in your eyes.
As for them we'll, this place Is like an inter-
national convention OF kale!doscopes."
The Horse Snow is really quiet: that is, con-
sidcring the circumstances. Given a brass
band, horses and vehicles in motion, vendors of
catalogues and flowers. electric bells. a trum-
! peter. aud several thousand people talking.
laughing. and steadily shuflinG along a prone
made. and one would think that bedlam would
be the result. Bat it isn't. The band is so far
alori and plays SO spasmodically that 1t doesn't
count for much. The horses make no noise on
tie tnnhark arena. one hears only n slight
juggling or crcakinG OF harness. The venders
arc not aggressive, the bells and the trumpet
sound only occasionally. The applause is brief
and intrcquent and the conversations are In a
universal undcrtOno. People don't dare to talk
"ut loud. For the most part. their remarks are
about the people III the arena boxes and there
scc.n-to be II slight lingering regard Tor their
feelings.
stick closely 10 their vart OF the programme.
They are there To tie looked al. not TO look at
and even descend so far MS to exchange u re-
mark about some one in the crowd. Toward
the close OF the evening. II wcll-known young
story writer who, so IL has been said, RSpires
va'nly, toward social success. was strolling
clear and he had plenty OF room, when Is say
ing " good deal. for ne Is growing stout. 1t
J seemed as II l.lo people III tht bONts must
change color. or shrivel mp, or show some ef-
fects OF his absolutely untinching, stare, But
side Of the Garden. around the turn, ami started
up the other side. and not u soul in the boxes
had even recognized him, IL was shd
Just beyond the turn. however. n man stopped
him and the two stood talking togcthera few
moments On the stairs nearby. a Young man
stood leaning over the railing Of box. As the
novelist paused, this young man SAID laz.ly over
his shoulder I" a girl in the box:
Who Whera' ="
The Young man spoke tho name OF the story
writer. The girl looked at him with consider
Are you sure p she asked. "Ho doesn't look
a hit like those pictures of him in his books"
II hope you didn't expect that" said the man.
and then they tAlkrd OF something else. It was
nlapsc from duty. This noticing people, even to
the slight extent OF making u remark about
them; They quickly made M for 1t by an
added air OF unsering boredom.
/ There are four places in the Garden where
ono realizes That II horse show Is in progress.
one il Town in the basement among the horses
themselves; one IL In tnr htcnn: one Is in tho
space at the Fourth avenue md. where people
have 10 dodge the plugging h"of, Of the entries,
frce.seatrrs hang hrrathlcssly over the railing,
their eyes and their thoughts on tho events IN
n, tho two slow streams %c,nwIlmgl monntnnously
around the promenade. After they have gazed
many OF them DO. They "fIcr no excuses. No
body seems TO demand am. They Just swear.
thOughtfully. ana with conviction. Then they
turn Their attention to the ring once more.
Two young men were moving along in one of
those streams. Ihey were EnrSlllUE, or course.
Il is n mistaken notion Tint men don't gossip.
They seemed to know most of the people in the
boxes. by sight At least. and they spared no one.
"nhere's Blank ~ said one Of them. Indicating
n fashionnbly dressed man, whose face bore un-
misIakable marks OF disripat.on.
"Nc~." calmly. Looks Ike the devil. too"
He's seen hi, best days"
"Humph. yes! and his second and third best,
too"
There's Boggs."
Looks as If he'd Just come"
"Of course. They call him the Western
Wonder"
"WhY -
because he's always n day behind things
here
"Huh!" gruntcd tho other with an imitation
of a laugh, 1T wouldn't do for BogGs to try to
elopc. He'd Gnd tho, w~rathful father waiting
for him at the pnrsnn's."
Look nj httc GriggS.'
He makes mo think OF n cat running after
Its tail, r,.., H.
he says what other people only think"
"Ycs, he thinks no has n corner on Candor,"
"Did you hear what he said to Miss --Y"
Her father uses hair restorer. you know. or
course you do. You can smell the cinnamon
across the room. Well. Blunt called there once.
ana he shifted rs he went into the drawing
room : Your father must feel like "a plum pud-
ding he said. Then he was SO pleased with
himself that ho stayed only fifteen minutes.
and ran oyer 70 the club to say 1t again to tho
n thcy went on around the ring, and all the
time the people who were being picked to pieces
Sat there plACIdly, and il they once suspected
that they were being criticised their faces never
showed it. They may have had misgivings Rs
10 the way the general public was taking them,
----