The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-04-17
AMUSING INVALIDS.
A New Calling Invented by Ailing
Men Of Wealth.


play chess. cribbage, checkers aud oil
sorts OF games with thom. This ar
rangement is two-fold benefit, for it
employs a small army of people and
enables the invalids 20 avoid impos-
ing upon their friends
There are in New York several hum
dred young men and women Of brains,
but with poorly filled pocketbooks,
who earn a livelihood by amusing
wealthy persons in various ways.
Their employers are invalids and
their constant plant is ennui They
are ready TO pay fortune to the man
who will amuse them. And there are
people who have talent for amusing
others These are the ones who are
now reaping a harvest, while enjoying
themselves. also. after a fashion.
There is in New York now a young
woman Of Southern birth who was left
an orphan when she was two weeks
old. She has made her living "by
her wits, as it were, ever since reach
ing a sufficiently mature age. This
winter-in fact this month-she is be-
ing entertained at fashionable home
where her duty is to be capital din
ner companion. When she was in-
vited to this establishment nothing
was said about being entertaining, but
she knew and her hostess know that
she was expected to make herself gen
orally agreeable.
The first day at the country house
she discovered the particular reason
why she had been invited. There was
an elderly man, very rich and a semi
invalid, whose Unsuitable craze was
storytelling. He liked to tell stories
himself and he liked to listen to them.
'"Try to like his stories. We are SO
MORALLY tired of them" whispered
the hostess to her young guest within
five minutes after they had entered
the drawing-room. For two mortal
weeks that girl has listened to tales
that, however revamped, will not lose
their mustiness. Her own little stories
are told many times day, with varia-
tions, but the dear old rheumatic in
valid is so busy with his own pains
and his own stories that he does not
hear a word she says. But he knows
she is chattering and that is enough
for him. This is one example of pro-
fessional entertaining.
The hardest work of the profession
al entertainers are the card players.
These long suffering people must play
a good game of cards-but not too
good. They must talk over the card
table-but not too much. They must
entertain the player as he plays-but
not distract; and they must never,
never get tired.
Wealthy invalids move heaven and
earth to be amused. There is woman
who has a thousand ills minute.
Nothing but threatening to set fire to
her couch gets her out of bed morn
ings. This woman pays girl a very
nice sum to be her "companion"
mornings. But all the girl does is sit
by her bedside and chatter. Some
times she knits and makes the invalid
hold her yarn. Several times, when
the hyphoeondriac pains we're un-
usually depressing, she had tied knots
in the worsted, and the invalid in her
eagerness to unite them and get the
ball wound has forgotten to groan for
half an hour. The young woman is
in league with young actress; and
when her own powers of amusing fall
short, she is going to bring her friend
around, presumably to ask advice
upon costumes for q stage drawing
room, but really to recite, The in
valid pays we'll for her companion.
Young people-men and women
who want to make living in this
way, often go through a course Of
training for it. They buy a library
OF "Rules of the game, "and they carry
it along on their visits. They look VI
disputed points and acknowledge that
sit must be a misprint" when the
millionaire insists upon something thai
Esn't in the book.
Elderly men with strong nerves anC