The times., 1899-04-23

winter for drawing-room declamations.
There were half dozen young ladies who
naugurated this custom in order to display
emotional temperaments. In the drawing
room after dinner, instead of gifted dam
sci suffering herself to be entreated to
sing or play, she expected to be asked to
declaim. At first it was astonishing to find
how well they acquitted themselves of the
difficult not to say dangerous, task, for
without background or accessories slim
thing in white satin would rise, and pro-
ceed to really stir your feelings with
poem.
Miss Edith Ciapp, for example, who is
one of the most gifted of this declaiming
ssterhood, prepared herself for her draw
ing room efforts by studying under Jane
Hading and the masters of the Theatre
Francois, until she could trill her French
RS and coo her French US to perfection
The Misses Bebe and Lulu Guernee, when
they decided to go in for histrionic honors,
induced Rejane TO give them instructions
and then no less person than Coqueiin
to lay on the polish. The specialties of Miss
Ciapp and the Misses Guernee are dainty
French monologues such as "Autour dun
Berceau, "or the rendering with suitable
passion or sentiment of the very last verses
that have dropped from Coppee's pen.
Miss Elsie Mitchell is another melodi-
Gus drawing-room voice, but she prefers
dialect and the newest English verses.
Kipling's Truce of the Bear, Henry
Newbold's sea hymns and Edith Thomas
sonnets, are introduced by her to society
that is too busy to read. Mrs. Hugh Al
meric Paget Is another accomplished dec
lamateuse, who got all her training from
an American actress. OF course, 1t was
entirely natural that defamation alone
could never satisfy the cravings OF
these accomplished girls, and when Miss
Harland came over from Washington and
showed what fame and applause could be
got out of a drawing room play season
at least of amateur theatricals was inau-
gurated at once.
Is beauty hereditary? This serious
question was opened to discussion at the
Metropolitan Club the other evening, and
one man set out to practically and un-
confutably establish his assertion that a
handsome mother is very likely to have
handsome daughters.
Let us head the list with Mrs. Henry
CIews," he began. "a lovely blonde,
keenly rivaled in feature and coloring by
her daughter Elsie; and Mrs. Belle Neil
son. who. like Mrs. Clews, enjoys a fame
for beauty well beyond the bounds OF her
state, is the mother of Mrs. George Kemp,
the Fair Womens" exhibition last au-
tumn Now let us itemiZe as well Mrs.
Frederick Grant and set down very much
to her credit her young daughter Julia,
and IL would be more than Solomon could
do to choose for good looks between them.
Mrs. Alfred Post and Mrs. Stevens, the
latter you know, one OF the famous beau
ties of New York a generation ago are
the mothers respectively of Miss Post and
Mrs Clara Bloodgood, than whom there
are mighty few handsomer women in our
town. Here is William Waldorf Astor
just over from England for a few weeks
with his young daughter, who is as pretty
as picture, and has played the part of
hostess to Queen Victoria. Her lovely
eyes and delicate features recall her moth
er, who was Miss Paul. of Philadelphia
and a superb woman. Miss Helen Morton
is rightful heiress TO the stately beauty
of her mother Mrs. Levi p. Morton, who
is one of the most striking hostesses in
New York, and next winter the debutante
who will lead the rest for unusual perfec-
ton of coloring and feature will be Miss
Gladys Crosby, Mrs. Walter Crosby's
daughter, and, like Miss Julia Cooper Mrs
Charles Cooper's daughter. she gets her
beauty from her mother. Mrs. Lorillard
Spencer who was and is regarded as the
most faultless blonde who ever came out
in New York society, is the eldest daugh-
turn, had reputation for beauty as a
debutante that got clear to the other side
of the water. Here are ten names at ran
dom, and ] have a score more on the list
but IL seems to me that for a starter we
have enough here to prove that ii is some
thing distinctly to a girls credit and ad-
vantage es we'll as her proud reputation in