The record-union., 1899-06-14
Stories Of the Telephone.

| Inc Q1n6TGnl enQS OF a connected tel
ephone often present strange contrasts.
At large dinner at Fifth-avenue
Palace the other day the hostess waited
for one OF her guests, a woman who
was known to be somewhat absent
minded.
Il should not wonder in the least if
she has forgotten all about my dinner
said the former and forthwith the EEL
ephone was brought into requisition.
Il want Mrs. S.!'' called the impatient
hostess to the servant who answered
| the call.
His mistress, in dislhabille was COM
fortably seated reading an Interesting
book. She went to the telephone i'm
mediately.
| I'VE are waiting dinner for you.
Amelia" said the magnificently gowned
woman atone end
Good gracious, Margaret, is this the
date 1 was to have dinner with you
exclaimed Amelia, who was in q dress
| ing gown and slippers, ait the other
end. Tam simply overwhelmed with
mortificatibn, but 1 entirely forgot that
this was thes night"
Jump into a cab and come as yo,,
are" urged the first speaker.
You wouldn't ask me if you could
see mel" laughed the other.
! This contrast between the two stu
ations suggested topic of conversation
after the guests were seated.
| Il had rather an amusing experience
in the way of ,dissimilarity of situa-
tons between two speakers at either
end of the telephone" remarked one Of
| the guervs Like everyone else at
Tuxedo, when the etelephone first came
into vogue we used it continually as a
method of conversation with our friends
and for convenience it was placed in
my husbands dressing-room. One
night. after had gone to bed the bell
suddenly rang out with a persistence
that would not be ignored. l hastily
sprang from my bed in the dark and
started for the phone at a good pace.
when suddenly plunged headlong into
Jacks bathtub, which was half full of
| water Still the thing kept on ring
| ing, and, fearing that it might wake
the baby, who was in the next room, I
hurried, wet, cold and bedraggled, to
the instrument
| "'Hello!' 1 cried angrily. is that
you, Pony? called out a gay voice.
which l recognized as belonging to one
of my friends I am stopping here at
| the ciuD. HOW are yCu uedI. we
are just through dinner. large
party of US came down from New York
/ Charlie s. is here at the phone and
wants to speak to YOU Then 1 heard
laughter and chatting in their smart
dresses. In minute Mr.. s. spoke.
| How do you do, Mrs. A., he began,
and then for fully ten minutes I had to
carry on light conversation, first With
one and then with another of the party,
while stood shiverinig in the dark III.
my damp and scanty garments"
| That was really contrast" said
one of her audience. "a thing that al
ways seems so strange to me about a
! Telephone is how a voice can be car
ried a great distance in a storm. Last
winter / was stopping at country
house on an island near Stamford. 1t
was blowing a furious gale of sleet and
snow The water was dashing madiy
against the rocks, and the great trees
about the house were swaying in the
blast All nature seemed to be in
the widest commotion, but the wires
held fast, and when I rang up friend
| in New York and his quiet voice came
to me all the way through the wild
night without change in it's tone it
did seem almost marvellous