The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-23
NEW SCHOOL OF TAKERS.
FURIOUS MoNOLoGuES WITH FRS OF
REBELLIOUS SILENCE.
Piazza Is Eager to Tell About and None
of Them VIII Listen To The Latest
Thing ih Summer Boarding Houses.

cOnNersatio nal!st is" said woman on the
piazza OF a summer hotel, but have never
met with any that did not treat the diversion
as mutual affair. There always had to be
some listening on one side with certain on
portunty to talk allowed to both parties.
hat used to be my old fashioned idea OF
conversation. But that was all wrong.
The sort OF conversation that one hears now
adays Is carried on exclusively by one ror-
son. Any idea OF talking for mutual pleas
ure seems to have disappeared altogether.
Women talk now entirely fortheir own amusc-
ment II they ever stop long enough to give
anybody else an opportunity to put in word,
in nine chances out OF ten they VIII interrupt
In the nrst two minutes or keep right along
talking in an undertonc. There are three
women sitting over there now. The old lady
holding forth has had the floor for five min
utes. The two othcrs are watching for an oppor-
tunty to get in ahead OF hcrlik hawks Ii they
don't succeed. in a little while one OF them will
begin talking to the other and never stop until
she has said all she wants TO- whatever timo 1t
takes Possibly it is Justinable in them to
think they have heard enough about the books
she has read. the places she has been to, the
friends she has. and the summer resorts at
which her sons and daughters are stopping.
Nobody would deny that she has talked long
enough about those subjects. But the mo-
ment she ceases. and before that. IL they get
the chance. tho other women are going to talk
about exactly the same subjects as long and rs
eloquenty as they can.
What DO they care about her affairs or her
familes'2 They want to tell about their chill
drcn. their dressmakers. Themselves and their
belongings. 1t never occurs to them to Won
der how much this interests tho person they
are talking to. They have had to submit to it
and they propose to get square. Tho result is
Ii continuous stream OF highly egotistcal and
unntellec,ua! tax which affords no pleasure
more of it than her ncghbors. One never
notices this quality in men. They are nearly
Mimg to his Iii t so 5rSy re- M
opinion. and they listen 10 h IN with some ap.
pcarance OF interest. But the conversation Of
women has become very different. The desire
of every one to take tho on's share Of it is, OF
course, founded on selilshne;;ss, which is at the
that has an agreeable interchange Of ideas and
experiences has become od-fashioncd. and its
OF rebellious silence and vehement re-
eital Of wholly pers2na matters or thoughts n,;
are in the summer, and arc compelled to en-
dnro one anoth hers society. rarely have high
opinion Of their associates. II they are at all
susceptible OF being talked about they become
the subject Of gossip. II not their mental
qualities nre never very highly regarded, and
what they may have to say is not considered
worth listening to. The most that they are
good for is TO be made the means of another
womau's desire to talk"
One woman has succeeded in evolving n
novelty in tho way Of summer hotel which
has passed successfully through the test of
two summers. The accommodations might
safely be enlarged to twice their present
limits but an increase OF the limited quar-
tcrs would interfere with the idea which has
brought success to the scheme, she will prob
ably content herself with raising the prices.
fHhpy biLh apopph for W.
not feature of her plans She knew the value
of novelty and set out to supply something
which the summer sojournor had never
before been able to find. There was
nothing new in the idea Of the elaborate
summer hotel. That had already been tried
and was. anyhow. beyond her means. The
summer boarding house with its supposed
features OF farm life. fresh vegetables, eggs
and milk WAS too old II story to promise much
profit. But the country house was something
unknown in the field OF summer resorts until
this place was opened. The luxurious life Of a
well kclt country house was something ac-
c"s.ihIe only to those who were invited or
had The fortune necessary Ia have such Mace
OF their own; beautiful grounds, horses and
carriages oil distinctly mOdish character, ser
wants III livery. II handsome and tasteful house.
with comnIrt" freedom from any atmosphere
| boarding house on the other that was the sort
| Of c>tab lshmomt which this woman decided 10
h'tll lNHt was dl'It W Ttnk lpT u ltTIH Oh years
| in n, fashionable region near New York n coun-
| Try hnuss large enough to answer her purpose
| purntiy contained house parties Of rs many as
iurty nr9rlr The grounds and appurrGnanc"s
wGrT as nn"s"m me- as amI that belonged TO- the
| for entrrtainment were put at a figure which
wad", II possible TO keen M the house as i had
NIT persons who might not be congenial. No
comfort or luxury that was characteristic of
IA" place during the DAYS OF its private possess
! sion omitted Many OF tho old
| were retained. The same butler presided
every night at the haf-past 7 O'Clock dinner
! which Is served now quite rs it was formerly.
| The same coachman is in cAarge of the stables.
! aud the grounds ratain their present well
J kept and attractive appearance through tho
he in charge of them, 4 steam launch on n
when the former owner used it, and the men
who go daily to the city travel to and from the
fa%% coach \. ws snrt as se any detail ia ha
noighborhood Life moves in this summer
resort with a" smoothncss and case that iux.
the guests may wander about in freedom with
out the danger of seeing more than they want
thought Of this one had especial fitness to make
1t successful. and her own acquaintance in
sured her at the outset guests enough
to warrant so unusual a venture. 1t ia
might take less rrctrntions houses for what
suite OF rooms costs in this house But thcy
orsna ST and d s"nsh to-
luxury ~ lie in country house which in It's
most enjoyable estate always seems to rest on
II basis OF accumulated millions.
One more serious charge has been made
against the American women in London. To
them is attributed chiefly the increase in en-
truvagance about which there has recently
been so much complaint. But for the presence
OF tho Americans tho women Of England would
still lie satisfied to wear their dresses for years
dress their daughters in white muslin and
keen on in tho couteuted, economical fashion
of their grandmothers 1t was the American
invasion that spoiled all that. A woman Of
TIL" explain, the trouble in these words:
Fragile. beautiful creatures, cxqnsite!y
Dire s"d, appeared some ton or fifteen years
ago, haing from America. clothed in the
latest Partisan garb and dantily coifTGed by
the French artists. Their faces were pretty
their manners easy, thcirtongues Glib Society
succumb"d, The girls received their batteries
with gracious smiles; they were rich they
knew the value Of clothes, and they came pre-
pared To have II good time Then tho hearts
n 10, had