Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-27
THE THOUCuTFuL ALTON LADY
MUSES. ABOUT SUMMER VISITORS.
TRUNKS And WHAT THEY SUGGEST.
Church-Going and the Many Deiip-
Gucnts SO Full OF Excuses-Why ~
II sO.-Plcnsures of the Week
Personal Matters of Interest.

later outing.
This Is notably the month or traveI.
visiting. and hosDit1ble entertainment.
We who live on direct lines-of river or
railway-to popular resorts may suddenly
receive a telegram running IN this wise:
"On my way to the Hot Springs: will
| be with You Wednesday and Thursday.
"MARGARET."
You are ten years younger I'm a day
/ from this delightful ami unexpected plea
| sure. even in anticipation. Margaret, is
Margaret really coming at last after so
many indefinite promises, while the vain
! years have been slipping by since You
| parted? And YOU bless the chance that
| brings her TO you. and begin 10 plan AT
once TO condense as much pleasure as
possible into the few hours Of her stay.
Margaret is the pearl" in name and
nature whom you knew long. long ago.
She has not and would not I'm making her
visit zen route" fan I'm the etiquette OF
an announcement Of her expected arrival
| Surprises are seldom agreeable in ones
domestic economy.
PREPARATIONS FOR HER COMING.
III tiiS ldbIN hUDWlr4gt OF lNf coming
the best guest chamber is prepared with
its dalntiest outnttings; the treasured
siores-china, silver. ana linen-are
brought out, and your menu planned for
each day. because this will give you time
tcf her entertainment and the society Of
tfOse most intimate friends who will b.
invited 10 call I'm her honor. / can see
tie pretty home in readiness ana this
careful hostess taking a last look 10 her
household concerns before she dresses the
ldren-AIargie. the go'den-hared. whom
her nameslke has not seen and little
Jack, prototype OF that elder John, well
remembered by your friend when You
were Chums and conGdants Of each the
others love affairs
OF the children she has no doubt to the
mothers eye. they are perfect. but sins
wonders, as Jack and they drive of to
the station To- meet her guest what
changes win Margaret see in John. the
handsomest and gay,st gallant of the
old-time set. Dear old John. She IS
sure i'm her heart that the years have
touched him lightly, and that Margaret
will think so.
our sweet hostess is wCm1nly woman.
j not unmindfuI OF her own appearance
when she dons the new gown which IS
SO becoming 10 her dark eyes and ma
tronly figure.
THE CITY DAME.
"Time has been good 90 you dear"
whispers Margaret when She comes and
holds her of at arms length. Il could
not pass you by without n call"
81 would never have forgiven IT," smiles
the country wife
For Margaret Is a city dame. a woman
Of fashion. the petted wife of merchant
prince. The charm of society foreign
travel. and Il brilliant life have not rob-
bed her either of her natural grace or Of
that genuine goodness that was her girl
hoods charm.
"You are a good housekoepor and !
know that john is prosperous" She save
with earnest praise ass they chat the iirst
few moments in the guest-room. you've
been a good wife and your children arc
Gods own gift 10 YOU" And here the
blue eyes I'm with tears, for the lone lit
tie grave i'm Hollywood comes up in me-
mory TO the childless woman, and the
friends weep together.
This visit Is a blessing 10 each. The
busy wife rerews her youth, and the
busy cares slip away for awhile. and the
other takes q hcart-tonic Of pure friend
ship, without which life is desert. There
are other guests along the highways Of
| midsummer
THE CERTAIN "TNFORFSEEN."
You know according 90 the French pro-
verb nothing is more certain than the
Unforeseen. This applies Co summer tour
lists: TO the chance acquaintance met at
country house wedding; to the qu0n-
dam friend OF a weeks sojourn i'm The ma
/ tional capital: 10 the friend ct somebody
| clse's friend whom YOU cannot slight; TO
that old friend. alas, whom You more
than doubted. without positive proof, and
whose name You had read with a smile
Of delight among the Philippine army list
| ANY or all Of these return. You have only
an occult promonition that some disas-
ter will soon bef3n you-and the trunk
! comes down ON a passing wagon TO be LEFT
at your door, The owner follows on The
next train or boat, and mean while You
have the trunk labelled with name and
destination.
1t may be YOU do not think about these
things as I do; but o. what a sound that
is-the banging down Of a preliminary
trunk il it announce the coming Of one
loved and longed for. how We delight TO
look at il. TO sit down on il. 20 caress it
I'm cur fancles even as q lone exile walk
ing on sandy beach looks ont for the
expected sail: If one IS a woman, and this
trunk belongs 90 another. or 10 her dear
est friend. with what mdlelldl lueaS does
she fl il. Of dresses and ribbons and
laces: Of styles in silks satins. ana milf
merry creations: all things possible-and
impossible in ana about that
scnselcss trunk.
THE UNDEsIRED.
But ahl n it tells the near approach OF
the undcsred and yet inevitable guest
what sound short OF an undertakers,
carries such a sense of hopeless collapse
with II as the thump- bump-rollingb bang
down in the front entry Of the portn1n-
toau rammed with the changes Of al
counted coming days?
I once heard a bride say that when
yalse. belonging TO her future husband,
WAS brought from his hotel 10 her fathers
the dav before the wedding, for some
convenience I'm shipping the baggage, 'hat
she nearly tainted az ga sight! / think
she had seen nothing before so forcible
as n reminder that henceforth and for
ever they would travel LIES railroad to-
gether -
A LIVELY WEEK.
The past week has been q very lively
one about Alton. The midsummer guests
are arriving in large numbers. md the
.,,o botols nra full Of life NOtWithstand-