The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-01-28

viduality of its mistress. IL she Is d Wo-
man who delights in books the apart
ment is pervaded by an atmosphere OF
thought. The latest magazine IS there,
the book most talked about, ana the
bookworm lives above the worlds frlvoi-
ties. AT least she does not incline TO dress
~coquetries, nor does she go in for the Ia
test novelties in decorations. With all her
Indifference to innovations, she may pc a
woman of keen artistic tastes, of delicate
su%sceptibilities, with a frank appreciation
of the beautiful.
Very different is the sanctum OF one
who deals in all of life's sentiments. she
is cozy. There are flowers and birds ana
draperies and a delicate tumble OF hght
and airy furnishings; and she is OF a ro-
mantic turn of mind, delights in gowns
that trail softly across her Turkish rugs;
she may be found at all times with her
soft little locks in pretty confusion, a
creature most lovable in appearance, II
moi quite ready to meet one intellectually,
even half way.
Look into the den that belongs to a busy
wife and mother. Not one corner IN IL
suggests a sentimental thought. Every
where the practical reigns.
"A great chest of drawers holds the cut
out garments and a sewing machine
| stands in one corner nearest the highest
| window, and there are the cutting table
I and big shears, and a sensible drop light
| for night work, and the lowest OF sewing
chairs.
Here the weeks wash is brought to be
mended, here every child and very grown
person in the household comes to have an
audience with the queen bee ofthe hive.
Nobody ever crosses the threshold Of
| this room who does not do SO in CONN
dence that every rent in feelings or
clothes will be patched up somehow.
Mothers room, what a blessed place it
isl, The nearest and dearest of maternal
interests centre here. What would we do
without it?
Into one sanctuary we find it hard to
enter. The room is small, but it is perfect
of it's kind. Much thought has been ex-
pended upon it. open the door and out
| float a delicious set of doors, the one so
mixed and mingled with the other that
detection of any single perfume is impos-
sible.
The subtle sweetness has crept into the
room from a dozen various sources. A
Whit, perhaps, from a long bodice box
that stands by the window. Why notE
| for every time it's lid is lifted into the
room comes the odor of violets Just as
fresh smelling as if we held a ravishing
| bunch from q hot-bed.
Or the desk lid of a pretty oak affair in
one nook is dropped and we see in its
pigeon holes plump little bags of orris OF
finest make, so why should not another
stream of. fragrance sweep through the
room?
And if a chiffonier drawer or a ward.
robe door or a. closet door is opened out
floats the sweetest of perfumes. There
are suggestions of rose leaves and Orient
al seeds such as beauty uses now for her
best sachets.
Perhaps best of all is a fragrant corner
redolent of old : fashioned sweetness.
There is the scent of the lemon verbena
and nutmeg geranium and rose geranium
and in all the world of sweet doors none
is SO lovely.
This room, a dressing room, of course,
belongs to one who is ready to practice
hte sorcery of her exquisite individuality
upon her intimates and the world at large.
The mistress of this garden spot is not
a creature of o'erweaning vanity. she Is
not, indeed, one of earth's trihers, but a
woman determined to use every legiti-
mate means that she may ideal1ze herself
in the eyes of those who love her and
gain each day fresh admirers. 1T is Wo-
mans mission in life to please, to charm,
so declares the owner OF the dressing
room. land" she continues, sit should be
done POLITICALLY, not with ugly realisms
bobbing up at every turn.
Many are the innocent means employed
within this room for the preservation of
a poetic personality. They harm no one,
but serve their purpose in keeping up
dainty illusions which hedge about mans
ideal, woman.
During a New York season there are
rarely more than two or three large pr1-
vate balls, says Harper's Bazaar. rms
wear two of these elaborate functions
occurred within a week of each other.
For the first time in three years the great
ivory and gilt ballroom in the Cornelius
Vanderbilt house was thrown open on the
night of January 6, in honor of the coming
of age of Mr.. Alfred Vanderbilt. Only
three nights later Mrs. Aston gave a ball
to about four hundred guests.
When one says simply Mrs. Astor," of
course that means Mrs. John Jacob Aston
the elder. At the time of the young John
Jacobs marriage to Miss Willing of Phil
adelphia, a number of years ago, there
was a good deal of newspaper talk as to
which Mrs. John Jacob was to be known
simply as Mrs. Aston, a title which IS held
to imply the leadership among the femi-
nine members of the family. Probably
there was much more concern among the
reporters than there was in the minds of
the two women directly affected At any
rate, the elder Mrs. Aston retained what
ever superior dignity may go with the use
of the unqualified surname.
The Vanderbilt mansion is ideally
adapted to giving a large dance, but Mrs.
Astor's equipment is almost as good. Her
house and that of her son are literally un-
der one roof. Generally one is shut off
from the other by means of heavy doors,
which are efectual barriers. When de-
sired, however, not only can these doors
be thrown open, but a partition, which
ordinarily completely divides the picture
galleries, can be removed, giving a ball
room Of splendid proportions.
The Astor and Vanderbilt balls were the
only really large private ones which were
scheduled for this winter. Yet there are
other New York houses adapted to the
same scale of entertainments. In most of