The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-01
GREAT FUN IN PLATING.
SURPRISES or 4 LIFE WITH NoTH-
ING TO LIVE UP TO.

Jokes PROVIDED by the fcOple AhOVo houE
Ability 60 Wear Old Clothes-PsycholoRy
of the Flat-BensHts of n Doorless EH>
istence-Excitement of Growler smuE-
~glinG-views of n Confirmed Flatters
DO people really give dinners and tens and
things In the little series OF cubbyholes that
constitute a city fiat p q young woman asked
recently when she received a note inviting her
to luncheon at the Xenophon apartment house.
"They not only entertain In apartments here
in town, but the function whatever 1t may lie IL
apt TO be far jollier and more enjoyable than
the more formal parties in residences whore an
awning is stretched over the pavement and q
footman announces your name" nswered q
friend OF hers who happened to be a confirmed
Halter. Il wouldn't live in n house now III
got 1t rent free. You have to live up to ahouss
and are responsible for the street and the area-
way and the cellar and the roof. In an aparts
ment nothing is expected OF one, so that It ID
all a delightful surprise. Guests 60 away feel-
ing that living in a fat is fun all the time and
get to hate their own houses. It Is like playing
at housekeeping"
Il should be afraid that my guests would
wander out on the fire escape or fall down the
dumbwaiter or something. People at a party
always seem to get into the funniest places,
In n house it is safe. but in n fiat | should bd
afraid they'd fall Town the airshaft."
"Nonsensel They don't have airshafts In
nice flats. Besides. it Is easy to obViate a di0ly
Guilty Of that sort, Now, in the apartment I
live in there Is O servants stairway. 1t is .
skeleton iron stairs, built in spiral fashion. and
extending down the back Of the house in the
open air. One night / gave n party. and after
supper some OF the young folks went pryinR
about looking for quiet corners to 1irt in.
Some one went In the kitchen and opened this
stairway door. and there were the stars and
the moon and the sky looking 50 near that YOU
could almost touch them. just as soon as that
stairway was discovered, people wandered out
and sat on it and began to chat and laugh: but.
of course. 1t was very late and folks put up the
windows and some Of them even threw things.
After that I always put a satin ribbon over the
door. besides locking 1t. for some OF the men
have keys that open everything"
We'll, that would spoil q party for md" said
the young woman. Besides that. how do you
manage about musicp Don't you have to stop
the piano at 10 o'clock ?"
You don't have to stop. The people in the
apartment above may stamp a bit on the floor
or rap on the steam pipes, especially IL they are
not invited. but they know you are not going
to stop and you know It. Next day you send
turbed. You have to get used TO ilatting, and
once you do, a house seems drS2dfulto live in"
.h We'll SSaL:r ! can ca Its see fo IT IN myself ny,.I %s,hat constitutes
The lack Of responsibility. Haven't you
happy people in the world were children.
tramps; and and cQ %OE They fIs are w,y aG yon tsHy
when you live in a iati"
Like which do you feel 7"
"A little of all three. For instance, if tn
persons upstairs knock on the floor when you
are having a good time it's all a Joke, whiiei II
it happened in your own house YOU would feel
a fat you can always explain how disagreeable
the folks upstairs are and every one feels bound
to have as good a time as possible Just on that
""That seems funny to me-"
That's Just it 1t is funny. Living in a fat
is a huge joke. and when you have n party you
have other folks to enjoy the joke with YOU
They all understand that you are not trying to
live respectfully ~
Not especially"
venWtioenrIa;ly' Wv When sno WOW w eiVe 1 a d inner in 1t 4 f TaG aSndi
fix your table up with candles and yiolets and
all that folks go in and say: Why. isn't this
residence they all file into dinner with an airof
dignitied boredom, Nothing surprises them,
AZ least. one doesn't pretend to be surprised.
II shouldn't care for my friends to seem sur
prised because everything was nice"
well, you would get to like Il If you were 2
flatter. Then you can wear all sorts OF odd
clothes 9TH iiI in 2 Il fat t that g9p could never be seen IN
oh, come ~now-that is ridiculous"
your card upstairs, You are supposed to dress
before you see a caller, or II you are receiving
SS% ags Fesd sa t. S for t a septts Gf e smonat q dfo@ eers.
mony. 1t marks the line between the informa.
gown Of The sitting room and the costume OF
can't see how stairs make a house any
more proper than an elevator"
Geological. One of these days / am going TO
write g magazine article on the psychology Of
morning NOR and the spI maid ID shows You Int. the
drawing room. Ny R2udoir opens right Of the
reading, wearing ~a-a-well, a lovely pink bath
robe. Now. there are no doors In my nat. IL
T91 } IdTS in IS 8 IN mai thsy you Ros6 gst 6 f. g SaHs F RG sffiSf Ssiii
the time, and it would, be silly o pretend. to
have occasion to shut doors; Besides. the
have only door hangings, Ihear you come in.
recognize your voice and go bright in TO see YOU.
tween you. and me. The stairs make az the
downstairs in a bath robe-neyerl"
Are there any other Joys IN fiat life besides
the bath robe and the lack OF doors and
do %Ih b sFowler' Arc you allowed to keep
jn sSh; %y t sSsF s sigl; ne }j,t Tho lS sr9wlf to know k s3
IS h' im POSSIBLE It IS not re IS i and inc i could
be, traced to a house. IN a fat Q, GROWER may
oea!q%SG 6a s2 on amy ss T9S G IS { feH families"
9 know that beer is the great AMERICAN
champaene and white Whit wv Vine atsV and Rhine vine
and md everything oeel else; there IRE i9 still beer ill., All III men
case from a man whom your servant knows
through the dumbwaiter. Finally your huss
band comes in some day and tells you that he
German beer on draught. He dilates on 1t until
you get tired Of tho bottled beer and makeup
where the GROWER Is brought in"
Again. what Is the growler2"
In some families the growler Is a can. But
in ours IL is a beautiful Flemish beer jug about
three feet high. with German. notices all over
it. Growers are not allowed in flats that is.
you cannot take them out openly to purchase
beer. Your servant. will be, sent back II she
goes, so the head OF the family-some one with
authority-musttak TAXI the growler for beer. And
even then he must conceal it. My husband as
ways wore a long Inverness coat when he took
the growler. He looked Immensely swell.
and he held the GROWER so no one could see 10,
He used to meet other men In the elevator who
Inverness seemed lust suited to 1t. In fact. Tom
has ordered another. extra full. Just o rthep ur-
you never know IL he may not be discovs
cred before, he gets back or have to turn