The age-herald., 1901-09-05
w and SOCIETY

A clever Birmingham woman was re-
 calling recently visit to New Orleans,
 and she dwelt upon the Bohemian side, declaring that she was delighted to grasp
 the opportunity of wandering with con- genial friend through the quaint Italian
 and French quarters. and of really ob-
 serving Bohemian life In a way she had
 never been able to enjoy. This clever
 creature frankly admits that she was
 glad to be released from the formanties
 usually encumbent upon her, and when
 her friend, who is equally as clever as
 she confided to her that the fascinating
 little quarter of New Orleans were 10
 be explored for the purpose of gathering
 material for A book. these two dignified
 women felt almost as gay and glday as
 they did in their college days, when
 school girl lark was suggested. All CT
 their interesting experiences are to De
 told in the pages of little volume that
 will be issued in the near future ana III inc meantime they are so afraid the story
 will leak out that even this reference TO them Is written with fear and tremphns'
 Cuba's "Queen of Beauty" Senorita Silvia Alfonso of Aldama, arrived some days ago on the Ward line steamer Morro Castle from Havana, and is stopping at the Hotel Marlborough, New York. She is a young woman of 20 years, as vivaci- ous as a Paris ienne and with the rare taste in dress of her French sister. Senorita Alfonso is said to have the black hair and the liquid brown eyes typical of the Cuban woman. Her complexion Is described as much paler than the aver age Cuban's, forming a fine contrast to her eyes and hair. Every three or four years a new beauty is chosen in Havana by popular vote, the contest being man. aged by La Figaro. the Cuban newspaper. The contest which resulted in the election of Senorita Alfonso took place in the spring. She received 16,32O votes. The beauty was chaperoned here by Mir and Mrs. Vie;e= Pulido, who are on their honeymoon. Sonora Pulido was Cuba's "Jueen of Beauty four years ago.
 Now and then the New York papers comment upon a habit frequently dis cussed by Southerners. A recent criti- cism runs like this:
 One gets so used to seeing "gentlemen" remain seated in the street or elevated cars nowadays while women stand that patience with this sort of boorishness has become a regular virtue. It Is very in teresting to note the effect of example in the matter, which shows that some of the lack of courtesy Is owing to pure carelessness, and frequently a man sec ing a good example Is quick to rise where otherwise he would undoubtedly remain in his seat. One of the pleasant est courtesies that can be shown in reference to this form of politeness Is for the woman who has been given a seat to take pains to see that the one from whom she received the favor gets it back again in the event of her leaving the train first. But this Is very seldom done as few women are sufficiently thoughtful to appreciate this opportunity. In fact, sad though it is to relate, one often sees women who, receiving a courtesy of this kind, fail to acknowledge 1t in any way.
 The New York Times calls attention to the fact that the development among the Japanese of the prosaic spirit fostered by | the wholesale adoption of the methods | of occidental civilization has not yet
 wholly supplanted the old-time domanti- cism associated with the land of the chrysanthemum and the cherry blossom groves. to judge from the following clipped from the 'personal column of the Anazawa-S Shembum of Tokio:
 'T am beautiful woman. My abundant undulating hair envelops me as a cloud Supple as willow Is my waist. Soft and brilliant Is my visage as the satin of the flowers. I am endowed with wealth sui ficient to saunter through life hand in hand with my beloved Were I to meet q gracious lord, kindly, intelligent, well ed- ucated, and of good taste, would unite myself with him for life and later share with him the pleasure of being laid to rest eternal in a tomb of pink marble"