The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-06-09
HIGH LIFE UNVEILED.

HIGH LIFE UNVEILED.
The great outside public has more or less
curiosity concerning the doings Of the Sc
lect upper cIswses'' OF society-rather less.
perhaps, than the upper classes believe, but
still some. II likes TO know the details of
the life and TO have an insight into the
thoughts of people of unlimited wealth and
leisure-no longer the four hundred. but, as
authoritatively announced. the SIX hundred.
An interesting glimpse into the manners
and standards OF this exclusive circle has
just been afforded by marriage or two
OF its members; the event bringing out the
fact that the bridegroom first gained favor
with the leaders of this aristocracy by the
act of wading. barefooted in pubic roun-
tain in company with a belle of the four
hundred. also barefooted.
Another even more edifying view is o.
tanned through the perusal of a book just
published, whose author is member of the
innermost circle, and whose previous pub
LEGATIONS. all dealing with characters on,
of her own class. have given her portrait
ures recognition as at least of semi-official
quality. This volume is made up of letters
written by him" to ''her." They are very
ardent. nay. fiery letters. They are. in fact.
so incandescent that the wonder is that the
publishers dared to print them on anything
more combustible than asbestos. 1t ap-
pears from casual glances through these
pages-casual chances being all that any
reader not protected by fire Insurance could
venture to take--that, the course of love for
the two did not run smooth, and that he
was compelled TO pour out his soul on paper
rather than by word of mouth. In some
way a treasured souvenir became mis-
placed and here is what he says of it in
letter No. q:
oh. what have you done with my little
silken string. the only thing | had left that
l thought you had touched, my precious
ribbonlet? Have you thrown IL out of the
window, or flung ii on the floor to be trod-
den on and swept away? IL you have, IL
has served me right. but if by chance you
have kept 1t, tell me, will you not? and
will tell you what to do with it-not now,
but on some distant day, when am not so
sorrowful and when l know that you
well,
Evidently she found it and he told her
what to do for in Letter 81 it is shown
that he had the string back and that
he had kissed it a hundred times within
five minutes. In Letter "a this remarkable
passage appears-together with the string:
l had a proof only this morning that my
power of self-cOntro is strangely weak
where you are concerned. AS a rule | take
off my collar. fearing TO ruffie and rumple
1t as | lie tossing In my bed: but last night
1 kept it on. l had hau distress enough
that day and / thought it would soothe
mo w
give me my bath, You have a string, sir,
round your neck, he said. felt. know,
that | got crimson, and l united 1t in
hurry.
in this passage, and there is at first room
for doubt to whether that which he
had around his neck and feared to ruffle
was his self-control, his collar the string
but, read backward, forward and between
the lines, and also with view to gram
NAUTICAL antecedents, the reasonable con-
clusion is that he referred to his collar.
Now. it is believed to be the general GUS
tom with men who have no hope of being
counted among the four hundred not only
to remove the collars when they seek
their beds. but also the garment to which
II is attached and to substitute therefor a
robe of the night. This is done. not mer Ely
from the motive of economy and with an eye
to laundry bills, but through a civilized in
stinct of neatness and propriety. But this
elect parsonage of the four hundred, who has
a man who gives him his BATH seems
to have the habit of wearing one shirt the
entire twenty-four hours. and of frequently
sleeping with his collar on. 1t is possible
that on such occasions he sleeps with his
boots on also, but this is only surmise; the
other is confession. And thus we have the
four-or six-hundred in undress Unimpres-
s:ve and Disseminating picture. If New York
society wishes the outer world to stand
and admire 1t must suppress It's realistic
novelsts. incidentally, it may be said that
the writer of these letters wrote lis of them
and then died-and no wonder.