Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-11
Novel Schemes of New York
SWells.
GIRLS AS SALESWOMEN
"CHAPPIESn AFFECT THE MILLS
HOTELS.
Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue Only q
Sham Reflection Of a Former
Custom.
Special Correspendehce OF The Eveniug Star.

Keeping Lent Is looked upon by the
modish crowd over here a sort of annual
ly recurring opportunity for the exhibition
of individual originality. The bored and
jaded creatures almost hail the arrival of
the solemn season for the chance 1t pro-
sents to them to put into practice novel
schemes Of chastising themselves and thus
winning the applause of their associates for
their cleverness. Their methods of "chas-
Using themselves are, of course. frivolous
and not altogether reverential for the most
part. but If the chastisements have the
spice Of novelty the "flagellators of self
are more than satisfied
But some of the girls have got beyond the
mere sacrifice of bon-bons during the Len
ten season. In proof of this. 1t Is said upon
the most excellent authority that large
number of young women of New Yorks
most fashionable society have been en-
ployed since the beginning of Lent In a
number of New Yorks maddening depart
ment stores saleswomen. 1t Is stated.
furthermore. that they are going to hold
onto their Jobs until their full, self-inficted
penance is finished on Easter eve. They
applied for their Lenten positions to the
proprfetors Of establishments where their
credit was good for any amount, knowing
that such proprietors could not AFFORD to
turn down their applications. They stp-
ulated with these proprietors that their
identity as young women of wealth and
fashion should under no circumstances be
made known to the regular saleswomen
with whom they were to be associated. ana
their wishes in this respect were, OF course.
complied with. They received the same
pay as the girls compelled to earn their
livelihoods, and all of them undertook TO
live absolutely upon their earnings. those
Of them who could gain the consent of
their people to do this going to the boarding
places of the regular saleswomen with this
purpose in view. The fashionable women
r&D 80 <HA1a y{riC
queer Lenten penance has leaked out de-
clare that the "penitents" have been en-
joying their experience hugely, and that
they pronounce 1t far more cute" and
''piquant' as a penitential method of spend
ing Lent than the scheme which so many
of the girls have been practicing during
recent years of retiring to converts during
the period of solemnity.
What the Chappies Are Doing.
The scheme which a number Of the
''chappies'' of New York's swell mob con-
ceived at the beginning Of Lent to match
the girls abnegation is no secret whatever.
The Mills hotels which are scattered
around the East Side Of New York have
each sheltered their quota Of the bored
members of the jeunesse doree since the
beginning Of the Lenten season. The Mills
hotels are those admirably managed 1nsti-
tutions, founded through the philanthropy
of d. o. Mills, in which self-respecting
DTOheH HeH may hiSpi odSiuoiS cream
beds for 10 cents and mighty appetizing
and "fllin'" meals for 10 cents each.
Many a man who in former years knew the
feel of millions has been grateful for
the cleanliness of these Mills hotel beds
and the SAVIOR of these inexpensive Mills
hotel meals. The once brilliant George
Francis Train has found peace and COM
fort In one Of them for many years, even
with his darkened mind. In these places
quite a number of chappies whose faces
are as well known at club windows as the
gargolles on the club fronts have had
their quarters since Ash Wednesday, and
may be seen lounging about the reading
rooms, playing dominoes and checkers with
the regular transientS of the hotels. and
apparently as contented as any of them.
They under the vow not to visit their
clubs or homes or chambers" or to have
anything whatever to do with their former
associates during their penitential period.
and they put on expressions OF the blankest
unconcern when swarms OF their registering
comrades swoop upon them at their Lenten
abiding places and heap ridicule and good
natured ribaldry upon them. When they
join their own again on Easter Sunday
there is no reason why they should not feel
that their spiritual strength is renewed.
Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue.
AS usual, there are anticipatory pictures
galore in the illustrated publications of
the fashionable Easter parade on 9th
avenue" and some of the New York papers
that never take note of changes will on
Monday print columns of totally mislead-
ing nonsense about the tremendous display
Of wealth and culture at the church hour
on the avenue" so that millions of persons
will, as usual, be led to believe that this
great Easter parade on New Yorks fash
fonable thoroughfare is something that
really happens. But 1t doesn't happen. 1t
hasn't happened for several years. There
is little prospect that 1t. will ever happen
again. 1t has been all of five or six years
since there was genuinely fashionable
Easter parade on 9TH avenue. The great
outdoor function of the rich and fashion
able then ceased and 1t has never been re-
sumed. Fifth avenue. it is true, is cluttered
and well-nigh impossible on Easter Sun
day when the day is fine, but not with
fashionable folk. The young people who
claim the avenue of the rich for that one
day are. of late years. persons who rarely
or never see 9Th avenue on any other day.
They are, of course, "every bit as good as
the folk who claim 9th avenue as their
own during the remainder Of the year-but
they simply do not belong to the swell
weeks of fortitude and self-denfal and
lunch-skippfng, can annex unto himself
frock coat and top hat, with enough left
for an orchid for his button-hole-every
young woman, In or out Of the store, who
can contrive to get hold of a brand-new
dress and hat for that day-is on 9Th ave-
nue. on Easter Sunday. 1t Is entertaining
1t Is. In fact, just little pathetic-to see
manners Of the haut ton in their strolls up
and down the rich street. and their happi-
ness in imagining that they really are, for
once. mixed up and shoulder to shoulder
with the social figures of whom they so
obviously read and hear, is something
queer to see. But the real chappies are
sitting in the club windows, staring enjoy
ably at the "dooced pretty gels, y'knaw-
wheah do they all come from, y'knaw," of
the hoi polloi as they pass by, with their
frock-coated and initiative escorts Those
of the chappies who are left in town-that
is to say, for 1t has become the thing for
the fashionable crowd to go to their coun-
try places over Easter, and thus wholly
give their thoroughfare over to the ''popu- |
lace" The Easter parade Is only thing
that used to be, but the picture makers |
and descriptive writer's with their old
stock list of regular stunts to perform, are
causing it to die hard.
A Circus Without Tent.
whats the good Of a circus unless it's
under a tent?" is question that a good |
many men with the habit of barking back
to their boyhood days and ask each other |
when the circus comes along to New York. |
A circus in Madison Square Garden is, of |
course, away ahead of circus under canel
vas in the matter of comfort but all the |
same. there are a good MANY fho,Ico rdc of 1