The San Francisco call., 1906-08-12

no children, they seemed to dry up
together, in q sort OF money lined
leatheriness OF atmosphere that you
could cut with a knife when you en-
tered the tomb-like portals OF that
brownstone mansion, where a negro
kept constant watch to see that you
did not steal anything.
have been to Mrs. Sage's house
when she was giving an afternoon tea,
and felt sorry that the biscuits and
cake and tea perhaps cost so much. In
some inscrutable way you felt that 1t
was a pity to spend money on any
thing for comfort or sociabiIity or
such things. / would not have dared
TO help myself to a second piece OF
cake. or large slice Of toast or
gulped down a copious swig OF tea,
for fear+of appearing extrevagant or
wastefui or Sybaritish-the cardinal
sins in the decalogue of that house.
After short session of that kind,
wherein l usually managed TO get the
report of some charity enterprise In
which Mrs. Sage was interested Ct
could always secure something in the
line OF news from her, as she was on
all the committees for charitable
schemes). 1 have gone farther uptown
10 some up-to-date hostess and fairly
reveled in the contrast
Where stif-necked gloom reigned
down In the neighborhood Of the Bris-
tol and a negro stared at you TO see
that you did not eat too much, farther
UP the avenue you could find a gath
erlnS OF ease, where one might per-
haps get cup Of tea with stick" in
it-and the others, noting my sigh of
relief, would exelaim that they knew
where I had been.
Mr.. Sage wanted Mrs Sage to take
charge OF all their interests in char
-
applications were made to him fSr con-
tributions he was wont usually TO refer
all comers to Mrs. Sage. She was
more OF a worker than a siver, al
though she gave a great deal. She be-
lieved in organized charity and was
prominent always in the best known
charity work that went on in New
York. In the evening Mr.. and Mrs.
Sage would talk over matters and thus
the old gentleman controlled the affair
and he was relieved OF all seeming re-
sponsibility. he had genius in arrang-
ing every circumstances of his life in
similar E-anner. He did not care for
the limelight but could perceive the
outcome OF things-could peer to the
end the result and you seldom found
him In a weak position whore results
werc concerned. He managed every
where to reap some sort of harvest in
anything that he mixed up in.
This method OF handling charities led
to the famous episode wherein a COM
miuee Of ladies called upon him at his
Rector-street ofice one beautiful day to
secure his subscription TO a worthy
charity. They informed him as they
handed him the subscription paper that
Mrs. Sage had put her name down for
SIS and they expected something hand
some from him. He was afable and
complacent and listened approvingly to
their explanation of the merits of their
charity. He looked over the subscrip-
ton paper and wrote upon IL.
There, l think that will be about
right" said he. as he folded up the pa
per and they went out delighted that
he had subscribed.
When they got out on Broadway they
thought that they would like to just
take q peep and see whether he had
put his name down for $500 or $1,000 or
what.
They looked and found that he had