Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-11-21

[ At first l didQt see where the grand houses I'd heard of kept themselves, for everywhere were smart shops and public buildings and-so close now tha. we could put down our sunshadei- mountainous skyscrapers. The shops were beautiful, though Mrs. Ess Kay apologized for them by saying that it was out of season, and I'd never seen Do much brilliance of color or variety ln street. l tried to search for the eause of this effect, but l couldn't neAne 1t. Perhaps it was partly the tlearness of the atmosphere but there vas great deal more than that. Ev- erything you passed seemed to be pink pr pale green or gold or ivory white br ultramarine blue. yet when you really thought it out detail by detail t wasn't. And, though I'd considered the skyscrapers awful from distance, spinning along at their feet couldn't neny them a fantastic kind of attrac- hveness. & &
 At our rate of speed I hadn't to wait many minutes for the grand Fifth ave hue houses, and oh. poor London-poor, Hear London! l wanted to fly back end tear down Buckingham palace.
 Mrs. Ess Kay had always talked hbout her "New York home," which made it sound rather small and mod est, so I was surprised when we stopped before a huge, square pile, built of rich looking. rough brown stones, so nearly the color of Christ mas plum pudding that it made me hungrier than ever to look at 1t. The house is trimmed with three wide bands of carving, made of the same hind of stone, and there are carved bronze railings and lamps on the porch, and the front door is carved, loo, like the door of cathedral.
 We were let into vestibule, all col bred mosaic and things, and that opened into a big. square, glassed over garden, with q great marble fountain playing in the middle. never saw such a wonderful place in my life, but until I got used to 1t, I couldn't help feeling that it was more like a splen- hid foreign hotel than mere house. rhe garden isn't real garden when Eou come to examine 1t, for it's paved with rare stones of different colors, like the jewels in Aladdin's cave, but hll around the fountain beautiful flow ers are growing and pink and white water lilies float in the marble basin. There are orange trees In pots, and a forest of tall palms, all of which are reflected and repeated over and over ngain in the mirrors of which the walls are made, and on the little tables standing about here and there among groups of inlaid chairs are bowls over- flowing with roses. The roof is sky light, over which creepers have been trained, so that the light which filters Through Is lovely green. No doors are visible at first glance, but when you are initiated, all you have to do is to walk up to the mirror wall, find a gold button, press it and door opens into room as marvellous as the foun- tain court, around which, 1t seems, all the rest of the house is built.
 Well have something to drink here," said Mrs. Ess Kay, "before we take of our things" So We all sat down. among the palms and orange blossoms. and delicious sense of peace after storm stole over us with the coolness and the green dusk and the perfume of flowers.
 supposed that something to drink ht this time of day meant tea, but al most immediately footman came through the glass wall, carrying tray with nothing on 1t except tall tumblers There were straws sticking out of the tumblers, and assthe man moved gould hear faint tinkle of ice.
 For a minute was bitterly disap- pointed, because the thought of tea