The sun., 1908-05-03

the high collar and around my bare neck
wear a narrow piece Of velvet ribbon to
match the color Of the tea table.
AS a rule | don't believe. however, that
many people noticed what had on They
saw that was appropriately dressed, and
that was about the extent Of their obserNa-
tlons 80 far AS my clothes were concerned,
Il made myself just az attractive as
possible by having something pleasant TO
say 10 each and every one who approached
the tea table used every effort 10 keep
Ia touch with what was going on In the
world outside the field Of personal gossip.
Gossip was the one topic upon which
was mum at the advice of my invalid friend.
She told me that must follow her example
listen but never repeat
III sounds very easy, but found II rather
difficult on more than Que occasion. Oiteh
4 lady would take her seat al my elbow
while ! was manipulating the ten kettle
and pour into my ears the private history
Of each and every one In the room. When
by and by she would drift away another
would take her place and begin To- pump
me In an effort TO discover what the first
had been talking about. Indeed, ] have
had them ask point blank: What did she
! say about me? know she was talking about
| me you may IA well tell me what she said,
Sometimes when one woman would over
hear the remarks Of her predecessor IN the
chair at my elbow she would insist on telling
me the other side OF the story with The
hope Of drawing from me- what the other
had said
@lt is not easy always 10 hold ones tongue
automatically while pouring tea. On, yes,
men were sometimes the offenders but II IL
, easier to sidetraCk a man gossip than a
3 Rf Aa "a IA IN
gossip 81 far on the trail that any girl may
feel herself secure for that one afternoon
at least
"Ths amusing characteristic " the men
who attend ) o o'clock teas Is their Willingness
10 swallow all the compliments that woman
can administer. ] fancy il II becdusa ot
their age in a large measure for they are all
Innocent either from extreme youth or APP
preaching old age Men arr willing enough
10 hang around a tea table - long rs a girl
hus her hair becOmngly arranged and viii
smile a few compliments az them
cit In the women at The afternoon tea
who criliCige While some uf thrm are
gussips' the ma iurity are eager to learu ihe
latest thing that IN happening NOT only in
the world VI politics but IN the fields Ul sci
enCe aud religion.
-On one occu.ion had every person in
the rooms around the tea table because
mentioned having visited the bacterluugi-
cal bureau Oh Sixteenth street. There
wasn't q woman present who Nasn eager
/ 10 ask questions about the appnaranc. uT
3 the different cultures When | began ~
talk about the different little animals and
how they were used fur experimenting |
! WAS almost mobhed.
Then il was that | realized for the frst
! time that New York people knew mex, To
| nothing about the city in which they lived
! Instead of devoting my tim" to reading
magazines aud newspapers in my efforts
/ ID get things to talk about aiU.r THAI used
10 poke around and see unusual things in
and about town
One Iilcc | visited FOR th" uurposr "
avuearing eu.-rtaiuing at ny tcNl tea
VAS the one orthodox Russian church in
New York II didnt prove as great hi
as the rabbits aud guinea pigs On ,eenth
street hut every Ody wanted 10 know
lust how t0 get to il aud see for herself. !
have Oh the sane ladies' bidding for my
services next year 80 look upon myself ~
a successful tea pOuref
The girl who earned money as u iead"r OF