New-York tribune., 1909-01-09
IN DAYS DEPARTED.
An English !Spanster's Experiences
and Dissertations.

REcoLLECTIoNs OF A sPINsTER Az AUNT; Eais' 9ad
ed by s Sophia Beale-DemS; SV0;; &rP Pp' p9i,i 9i
r. Reynolds.
The Spinster Aunt Englshwoman VINO
was born into the early Victorian era and knew
the life and the sights of the London OF DICK
ens's day Her oddly spelled letters as nttle
girl describe the operas she heard when Grlcl
and "AIbony' sang, and the "burlesk or TX
trayaeanser'' wherein Nine. Festris played
peacock and was gIitteringly beautiful, though
she wore much 'ruge" The younsster Sd"
then, "Esurv the Great Duke with empires
lanentation" She went TO the Crystal Palace TO
see the Queen and Prince Albert and their vis-
itors, Louis Napoleon and Eugenie The small
maiden was outspoken in her criticisms: Louis
Napoleon is frightfuI. and Of course our Queen
is not the elegant woman that the French En-
nress is But oh! her crinolne! 1t must have
been four yards in circumference; the Queen
is much more sensible in her costume Inc
Empress is most elegant, but probably vain
woman and fond of dress A somewhat more
sentimental glimpse Of royalty comes two OF
three years after when the young spinster goes
to sec Prince Frederick William take away his
bride the Princess Royal. Fritz is a handsome
fellow A good deal older than his little wife,
who looks a mere child and was yesterday
OeClQe0iy
the women in the crowd who watched the car
riage drive away Poor child" said one, how
she will miss her Ma. and 1 reckon her Ma will
miss her a goodish hit" That cold snowy
morning was more than fifty years ago, and
handsome Fritz is gone and the little wife, too,
and so is the kind mother at Windsor. and many
and great were the sorrows that were theirs IN
the years that followed that bridal day.
AS our spinster grew older she began to
alize the pleasure of cultivating naturally
alert mind She takes up music; she studies
Art, with particularly large A; she INDUCES
in criticism of the painters of the perod-some
OF it naIve1y bad. She travels, and writes agree
ably of her experiences to her favorite cousin
and in her diary; she observes human nature
and sets down her observations with something
of huTnor and much of kindliness. She does not
forget now and then to record family expert
ences in holiday tfne-Ettness the story of the
struggle of a modest group of ladies TO secure
sea bathing at Lyme Regis without the anti
quated local bathing machine;
Our lodging has a garden and that garden
ends upon the beach; SO we bethought us that II
bathed before breakfast We should save much
dressing and undressing. and we could walk down
70 the sea through the garden opT party con cor
two boys under ten, an art student (girD and We
than our attire; bathing costumes. really very
pretty, blue serge trimmed with red braid like
cloak But we had recis9ned without ,f, our host
across the shore. took of our wraps and Joy
and we had glorious swim After a quarter Of
an nodr 9th OF So e1s we TIt IN i,e me ftarn3op the
Mayor interviewed Mrs. D. He very sorry
We're n9oSent @ Of anH Intentional mproprety but
LIME Regis was not France 1t might Chs be Prej]p ej9o
nor P0regF ways s % Gne s OF us fbe had
chine people the II used the thing
(there is only Inachine), which would surely
be an advantage to them and to their other Gus
toners" An armistice was arranged, conditions
] ee t up and nv Mr. bos aySg %e 6@
against stronger than purse power. Ma am
T to he se % the Eo Sehns and c6nfe
| selves beaten: RefoTmers we are feebleness
personifei.
| Another incident the young lady found even
more characteristic of Dorset than the bathing
| one: -.
Ra'ng m under the % Gin . 5fs T"ssdsy ss a Das Has dis
white umbrella Locking up 6ehed 3 GrGTd S t 06
eGr of ea sepE perset yog9hs
ed threatened: I addressed them in violent Ian
guage yagabCnd rascals brutes. and any other
ana isnormtnousI hacked Ti1 my tools ana retired
once more defeated ny the family of Crundy- odge
| Probably the instisator vas son Of Madam Of the
| umbrella and the worker underneath provokes in
that We painters are considered to he legitima .
subjects for sportive mud and stone throwing. In
Ioung FIeIangs were intoera6Ie until detective
| took under his wing and kept off tine boys
| The spinster amateur in later years went 10
! Paris TO study her beloved painting. and in Ber-
tins studio had for instructors and critics TOu-
| mouche. Hebert and DelaUnay-not group Of
startling importance. Apropos of two of the Sc
| artists she records comic incident: Il had noJ
| got beyond drawing the head in brown umbcr
when in walks Monsieur ToulmOuche. He found
fault with my work and corrected il according O
| his views. After he had departed we all talked
| of his corrections and did not think much of
mistaken the day. When he round TO ma
| he said How in the world (something 10 that
| efect) how in the world you have seen the
girl like that OF course. / had not seen her
! like that but how could l have said who did il
! Every one looked at me, but I held my peace.
Monsieur took my palette and brushes and there .
| upon painted the head in entirely fresh. When
! he had gone every one screamed out. Why dill
| YOU not tell him?' 7 would not have let him
| think I had done it. and so on, and so on.
as it a Delaunay, and began another
Another reminiscence of the spinster's Paris
| days concerns the determined efforts of NJ Pas
| deloup to make his French audiences listen -
| Wagner's music All through the Lohengrin
| Prelude at one concert there was wild up
RooE.o 1nI D,,6T;n1}so,s