The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-25
THE MAITRE D'HOTEL.
lmpressionistic sketch of . Public
Character and Riddle.

To THE EDITOR or THE SrN--Str! II
is half past In the evening. The
countless elevators dlsgorge an ever
increasing number OF decolete ladies
and uncomfortable looking men. The
foyers OF the big hotel are filling slowly.
Groups form here and there. The band
opens its repertory with the hackneyed
"Tipperary" and falling In line. the
crowd heeds its sound and approaches
the Just opening dining room, when sud
denly, as IL by command, the voluntary
procession in honor of Moloch appetite
halts. II has reached the well guarded
entrance to the temple OF Gasterea /;
well guarded indeed. for none Is ad-
mitted until he has satisfactorily passed
the scrutnizing glance of its Cerberus,
the maitre d'hot,!
The tail OF the procession surges ner-
vously and Indignantly forward; angry
voices are heard greenbacks and yell
lowbacks make their appearance, only
to be crushed in the clenched fists OF the
nouveaux riches, for these are the poor
mortals who creepingly crave the
approval of the Cerberus. the maitrc
d'hotel
There he stands in the mi die OF the
entrance, surrounded and backed by
tropical plants. In all his glory, with the
manners OF courtier, the patience OF
diplomat. the hauteur OF Louis
XIV, and clad in the latest creation
Of fashionable Fifth avenue tailor.
On and on surge the diners to the right
and to the left are they despatched by
the assistants, after passing the dreaded
review OF this arbiter OF elegance.
Many "A Ifttsburg millionaire has en-
tered the would-he exclusive society Of
New Yorks smart set with his assist
ance. His nod of approval has enabled
h,tt1 ho IN LIT a
eted acquaintance OF these prodigal
lambs, but he has also been well recon-
pensed for his labors on the one hand
by more than doubtful cordially OF
his friends OF a night on the other. by
more substantial means. for he outdoes
his prottges in the splendor of his motor
car. the vastness of his country house
and In the recklessness of his Wall
street operations.
Whence did he come. this riddle OF the
twentieth century?
He saw the dawn OF life In a village
perchcd among the high rocks of the
Grand Saleve. overlooking the beautiful
lake of Geneva with the innumerable
hotels bordering both sides. The son
OF an nnkeeper. he soon saw his op-
portunity, and at fourteen we find him
already in the south of France. "A disci-
pie of Ganymede. The cosmopolitan
surrounding did not fail to leave its
impress on his Susceptible nature. The
constant intercourse with Europes IN
tellectual selected who seek inspiration.
rest or dissipation on the cote d'Azur
soon initiated him in the SAVIOR fare
and savoir yivre Of these sat!ated
blases But it also instilled thirst Of
knowledge In him which 1t has taken
all his life to Quench. From country to
country did he travel. one language
after another did ne acquire until ne
reached the gates OF the Western me-
tropolis
With all the acquired knowledge,
superficial at best. Europe has not per-
mitted him to reach his goal. an hon
ored position In the world he knew.
He remained what he was, the servitor
OF the classes commanding Mammon;
but no sooner did he reach the Western
Hemisphere than he met his opportunity,
for here he found a moneyed society
which had barely started on the career
he had just finished. and whereas he
had always been aware OF his inferiority.
he suddenly found himself intellectually
superior to what As1erica calls its best
And America calls us best these para
sites OF society in, cad Of the refined
and unObtrusive iut,ileCts who. Just he
cause they xmas right from wrong,
never emerge fidp the shadows of their
existence.
wonderfully Sprglomerate charac-
'er soon formed Rself IN our maitre
motel. Disiain "A ID haughtin.ss are its
most poignant trdSs. At times he con-
desceuds TO respond to the overtures OF
an inlu!sit!ve guest. Then he will talk
Oh any imaginable subject he is at
home in literature the sciences. art and
music. and II is no wonder that
Americas nouveauS riches whose
scraping OF riches had left no time to
cultivate refinement and manners, look
upon our hero as the incarnation Of
Americas arbter OF elegance, the
maitre dhotel. AUGUST SLENDER.
NEW YORK. April -