Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1881 — Esthetics. [ARTICLE]

Esthetics.

Brooklyn Eagle. “Are you esthetic?’ inquired a New Haven young lady of a Brooklyn girl, as the two sat down to a dish of fried dams in a Fulton-street restaurant.

“I guess so,” replied the Brooklyn girl vaguely. “Why do you ask?” “’Cause it’s so terribly, awfully the thing. We’re all esthetic at home. Everybody is,and you don’t know how weenjoyit!” “Is it —is it very expensive?” queried the Brooklyn girl, feeling ner way. “It comes rather high, but it is so essential. I haven’t felt so well since I left school as I have since being esthetic. You don’t know how much I’ve gained?” “What’s the nature of it? How do you take it?” “Oh.you sit around and be excessive and when anyone speaks to you, you glare at ’em and say‘How quick I’Then you shut your eyes, and breathe hard. They say it’s very healthy.”; “Can'you do it all alone?” “Oh, gracious, no 1 It takes four or five to play. All you’ve got to do is to cut off your eyelashes, so’s to look stony and then practice with some chairs till you are ready to go into society. At home W 3 commenced with clothespins to represent gentlemen, and bandoline bottles for the ladies. Then we Joined the association and licked ’em aU.”

“I had an idea that esthetic meant the pleasurable sensations that arise from a gratification of artistic appreciation,” explained the Brooklyn girl, timidly. “Merciful goodness, no! On the contrary, it means the absence of taste. You mustn’t have any taste. You must only be utter.” “How do you fetch that?” “That’s done by holding yojir breath until you are nearly ready to bust, and thea let it out quick. You do that when somebody asks you if you are prepared to eethet. Then you go on estheting till the party breaks up. Myra Brown, of New Haven, is just lovely at it We admire her so much!” -

“It must be fun,” mused the Brooklyn girl, holding a clam on her fork and contemplating her companion. “It just is. The gentlemen are ever, so nice. They wear swallow stomach coats and eye-glassee—” “Eh?” ejaculated the Brooklyn girl, rather startled at the uniform.

“Yes, and they are so extreme. Oh, vou don’t knew. When we girls are estheting we wear a short shroud. Mine is cashmere and cost two dollars a yard. Borne of the societies wear lilies, but we use poppies. They are more languid. The last time we met somebody put red pepper on the stove, and I havu’t fully recove red yet. Then some of the esthetics are gracile, but

our society runs to flesh. We think it mors souifuL” * ' “Pto got an idea it is sort of a frauds from your description,” observed the Brooklyn girl, gulping down the last danT “You nasty hussy (” shouted the esthete. “You’ve got no more intensity than » lobster! You’re a coarse vulgar animal. You’re a sessile groveler. And more than that, you pay for those dams, or you stay la pawn for ’em I” And the fragile follower of the pre-j vailing fashion slammed out of the establishment, leaving her hard-hearted friend to liquidate the aooount. It doesn’t do to rouse up the unutterable*. They are apt to forget the sufficient and become sibilant.