MISS FLOBA BHABON.

Nelson Evening Mail, 29 October 1880, Page 4

MISS FLOBA BHABON.

called one of tbe " Princesses of the Republic " by a toadying newspaper in quality-loviDg America, is the daughter of ex-Senator Sharon, who owns the

Palace Hotel and ono or two others in this city — in facr, the gentleman is tbe largest hotel owner in the world, what they would call here tbe "boßS.'* He also owns Belmont, whoee magnificence Firs figured in the columns of tbe iLerald from this pen some time ago, Misß Flora is a very nice little lady; small, brunette, and twenty-one. The man of her heart is old, plain, and titled, It amuses me, with all the American humbug and talk of equality, to see the way in which these nouvelle elite catch up the English titles, no matter how old or ugly the owner may be; but Sir Thomas "Heßketh is a very fine gentleman, and must have money as well as the hand'e to his name. The unequal marriages which take place here make me sad. AH the frowsy old men in the city pick up the girls in their teens, who must have a weary time of it, according to my lights, for this January and May bu&ioeßß seems entirely out of plaoe and dißgusting; still, I beg their pardon^ it'a none of my business, and if they &re happy-— well. MRS. J W. MACK AT has lately given a breakfast to the Americans at Trouville, where she always spends the summer in a lovely cottage. Sbe feeds her gutsts on golden platee, and gives them wine in amber gobleta. Some of the dishes are encrusted with roogh-cut gems, and her porcelain is almost more costly than goldware. Tiffany made her b gold dinner service which cost 200,000 dollars. And so many people starve ,* truly the ways of Providence are inscrutable and past finding out. I wonder where the crack in creation lies? — tbut there is a very large rent is evident. For years I have tried to work ihe problem, but failed miseratly. LUNCH FIENDS. When a strict view is taken on the subject of living, I know of no place under the sun where men can live cheaper than in the Golden City. ] speak not of women, but tboee lords of oreation for whose special and puriicular benefit the world seems to have been created from the time Adam bad it all his own way in the Garden of Eden, uniil that mistake called woman spoiled tbe whole business with her prying, ridiculous curiosity. Of course, we have the hardest kind of times over here, and yet one sees loafers on tbe street — called in our vernacular •" bummers " or "bums" — fat and flourishing. This is the way they do it : — On .almost every street in the heart of the city you see signs reading, " Free Lunch," " Beer, five cents a

glass." Here the men who are " broke" live, that is, they can usually scrape up five or ten cents, and so for breakfaat they walk in, call right manfully for a glass of beer, pay down their five cents, and walk over to the lunch table, where is found soup, meat, pie, cake, &o. Again at dinner hour Ihe; invest the other five cents, and enjoy another well-fixed meal. Hundreds ol loafers live thus, and I know several who have riot even the necessary ten cents to pay, but these Blide in with a friend who asks them to " take a driok," and they grow fat and flourishing on nothing, beeping up the game for months. If you ask how so-and-so liveß, walking about ostensibly idle, the reply is, " Ob, he's a lunch fiend." Oi course, there are another clues of men who are included among the " fiends," who, however, have money, and it it tbe quantity of liquor drunk tbat pays for the almost sumptuous lunch set out.

All day long the tables are replenished, and yet the 'Munch fiend's" quarters never seem to come to grief. After all, there is no country in the world where " broke up" humanity can exist cinder difficulties as they do here, on account of the climate, the same clothes doing duty all the year round, and the sand- lots and hay-bales forming excellent beds' for those who have none — those making use of the hay being dubbed " hay-bunkers." These are found in swarms along the wharves, where the hay-bales are, and some curious scenes go on there once in a while, when the vigilance of the police, who are slow, as a rule, is awakened; then, hidden so completely among the hay, are found with difficulty dozens of ÜBed-up-look-iog individuals, who regretfully turn out of the snuggery, until the active boiiy had passed oo its way, when silently they creep back to the soft ssclusioct THE PRESIDENT arrived h re some two weeks ago with his wife and party. A very cool reception was accorded to the ruler of the nation, the decorations being of the meanest description. A few cords slung across the street) with the regulation tricoloured rags floatiog therefrom, and a few big banners was all. No arche?) no mottoes of '• welcome,' no anything like the demonstration offered to Grant last 5 bat was to be seen. But then the President is not a favourite. He came into office suspiciously enough ; the voteß in his favour against the Democratic nominee being only one ahead, and madam rumour said there had been tampering at the polls. For a long time after the accession of Hayes to the Presidental chair there was a grand fight ; counting and recounting the votes, and general dissatisfaction prevailed. Therefore, theie are nuraberj here who have never recognised him as the lawful man.. And, again, his veto of the bill that was to have helped rid the country of its hordes of Mongols, still sticks in the throats of almost everyone devoted to the interests of the State.. At any rate, his reception was cool as a pitcher of iced lemonade. An individual, who, by chance, came on the train with f the Presidental party > thus described it to me : — '* I came on the same car, and really moved] away lest I should be iaken for one of them— they were such a shabby-looking lot* One (a general) was telling how he had four shirts in the wash that week ; another was bating a large apple; another lady was faded and badly dressed— looked to me as if she had five, husbands and .twenty children, and was ' riddled out.' All tiut Mrs. Hayes wer6 poorly clad, arid she had on a handsome black silk suit, with white bonnet, white veil, white feathers, and white gloves. The clothes were all right, but, poor lady, she looked as if she had borrowed some fine lady's, clothes, and did not know how .to wear them. A -very common looking party, I assure you, and I moved right away from them. When we passed through the Gate, they were asked for tickets, whereupon the President shook hands with the gatekeeper, and ' open sesame,' .they were instantly passed through. Feeling much disgusted with what appeared to me undue familiarity on the President's part I turned to a gentleman and so expressed myself. ' And who the devil is the President,' he eaid ' but the servant of the people ? We are the .sovereigns ; ho our slave ; not as you [English people are, who set up a monarch, to whom you are all slaves.' " This 'is the way Americans talk. A pretty sight tbok place. yesterday, when twenty •thousand children from the schools lined the street on either side while the Presidental 'party passed along in three carriages. It was the most hearty arid ; beautiful welcome yet tendered. The ;childreh were laden with flowers, with : wh ich they fairly pelted the President and ;his wife, hitting him in the face, knocking 'his hat off, and smothering Mrs. Hayes jin bloom. The children's welcome is always the piece de resistance in the (programme whenever we have a " lion" amongst us. Every Government officer was invited to meet and receive the great man.