CONFESSIONS OF A PROFESSIONAL BEAUTY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 164, 12 July 1881, Page 1

CONFESSIONS OF A PROFESSIONAL BEAUTY.

The London society journal called Truth having published an article, on the practice of asking for invitations, a lady, who signed herself "A Professional Beauty," Bent the following letter to it:—

A6 ore of the sinners referred to in your article, I hope I may be pardoned for addressing you a few remarks cn tbe euljeet, from the point of view of those who ask, snd usually receive, such invitations. When I was first " discovered," and became lha cynosure of all eyes cs a Professional Baauty, no one waa more astonished than I was myself. Of course, I knew I was pretty. Somefimes I even thought myself very pretty, when I was looking my beet. But I had never thought of myself 83 being " beautiful." Notwithstanding this, when I was given the role to play, I entered into it with z?st. This is three years ago, I wa* then acmprried, Wherever I went people stopped to etare at me, and audibly whispered, " That is the beautiful Mies ." Pirotographers made constant applic atidns to me. They would photograph tne free of chaige, they said, and weald give ma so many dozen for myself. Fashionable -milliners sent me all kinds of lovely things with little notes, implying that the only remuneration they would ask would be the great favor of my wearing the boanet, or the dress, or the parasol, onc6 or twice in pubiic.

At first I felt soma scruples abont accepting tbese things, bat when I found tbat -itnoaed lately ujfon my wearing Bome tsovelty of the kind, half a hundred people rushed off to get one like it, I realised that the milliners were do losers by 1 the transaction, and by degraes I gained sufficient cocfidence to visit their -showrooms ami select osmoses, bonao.B, hat., and a thoasand etceteras for niys-jlf. This was all very pleaiaat, but soon I begsn to got ambitious. I found that some of tbe brilliant eisierhopd of p.ofeesionai beactias gos oa oiiich faster than I did id society, Some of the l.eafc pretty got on the beet, i beard of them as appearing at the beat houses at danc.s, and even occasionally at dinner partie.. O'ne or two were preoented at Court, arid these had no better claims to social consideration tbatf I had. I coald not make ooUwfry^^'wra fi r.--One morning in the Park I obtained th. clur* A genii -tnan said to me-—'* How io it: you were not at Lady Dash'a ball lest night ? We had a capital dace?. You would have enjoyed it." It was very galliog to have to say — " I do not know L.dy Dish," but I did say it, not having quite got ev?r the habit of early truthfulness. Ima^in. my astonishment when he replied 'But that doesn't matter. Mrs i_. does n»t know Lady Dash, but I her a card. She asked me. If I had known you would bave liked to go I would have got you one too. By-the-way^ eble gives am tier dance on the 20.L, Shall I aek her for a card for you ? " Here vs as a temptation. My fi.tt impulse was to refuse, but! tifobgbt, "if I reject thia chance I may never have another;" bo I said,. "Oh, .back you, I should like it so 1 mucb. ? ' The next difficulty was to find a chopierone for me. You eee the other beauties had tbeir husbands to see them about. But this was sur'aionnted, and I went and enjoyed- by self extremely.

I won't eay that I had no snubs. The women behaved aa though I had odme to the: ball in a Btnstll-pox an:bulancei ■ The*y a'pfpe_!red to think thet bo__6 terrible (-ontan_inatioh liirkod in the folds of my dress. They made me realise that though! waa amdng them I • was not ot thetii. And at firet I did feel dreadfully humiliate J. 1 felt that I must run away like a very coward. But the music waa divine and the floor so perfect, that I forgot everything disilgfeeabia in the waltz, and remained, sitting out all the square dances. After that evening: I grew bolder. I often asked people to try and get calrdsfor inte. Others did if. Why not I ? I sboulJ soon have been distanced in tbe race if I had not. After a while caiTdai catile ansblicitedi Grafid ladies fddnd thait theii- pa. t.ii-S "went cfi" better /when the element oij professional beauty Waa iu trod uced j aiid I had no lack of invitation^ though hosiesseF, aa'a rale, prefer, bi&dujy married, eepecially when tliey.; have gi, own-up sons. I owe all my eooial success to "iaeking for invitation./' and cdy domestic happiness tco/ for I have married well, both in a worldly and another Bense. I have a; dear little bundle to my name, which may Bome day develop into a bigger one; sb to' my husband, I think bim perfection, though W8 have been married for nearly two years. You willtblck thie iooprobable, biit it is true. You see there i& socDethicg to be'taid, after all, on the other •side of the vfcxad question of asking to be invited.