Among People Who Write Books.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 130, 26 February 1887, Page 3

Among People Who Write Books.

On Friday we all went to a literary " Evening," a sort of salon, where the only alloy in our happiness lay in the tact that the people were not labelled We were almost the only individuals present who had not either written a book or invented a new religion, or become the Evangels of some special form of culture, or contributed in some o:her way towards making social history. It was highly interesting, I assure j'ou, and we observed much that was instructive For instance, I may tell you, j in confidence, that the male genius does not we<»r his hair so wild as waa once his wont, and that if hi* eye rolls, it rolls in moderation. Genius ie no longer incompatible with perfect civilisation. It is now possible to porseHS brains and yet show no volcanic eruption of the hyacinthine locks ; no lava flow collar wards off a cataract of hair. The unkempt Teufelsdrockh exerted an evil influence upon clothes and the use of the hairbrush. Since he went from us the younjj lions roar mmeles?, and their thick locks know the scissors of the fckilled shearer, Lady novelists were in force on this occasion. Some lookod very like their book* ; other very unlike. Who, for instance, would hove recognised in a darkhftirod and bright-eyed young woman in a pietty white gown, the graphic cbi'oniclar of barrack life, to whom we owe a delight fnl record of the cavalry infant, Mignon ? Nob so difficult was it to identify with her books tne elucidator of acts behind the footlights. Immensely tall, and otherwise extensive, this lady was attired in ruby velvet, with remarkable vandyked upon the arms. Another novelist, a by no means meagre little lady, looked as if she had never I been troubled by any literary work more severe than that of writing out the dinner j menu. The mental strain of delineating the Lady Bluegown and chronicles of the gai den-wall had left no trac63 upon the brow. But lest wo should imagine that the production of fiction leadd inevitably to the development of adipose tissue, wo were shown one or two authoresses who were of more ethereal proportions. It wag ' inter-e-ting to see tho high priebtoes of Grecian folds discuss the mysteries of peplurn and polonaise with tho now Ameiican apostle of drapery. Tho latter lady seemed unduly weighed -with a Kind of beady cassock, which hung in a straight line iroua neck to feet. 1 should like t" a^k her why wo women should flatten ourselves", whon naturo has so evidently intended us to run in curves ? I heard tho male apostle give some valuable information to a lady about the treatment of wrinkles I reproduce that little lecture in my own words for you. Never stand in the full glare of a chandslier. Turn always your back to it. A light from above throws the shadows of a wrinkle beneath it, and makes that wrinkle look more deeply, darkly, absolutely wiinkly than it possibly could under other circumstances. There ought to ba no chandeliers, ho said, and he told how a lady had had one taken down which had beon the pride of her soul and the costliest thing in her house. On the way to tho pupper-rooms I overheard the following dialogue between two persons who had evidently been ju^c that moment introduced : - " Everybody hero is somebody. Who are you ?" "Well, I regret to pay it, but I am nobody. Don't look disappointed, please, if you can help it. Tell me what have,vo« done ? Have you written a book ?" •' Oh, no ! But my husband has." " And my wife has." " Oh, that's very comfortable ! Is it not delightful to bo insignificant ? I havo I always preferred the moon to the aun, have not you ? It must be awful to be always expected to shine." And the two moons seemed to enjoy themselves very completely in the absence ot the conjugal suns, — " Truth "

" Wrinkle" from an old gamekeeper. — If you only practise long enough at getting a steel trap, you will be sure to get your hand a. A lazy fellow once declared in public company that he could not find bread for his family. "Nor I," replied an industrious mechanic; "I am obliged to work for it,