Page:A hairdresser's experience in high life.djvu/146

148 just commenced her career as belle, and seemed no way put out at the praises bestowed on Miss F.

The season was gay and brilliant. The bride had many parties given in her honor; she attended all the "hops" at the St. Charles, and I have seen groups of people stand to look at her when she came down stairs; and often, as she passed through the hall, the different doors would be opened, and persons peep out after her—she was so perfectly beautiful. All this was, of course, very flattering to her.

After a few seasons—and a very few—they commenced picking her, as they did other belles, at hotels, watering-places, and every other place where belles are the general topic of conversation; but she was perfectly indifferent as to the opinion of the world, as she had not only beauty, but wealth to back it, and had no worldly cares—neither child, nor pet of any kind. So she continued her visits to the fashionable watering-places, winter and summer.

A young man who was grandchild to one of our great Kentucky statesmen, having gone to New Orleans quite young, fell into the hands of gamblers. His father detected him in gambling, and made very severe threats what he would do, if he ever caught him again. It appeared that this young man had collected some money for his father and lost it, and through fear of his father, he chose death rather than meeting him. He told one of the men at the gambling house to come at seven o'clock the next day, to get a check. The gambler came at the appointed time, and found the young man dead. He had gone home, undressed, and, after getting into bed, put a pistol under his jaw and blew his brains out. I saw