Page:A hairdresser's experience in high life.djvu/234

236 without him. Then there were carriages filled with such people as do not usually go to such places, going to take a last farewell look at one, who in life, they so much admired. Truly, his charities were without number, and without ostentation, for his right hand knew not what his left hand gave. I knew him as a boy, and I knew him as a man, and always found him the same noble, generous, upright character; even his dearest friends or his parents did not know many of his charities till after his death. The last time he was seen by a number of his friends, was at a wedding, where he was more lively and gay than he had been for a long time before.

During that winter there were more parties and weddings than I had ever known before; among the rest was one given by a gentleman who presented his wife with a set of diamonds on the aniversaryanniversary [sic] of her wedding, and she invited a large party for the purpose of her showing them off. Among the guests was one lady who was dressed in white satin, and a full set of magnificent diamonds; it was said her diamonds cost as many thousand dollars as those of the hostess cost hundreds. Everything was elegant, and on the same scale of magnificence she always has her parties.

Some few years ago I was sent for to comb some ladies at the Burnet House. I went and combed them, but did not know them at all. I had heard there were two ladies at the Burnet House, mother and daughter, very wealthy, and said to be old citizens. On my combing the young lady, I mentioned the name of a lady, and asked her if she knew her. She said yes, and was pressing me on to ask more questions, when