Page:A hairdresser's experience in high life.djvu/78

80 a scrape I don't know, for he looked careworn and much troubled. To this day, in a milliner's store, a dry good's store, or a confectionary, wherever she can find any person who does not know her history, she will step up and commence a conversation, presuming on her husband's family. The proprietor or some of the salesmen will put the lady on her guard. She dressed elegantly, and used good language. Dress is the go now; I know a great many people at Saratoga, not much better than she was, but who had good friends and dressed fine, who were never noticed. There comes every year, to the States, a mysterious lady, who always has a book or newspaper, reading. She was never seen talking with any one till the last season, when there was an old gentleman, who usually sat on the opposite side of the promenade, and occasionally there would a bow pass between them.

The last season, at Saratoga, there was no head, or leader, and it was really amusing to see every one making efforts to establish a reputation as leader. At this time it was very gay and lively; many mothers brought their young sons there; it was laughable to see the young roosters strutting about, with their standing collars, making love to the ladies, some of whom were old enough to be their mothers; but, as beaux were scarce, they had to take young or old, as they had to have beaux.

On my first doing business in Saratoga, there were many gentlemen there from New York, and other places, who were clerks and bookkeepers, who could not stay long, as the board at Saratoga was more than they could afford to pay, but they certainly were a very gay set, and kept the place alive.