THE LURE OF THE TEA ROOMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 633, 9 October 1909, Page 11

THE LURE OF THE TEA ROOMS.

[By Jenny Wren.] Not one of the other girls in,the tea-room looked nearly as-fresh, as dainty, as charming to my eyes as ,Nina, though by that it is, not meant that they were not all or any one of these things—only that. Nina was graced with j them, to,a superlativo'.degree. .Day after day I I went to', the same place' for luncheon, and' sat ; in .the '.' accustomed unobtrusivo' cornerNina and. th.e.-.constant flow of people streaming, in being the'great sources of attraction,' also-Twliy.'.riot confess it?—the luncheon, whicji' was', exceedingly ..gopd always, unless; Iwas foolish', enpugh' to,.be. late, when, Nina,' with a' mournful , smil'c, would say. 'with compassion; "Everything,: is .off ...but corned .beef." Th'cn;' indeed, 1 would feel sad, and only the fact that Nina brcught it would enable me' to struggle with it, for corned beef is a dreadful abomination.' • However, if I.were ■ late, that was my look-out. So deft was Nina, so accurate in remembering one's order, and; so swift in bringing it, that it was.impossible to think that she could ever have been otherwise, and yet, one day, during a lull: in the, whirling stress of things, she confessed that she had . not'always been'so;' ."When'l first cam'o here'," she ■ said,' "I simply could not'remember the different things that people would border. So many would- come in:all .at'onco, 'and; all, of course, ordering different■ things,- and wanting thorn at once, [ that 1 would 1 get wildly confused and nervous. Then/ if. I happened . to bring a man' roast beef instead ..of the "beefsteak pie he -had or-, dered," his ' look-. of sorrovr and resignation would'ftavo^mado'a-'Kiarbrr of old times', pale with;'bnyy? while, if ho'had to wait'for five minutes' ; >hilo' we were living about doing bur-best'to:brjug'-orders'.quickly to people, ins injured 'loclk'-'of heroip enduranco made 1 me feel almost a criminal; Quite often women are the most impatient, though, when one would expect that they, at least, would see how things are. They don't - seem to understand all we have to do, and soraotimos we might havo new maids, who are slow at serving out what is wanted, and, of course, that adds to tho delay. One time just when I was very new to things, I managed to upset a tray, on which wore standing fully, two dozen cups and saucers,-and .nine .teapots; Can't you ! imagine .the deadly, crash,: of it all? Fortunately it was out .of sight,'but, of course, riot; out 1 :of ; the hearing of-the people." . ; Whilo Nina was talking, a small party, consisting of three ladies , and a little boy' of 'about live, camo in, and sat at a table'near by, and she at once went to take their orders. A'very long time was-spent in consultations as to what they would have, first one'thing being decided upon arid then another. How-

Women are not the only ones who are now and Again given to making' an effective entry into the TOom. Occasionally a man will come in, reach, tho middle of tho room with slow and stately steps, then stop, and gaze about him, proceed up one aisle.and feel dissatisfied, come back again, go up another one, reach a table ; , and stand looking , all round him before finally sinking into ■a ; chair and • becoming one of the multitude, giving an impression' of general boredom with; the world in general! "It is a bright, pleasant life, for any girl," says Nina.' "For there'is always the interest created by th.e seeing of fresh faces, as well as friends and acquaintances, but-it is not a thing. to put years into unless one has a share in things. Then it is: matter. The constant ebbing and flowing of people, the things one hears and the things one .sees, make one feel ■ somewhat like .the Lady of Shallot, only without'the mirror—ono is a spectator of so much in the world about one.",'