Carrie had gotten herself up charmingly enough, but this woman pained her by contrast.She seemed to have so many dainty little things which Carrie had not.There were trinkets of gold, an elegant green leather purse set with her initials, a fancy handkerchief, exceedingly rich in design, and the like.Carrie felt that she needed more and better clothes to compare with this woman, and that any one looking at the two would pick Mrs.Vance for her raiment alone.It was a trying, though rather unjust thought, for Carrie had now developed an equally pleasing figure, and had grown in comeliness until she was a thoroughly attractive type of her colour of beauty.There was some difference in the clothing of the two, both of quality and age, but this difference was not especially noticeable.It served, however, to augment Carrie's dissatisfaction with her state.
The walk down Broadway, then as now, was one of the remarkable features of the city.There gathered, before the matinee and afterwards, not only all the pretty women who love a showy parade, but the men who love to gaze upon and admire them.It was a very imposing procession of pretty faces and fine clothes.
Women appeared in their very best hats, shoes, and gloves, and walked arm in arm on their way to the fine shops or theatres strung along from Fourteenth to Thirty-fourth Streets.Equally the men paraded with the very latest they could afford.A tailor might have secured hints on suit measurements, a shoemaker on proper lasts and colours, a hatter on hats.It was literally true that if a lover of fine clothes secured a new suit, it was sure to have its first airing on Broadway.So true and well understood was this fact, that several years later a popular song, detailing this and other facts concerning the afternoon parade on matinee days, and entitled "What Right Has He on Broadway?" was published, and had quite a vogue about the music-
halls of the city.
In all her stay in the city, Carrie had never heard of this showy parade; had never even been on Broadway when it was taking place.
On the other hand, it was a familiar thing to Mrs.Vance, who not only knew of it as an entity, but had often been in it, going purposely to see and be seen, to create a stir with her beauty and dispel any tendency to fall short in dressiness by contrasting herself with the beauty and fashion of the town.
Carrie stepped along easily enough after they got out of the car at Thirty-fourth Street, but soon fixed her eyes upon the lovely company which swarmed by and with them as they proceeded.She noticed suddenly that Mrs.Vance's manner had rather stiffened under the gaze of handsome men and elegantly dressed ladies, whose glances were not modified by any rules of propriety.To stare seemed the proper and natural thing.Carrie found herself stared at and ogled.Men in flawless top-coats, high hats, and silver-headed walking sticks elbowed near and looked too often into conscious eyes.Ladies rustled by in dresses of stiff cloth, shedding affected smiles and perfume.Carrie noticed among them the sprinkling of goodness and the heavy percentage of vice.The rouged and powdered cheeks and lips, the scented hair, the large, misty, and languorous eye, were common enough.With a start she awoke to find that she was in fashion's crowd, on parade in a show place--and such a show place! Jewellers' windows gleamed along the path with remarkable frequency.Florist shops, furriers, haberdashers, confectioners--all followed in rapid succession.The street was full of coaches.Pompous doormen in immense coats, shiny brass belts and buttons, waited in front of expensive salesrooms.Coachmen in tan boots, white tights, and blue jackets waited obsequiously for the mistresses of carriages who were shopping inside.The whole street bore the flavour of riches and show, and Carrie felt that she was not of it.She could not, for the life of her, assume the attitude and smartness of Mrs.Vance, who, in her beauty, was all assurance.She could only imagine that it must be evident to many that she was the less handsomely dressed of the two.It cut her to the quick, and she resolved that she would not come here again until she looked better.At the same time she longed to feel the delight of parading here as an equal.Ah, then she would be happy!