Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1870-01-22
An English View OF New York
Social Life.

The London Daily News is pub.
llShing series OF letters from an
Englishman now travelling in this
country, We extract the follow.
ing observations upon social life
in New York
"And now about society here.
In so large "a city there are, OF
course, many literary and cultiva.
ted men, but they are not grega.
riouS, and do little to improve or
elevate the social tone. Tney have
a club, called the "CentlRy Club" +"
which they frequent Of an evening.
but except there they are rarely
to be seen est of their own houses,
They are either hermits or Bohe.
mianS. New York. like Paris. has
its Fasbeurg st. German. This
is composed OF a knot of ancient
iamilieS, principslly of Dutch ex-
traction. They live ameAg them
selves; are poor, proud, snd III
suiferably dull. But they believe
in themselves. and are believed in
by others. The wife of a shOddy
millionaire cOnceivcS it happiness
indeed when she is allowed To visit
Il knickcrbocker, rs they are call.
ed, but it is a happiness which She
seldom enjoys. Tor these dull fOS
sis can only keep up their pres.
tigc by keeping ont all appertain.
Ing to shoddy. The leaders of tho
fashion here are much like leaders
Of fashion elsewhere. Most OF
ten have graduat, d in Paris, and
they copy with scrupulOuS fidelity
what they have seen there. They
have French cooks and give French
dinners; occasionally they launch
out into a ball, to which they in
yite "their st They are triyo-
lous, well dressed AID graceful,
and are as good an imitation OF
FCoGch women as can he seen ont
Of Paris.
But it is not given to every one
to he the creme de Ia creme: the
residents of most of the three
window stone houses live after the
American fashion. The father of
the family is, Of course, in some
4usiress, for here an idle man is
unknown. About ten o'clock in
the morning he goes down to his
Office, and he returns about five in
the afternoon; at six he dimes,
and as se0n as he has swallowed
! his dinner he goes to his club,
where he passes his evenings play
ing at cards, or talking to his
friends about the price Of stocks
I dry goods, with frequent cpl
g des of drinks" His wife sees
little of the legitimate partner OF
her joys, she gets mp late, and, |
imagine, usually finds the day
hang heavily on her hands. Ifshe
| has u carriage, she drives to the
park in the afternoon, and in the
evening she either receives visits
at home or visits at the house ol
some friend. She generally is hel
own housekeepcr, and she occupies
herself far more with hOusekeep
| ing affairs than an English lady in
the same social position. Whert
there are sons, they pass theil
mornings down town, come bach
about three o'clock, drive, dine,
and then disappear to pay visits
or to 90 to the theatre. They tlsU
ally continue, until they are mar
ried to live with their parents
The daughters lead an independ
lent existence. Until the age o
eighteen they are at schools fcr tht
governess system does not prevai
there. After making theiv toilets
lthey leave home, and wandering
Iup and down Fifth avenue, potter
lin and out of shops, and make gos
siping calls until the afternoon
then they drive out with an ad
mirer behind a fast trOtting hors'
lin a buggy, come back to dinner
nd in the evening so to some ball
Ior to a theatre. The New l0ri
Igirl gards herself, and is regard