Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-10-03
NEW YORK SOCIETY.
wnat Constltutes . ttBollo''-Errouco,
axcas OF Life and NlarriaHe-Tvs

what Constitutes . ttBollo''- Erroncous
1ucas OF Life and Alarriage-Two
stories with Morals.
A New York correspondent of the
Chicago Tribune furnishes the follow
ing rather caustic criticism of SOCIAL
ed best or fashionable society in tho
metropolis
=, NEARLY ALL OUR Beetles,
rs they are called, are in their city
homes once more, and, for the next
eight or ten months, win devote th en-
selves to new gowns and old ideas.
NO word IN our, or rather in the French
language, IL more indefinite than belle,
hough the photographers declare it
means young and beautiful woman
who is much admired. There are some
Thousand of bellies of New York lin
their own estimation, ut least); and,
out OF the whole number, you cannot
select more than q hundred who have
youth, beauty, and admiration. Moth
ing Is easier than for young woman
whose parents are wealthy to obtain
the reputation of belle. She may
not be IN the least pretty: she may
nave poor figure, bad manners, little
taste in dress, and be entirely devoid
OF conversational power, But, if she
nave good many clothes; if her faith
or Keeps u carriage, and she rides to
the Park; and if some Of her under
bred and injudioious friends will send
photographic Jenkinsisms to the Home
journal, and the "Society" columns Of
the evening papers, she will soon be
set down as belle,-such an one rs
sensible man would like to rlng.-not
her finger, but her neck.
1t is remarkable, the number of
bellies we have of this sort. A large
proportion of them have nothing on
which to rest their claim. exoept raj
ment badly selected and worse made.
II l should furnish an accurate de-
scription, material and mental, of our
self-constituted bellies, I should be re-
garded as = satirist, If not caricatur-
list. Some of them barely escape de-
formity; and others are awkward, in
norant, and silly, to a degree that is
repelling.
NATURAL IDEAS OF STRANGER.
A stranger would have singular no.
tion of what beauty and elegance are
composed of here, If he should be in.
PRODUCED to certain of our bellies, or
should read the paragraphs they are
instrumental in having published in
the society" journals. It is very nat.
ural that persons living outside Of the
Metropolis should suppose that society
in it is extremely vulgar. How can
they think otherwise when they see
personal paragraphs and descriptions
of receptions and parties which any
body of ordinary refinement would
feel insulted att They are unaware
that the men and women mentioned as
leaders of fashion, elegant and accom-
pLshed gentlemen and ladies, charming
takers and bewitching beauties, are
either parvenues or vulgarians-often
both,-and have no title to the preten.
tious claim they put forward.
New York is not q whit different
from other cities. Her true ladies and
gentlemen cannot seek to- advertise
themselves; do 1T take reporters in
their social and sartorial condolences;
do not, tell low much things cost do
not depart from delicacy and good
sense under the impression that such
departure is high breeding. The men,
beers of our society which is really the
best must be sought for in their houses,
through letters of introduction or the
presentation of friends,-not in the
columns of cheap and mavkish pa
pors, not in the faring costumes and
plnchbeck company of noisy balls.
THE BEST PEOPLE
in the town live quietly aud serenely,
and, when they give entertainments,