The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-08-23
Seeking After Social Distinction.

The Tribune's London correspondent,
describing the numerous parties
and fetes of the season in England, in a
recent letter, narrates the following in
cident:
You would hardly credit the stories I
could tell you about the eagerness shown
here sometimes for invitations. Nobody
ever asks for invitations in New York,
that city of severe republican simplicity
in AMI and-still more-in morals.
You would not believe, for example,
that a lady, rich and well known in some
sections of London society," say some,
for there are many-could tell Lady
Waldegrave to her face that she wanted
to be asked to one of those Sunday even
ing dinners for which Strawberry Hill
is famous, in order to secure or strengthen
her own social position. You can
scarcely imagine how painful it must
have been to Lady Waldegrave to de-
cline; pleading that all her dinners had
been arranged at the beginning of the
season, and that it was too late to add
to the number of her guests. Still less
can you conceive this lady, thus re-
buffed, driving down of a Sunday after
noon to the house at Twickenham under
p~retense of calling; which her place on
Lady Waldegrave's visiting list might
justify her in doing.
She finds the grounds thronged with
the select, who have dined there before,
or are to dine that evening. She seeks
out her unwilling hostess; she reminds
her of her former request; she hears
once more that the table is full, nay,
that more guests are hidden than there
are chairs in the dining-room. You
think she retires discounted at this
That is because you don't know the wo-
man. She is like the British infantry,
which does not known when it is beaten.
She observes placidly to Lady Waldo.
grave that possibly some one of her
guests may not stay for dinner; if not,
she suggests, she entreats, she implores
that she may fill the vacant place.
Lord Carlingford's wife is too well
bred to betray disgust: she is, l fear, moi
wholly unused to this sort of thing. She
tells her would-be guest that if such
should be the case she should, of course
be happy to offer her the vacant chair
Armed with this extorted assurance, of
goes this aspirant for social distinction
makes the round of the party; puts tx
each one the eager inquiry, care you in
vited to stay to dinner?" and care vol
going to stay?" Presently these victims
of this new inquisition begin to stray VI
to their hostess and ask, "Pray why il
Mrs. -- SO anxious l should not stay
to 1inparTv Tho ctorv oirouIotoc. tb,
laugh goes with it; and alasl no CUES
departs, 40 chair is empty, and the wo
man whose audacity was, perhaps
worthy of a better fate, had to driv,
back and dine alone in London.
You think this is mere gossip, ant
malicious at that? l assure you it il
true, and if 1 named the heroine of m,
story, which l will not do, you would
neither doubt its truth nor wonder wha
interest such a story can have for al
American audience. | may add tina
she is a woman who, on the whole, ma.
be said to have succeeded and not failet
in her ambition; that she goes to man,
a fine house, and has crowds of smar
people at hers-"smart" people, mean
ing in the dialect of London. society
fashionable people, and not at all i'm
plying the possession of exceptiona
mental powers. l don't know that thi
little anecdote is much more remarkabl,
than the shorter one, which account
for the presence of the same lady at
great party the other night, by her thirt
petition for a card, having wearied GU
the patience of the giver, who had sen
two ~refusals to two former requests.