New-York tribune., 1878-01-05
DOES IT Pfls

Our London correspondent described last
Summer few of the schemes and trials, the
Successes and the notifications, of "a lady
erich and wcll-knOwn in some sections Of
London society" and not unknown in the
purcr and simpler society OF the great repub-
lie also, who pushed her way into assemblies
Of the ari,tocratic and the wealthy, by sheer
importantly. Her presence at certain famous
party was accounted for by her third petit
" ton for card, having wearicd ont the pa
ticncc Of the giycr, who had sent two re-
fusals to two former requests Then there
was a story of her telling Lady Waldcgrayo
"to her face that she wanted to be asked to
one of those Sunday evening dinners for
(Which Strawberry Hill is famous, in order to
- secure or strengthen her own social posi-
ton; and of Lady Wadcgrayes polite re-
fusal and of our hcronc'S persistence never
thrlc.s. IN hanging about the grounds OF Straw
berry Hill one Sunday afternoon, on the pre-
text of a call, standing like fashionable peri
disconsolatc at the gate of the social paradise,
hoping in vain that some expected guest might
remain away and she be allowed to slip at the
last moment into the vacant chair, The tale
went the rounds of the assembled company,
laughter and cOutcmptu0us comments i'll half
the draw ing-rooms of London. The letter
from which we quote did not reveal the lady's
name it did not even say that she was an
American; but New-Iorii probably filled the
blank with quick conjecture.
We do no: know whether the general guess
wa, right; we hardly know why we revive the
anccdotc Just now, unless It is because Il re-
cent incident reminds Ills so strongly of de-
lusion which seems To ailct great many OF
our countrywomcn. We have all heard of the
ambitious Americans who achieve distinction
at home 10y means of the ciyllities shown them
abroad on account Of the position they are
sunpo,cd To hold in their own country. 1t Is
a mistake, however, to suppose that this clr-
cutous road 10 social cmnenco Is pleasant
pathwav, bordcrcd with grateful reSting-placcs
and strcwn with flowers. The gcntlcr sex, in
all civilized countries, is gifted with an unerr
inc instinct which disclminatcs at once be-
tvccn thc well bred woman sure of her own rank.
and The brilliant and fascinating adventures,
pushing and schcming for a place that does
not belong to her. No art can cOnfound the
paste with the jewel. The real leaders of
fashion. the queens of society, detect the best
counterfeit, ana arc htltt sooH'i VI h'tSi, W
show what value they set upon it. When the
dasbing widow of the late MOneybaGS turns
one of her corncr-lOts into Bank of England
notes. ast0nishes London with the splendOr of
her carriage and horses and the extravaganza
of her entertainments, and bcgs in return for
,he favor of an invitation to an aiistocratic
dinner party, LET lis not imagine that she inn
poses upon anybody; least Of all does she im-
pose upon herself. If she is admitted to
the fable OF a lord, the bread Is bitter on her
tongue as she remembers how she has stopped
TO get it, and wonders what the company really
think of her. II she IS bold and Dersevering
enough to renew her entreaties after repeated
refusals, she is nevertheless kcenly sensitive
TO the modification Of a rebuf--all the more
sensitive because she has staked SO much upon
success. To her a fashionable season is n
painful campaign, filed with plots, di5appoint-
ments, disgraces, tOrturing sclf-reprOaches,
defeats which she must not acknowledge, vic
tories Of which she cannot boast. If she try
to buy a husband she is left in no doubt as to
the estimate which society places upon her
when the hard and alronting terms of the
sale are set down.
Burning with hidden resentments and half
afraid TO look her entertainers in the face, she
returns perhaps to America to trade upon the
reports Of her transatlantic success. Even