The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-06-24
- Society"

THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT DEFINITIONS GIVEN
BY THOSE WHO KNOW TO AN lNQUIRING DE-
BCTANTE.
ILondon Week, May 81
! have only an aunt. That is disadvan-
tare, When | say I have only an aunt l
have also father, s0dmethers, cousins, I'M
Giles. &c, but have no mOther-onty, as
said before, an aunt. Hitherto have
lived with her in the country, fattenlng
on the richest of cream and freshest OF
butter, and negotiating like our prize pigs.
A lawn-tennis tournament (why they are
called tournaments when there is never
horse, nor knight, nor queen OF beauty
to be seen, cannot imagine), an archery
meeting, and the hunt-ball have been my
only designations. The young men OF my
acquaintance are limp. specialized curateS,
or ambitious rural doctors who have rca.
tons in London and are always expecting
4 practice, Or unfed@ed undergraduates
who talk about their sisters and ride bicy-
Giles. Now we are going to change all that.
I an going into society, and the dream OF
nv life IS to be fulfilled. Stop mo-
ment. / forgot in my list OF young men
10 mention Cecil Vivian. He is neigh
Dor: bis fathers coverts join ours; his
fathers house is bigger than ours; his
cranes and peaches always ripen earlier;
and Cecil himself is very fond OF me. At
least so he says, not that I believe much
what men say, for have read the MAX.
in es de Ia Rochefoucauld," and feel quite
able 10 take care OF myself and believe in
nothing. In fact TO believe in nothing is
the proper thing, l am told, in London. l
only hope I shan't forget, for am rather OF
a contiding disposition. When first Aunt
Jane began to talk about society thought
il must be person, for she used to say,
..Ob society won't Stand that; one must
not fly in the face OF society, society is so
exacting." But then Lady Fastwick, who
is quite the leader Of fashion in Moist
shire, remarked: "Society, horrid lot OF
snobs. my DEAR; so then knew it meant a
number Of people; but papa, who is old
fashioned and Tory, said pettishly. $50
cietv, there's no society nowadays; don't
eXIst-went out with the Georges" L was
more puzzled still; fortunately Cecil came
ir lust then. ] put the question to him,
"Nhat is society-do tell me?" He
scratched bis head, looked out Of the win
dow, coughed, then he said mysteriously,
Its dreadfully mixed; you see the
demi-monde is all against it," "What
do you mean, my dear boy?" "Oh,
meyer mind, you're only a girl,
You'll understand by and by" Now, If
there Is anything in the world abhor it is
mysteries. Every since my nurse used to
shut me up in the cupboard while she talked
secrets'' with the butleriI have always
had n horror OF them, and | determined TO
inquire more. Our clergyman is a nice old
man, though he will preach in black gown
and talk OF the Sabbath, which believe is
against the act OF Parliament; so got him
into a corner of the room the next time he
tincd and l again propounded the famous
question, "What is society, DR.. Nil.
dew" "Society, my dear!" He took
a pinch OF snuff. "Society is the veri-
table Antichrist-the world, the flesh, and
the devil" GOOD gracious! But now
I really think you must be mistaken, for
amt said society is dreadfully particular, so
you see il can't be anything to do with the
devil" Pretty Mrs. Sweeteyes, who is
such fayorite with men and whom all wo-
men hate-I can't think why, for she has
really lovely eyes-was sitting at the piano
/ asked her. Running her beringed hands
idly over the keys, she calculated, $50
ciety is monster.' q We'll, indeed" said
], II shall never get consistent answer.
Why is it a monster?" "Oh, because it is
never satisfied till it has destroyed a wo-
mans reputation"