Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-09-12
SOCIETY Avsi.EyEs..
A Gsnrs'a Lady Gonpir's Stcicty of tito
Oidcn Time with the Present.

- 80 ShS
golden long ago" still clinss with
holy reverence tethe Customs of her
fathers, and ayers that society OF the
present. day is not what it need to DO
that il has sadly ~dcgcnera:cd IRON the
high moral and ~intellec.na! standard to
which it attained in her ti;uc; that the
old, grand manners, courtiy grace. and
brilliant rcpartce have, iii Il great
measure, passed away. Society, now,
is all II sham, - glamour, and vanity of
Notwithstanding bat nuaks.
Being familiar with the society pco-
pie of the present time. their comings
and goings, their private and public
life, 1 partake lar ely Of my grand
mothers view and !%.oartiiy indorse the
verify of her sayings. In her time they
were too regardful Of social convention
to lend countcnancc to Il person with
out weighing we'll the pros and cons,
and to gain eptree into the best society
your moral and intellectual worth and
social position were questioned. Now,
all that is necessary to admit one into
the so-cal!ed "bcst society," is to dress
in the prevailing mode, dance well, be
fully conyersant with the latest gossip,
and speak glibly all tho fashionable
slang. Popularity in such society can
not commend Itself; it SAVIOR too strong
of the mob.
1t is q sad fact that society dc@ener-
atcs as the age advances. In the olden
time girls were educated with a view
to higher and nob!er purposes, and to
fill useful positions. and the boys for
men OF integrity and industry. Now,
the former arc educated to make a
show, and the latter to aid the exhibit
ton.
Having I'LL the advantages Of learn
ing which our colleges and public
schools can bestow. these are cast
lightly aside or perverted to ignoblc
purposes. A girl now enters society, it
seems, with but III aim or ambition,
and that is to try to manage to extract
the greatest amount OF enjoyment from
heS life. 1t soon becomes u continued
round OF excitement; no sooner is one
fcsLivity over than she begins to plan
for another. She find; it G0..ce ju7'
naente. Her hours OF leisure are either
slept Or idied away, or spent in plan
ming some fitting dress Iii which to APP
pear ut the evening party. OCCASION
ally she acquaints herself with the plot
OF the latest romance or the notes Of q
fashionable piece ri music. Dwelling
much ON the contemplation of such lit
tie things, they oou lose the intellect
nal appetite. AS for quic, domestic
felicity. society girls mover dream of it.
They soon become wholly dependent
upon excitement for happiness, and un-
less they have something of this kind
continually in view they soon sink into
apathy. and at home are utterly
wretched. The parents OF such girls
usually practice strict economy in do
nestle affairs, the mother doing ali the
necessary work, and denying herself
many comforts that her daughters may
have q succession OF silk and satin
dresses TO enhance their beauty, and
fly about from IL place of pleasure 10
another, hoping that they may make q
wealthy alliance. In nineteen cases
out of twenty they fail to do so. Sell
dom can we find Il society girl OF our
day who a reason, reflect, feel, Judge,
discern, discriminate, or furnished with
a stock of ideas. principles. aud qluliii-
cations ready to be apptici, ~ Occasion
may demand. TO eanh OF til"ir resp.m-
tive situations - luu y]t,l.:>, WY,
mothers. Dwarfcd by society and
fashion, and leading IL life of iulcness,
dlms the mental perceptions and cner-
Yates a frame naturally vigorous. So
ciety now is llcartic5s and shallow, with
its silly amusuinents and s%ouiluss rival
ries. Parties are stale and u%npro!ita-
BILE, with The same bowling, grinning
nonsense, the same bosh talked, tic
same tiresome routine from beginning
to end.
Commend us to the society OF women
who have higher and noble aims, whose
horizon is not bounded by the coming
man, and who ia. Il purpose in iife
whether she mnrti him or not, TO tl.oss
VINO Liaka III" Nottl living.
The society men Of our day must not
pass unnoticcd. Few men live through
the first period of manhood without
strong temptations to be considered So
ciety men. 1t becomes their ambition.
The IDEA looms graudly among those
Vanltles that hedge a mans approach
to maturity. He soon becomes an
adept in society tactics. which match
him with others of the Same stamp.
lilo conqucrs all such a]nnoyanccs as
truth or sincerity, which may some
times sting his conscience. He studies
moral snarring, makes it his art to be
admired, but seldom to be trusted. 10
keep up with the fashion of the times,
to be ignorant OF plain things and plain,
honest people, ''who do not 90 with
their SET" and whom he stiGmatizcs as
the dangerous second class" to be
knowing in ali gossip, familiar with all
the figures in the german, dance we'll,
and wear ballroom honors with indif-
ference, to hold Il fair place in the silly
nothings usually discussed, to affect an
%earncstncss OF look and action which
seems full of pleading aud yet ask
nothing; to make Il SHOW for tho ad-
mlration of those who have more fancy
than brains and O vanity than COM
mon sense,-this is the distinction to
which he aspires.
The majority Of these society mon
arc those whose means arc limited, or
clerks who receive a.salary of $50 or
$50 a month and live at tho rate of
$500 or $500, that they may be consid-
cred popular and keep their position in
this so-called ''bcst society,"" They
dress in the latest fashion, can be seen
in all the sheen of finest cloth, spend
their leisure hours in the bathrooms, at
thcaters, operas, at the billiard-table
and game Of chance, indulge in cigars
and alcoholic poisons, and then appear
in the society of ladies covered with
what smacks of rous. 1t is a subject of
chronic marvel how they manage to
keep soul and body together. But So
ciety teaches them 10 let the wolf gnaw
their vitals without say or sign. 1t is
Il poor distinction they enioy. and NOT