Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-05-15
Society In Washington.
DiIl Nva In noqto,, fIIa,.al1

6ANSotiOA baNtAid t&AS CilI a Wdo lliol ubs w
use the words OF gentleman who was
there, and asked me. il wrote "The
Heathen Chinee."
He was very talented man, with a
broad sweep OF skull and vague
yearning for something more tangible
to drink. He was in Washington,
he said, in the interest of Mingo county.
/ forgot to ask him where Mingo coun-
ty was. He took great interest in
me, and talked to me long after he had
anything to say. He was one of those
fluent conversationalists frequently met
with in society. He used one OF these
web.perfecting talkers-the kind that
can be fed with raw Roman punch, and
that will turnout punctuated talks, like
vanished sausages. Being poor talk
er my sele, and more fluent as a listen
er, did not interrupt him. He said
he was sorry to notice that young girls
and their parents came to Washington
as they would a matrimonial market.
| am sorry also to hear it. 1t panied
me to know that young ladies should
allow themselves to be bamboozed into
matrimony. Why was it, | asked, that
matrimony should ever single out the
young and falr?
"Ah' said he, "itis indeed roughl
He then breathed a sigh that shook
the foliage of a speckled geranium
near by, and killed an artificial catapil-
lar that hung on its branches.
"Matrimony is all right, said he eff
Y1ro.Ao rlx, bronoht about IT. brao1,c ~, q,
heart though to see how Washington is
used as matrimonial market. 1t
seems to me almost as if these here
young ladies were brought here like
slaves and exposed for sale." / had no.
ticed that they were somewhat ex-
posed, but | did not know they were
for sale. / asked him if the waist of
party dresses had always been so sadly
in the minority, and they said they
had.
| danced with a beautiful young lady
whose trail had evidently caught on the
doorway. She hadn't noticed it till she
had walked out partially through her
costume.
l do not think lady ought togive too
much thought TO her apparel, neither
should she feel too much above her
clothes. / say this in the kindest sp r
it, because believe that man should be
a friend to woman. No family circle is
complete without woman. She is
like glad landscape to the weary eye.
Individually and collectively, women is
a great adjunct of civilization and pro-
gress. The electric light is good thing,
but how pale and feeble it looks by the
light of good womans eyes. The
telephone is IA great invention. 1t is a
good thing to talk at and murmur into
and deposit profanity in; but to take
up conversation and keep it up and
follow man out through the front
door with it, the telephone has still
much TO learn from woman.
1t is said our governmt officials are
not sufficiently paid, and | presume
that is the case. So it will be necessa-
ry to economize in everyway; but why
should wives concentrate all their econ
omy on the waist OF dress? When
chest protectectors are so cheap as they
now are, hate to see people suffer and
there is more real suffering, more pri-
vation and more destitution, pervadlng
the Washington scayular clavicle this
winter than | ever saw before.
But / do not hope to change this Gus
tom, though | spoke to several ladies
about it and asked them to think over
it. do not think they will. 1t seems
almost wicked to cut off the best part
of dress and put it on the other end OF
the skirt, to be trodden under feet oil
men, as | may say. They smiled good
humoredly at me as tried to impress
my views upon them, but should | &C
there next season and mingle in the
mad whirl of Washington, those fair
women are mingling in said mad whirl,
1 presume that / win find them clothed
in the same gaslight waist, with trim
mings OF real vertebr@ down the back.
Still what does man known about
the proper costume for woman ? He
knows nothing whatever. He is in
many ways little inconsistent. Why
does man frown on a certain costume
for his wife and admire it on the first
woman he meets? Why does he fight
shy OF religion and Christianity and
talk very freely about the church, but
get mad if his wife is an infdel?
Crops around Washington are look
ing well. Winter wheat, crocuses and
indefinite postponements were never
in more thrifty condition. Quite a
number of people are here who are
waiting to be confirmed. Judging from
their habits they are lingering around
here in order to become confirmed
drunkards.
leave here tomorrow with large,
wet towel in my plug hat. Perhaps
should have said nothing on this dress
reform question while my hat is fitting
me so Immediately. 1t is seldom that
l step aside from the beaten path of rec
titude, but last evening, on the way
home, it seemed to me that l didn't dc
much else but step aside. AT these par
ties no charge is made for punch. 1t is
perfectly free. / asked a colored man
who was standing near the punch bowl,
and who replenishes it ever and anon,
what the damage was, and he drew hiq-
self up to his full height,
Possibly did wrong, but l hate to
hp q burden On onV one IL seemed odd