Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-14
WOMEN WHO GO THEPACE
II Is VERY FAST IN \ CERTAIN
SNOWY NEW YORK SOCIETY.
rrisky Matrons Who Don't Mind a
Little Scandal-Women's Poker
Parties-Behind the Scenes at
Amateur Theatricais.

From the Ne3o YORK. Sun.
The smug-visaged person who acts as a
t,ctotum at the social entertainments Of
tba Deople who compose the more snowy
orade of society in New York city unbent
himself sufficiently a few nights ago to
rive voice to some of his Information on
the question of the growing gayety aud
carelessness of New York women. He
has before this contributed certain rehec-
lions about the society people to the SUI
with entire acceptance. He Is a superin-
tendent of entertainments, and man
whose whole life is passed in serving peo-
nIe of abundant and liberal hospitality.
in stature he is small, in manner abrupt,
and in attire modest in the extreme.
"The question is often asked ne said,
with great deliberation, whether New
York women are growing faster now
than they were a few years ago. Every
body is aware of the decline in cluTcn
going. and the briskness Of the season al
Ter il is once started. Rumors OF poker
parties in which women play 10r high
stakes are numerous, and there are many
other indications OF a general laNlty on
tho mart Of the morals OF New York WO-
men which are discussed by the citizens
at large. To begin with, the word fast
as used in America and as commonly emf
Moved in England, has very different
meanings. on the other side of the
water have heard one sister speak Of an
other IS being very fast, while tha sentl-
ment was iDdOrsed by the mother who
stood near. The term does not carry an
idea of wickedness, low moral tone, or
questionable habits with it at all. When
an English girl speaks of another as fast,
she means that she IS daring horsew0-
man. an indeiatigabie dancer, an enthu-
sastic tennis player, ana fond of enIer-
tainments Of every sort. In New oI6
the word implies much more than this, al
though the English set here use it freely
after the manner of their cousins across
the pond. When | speak Of the manaers
aud habits of New \ ork women | use the
word fast in the American sense.
That many Of the old safeguards and
conventional barriers against fiightiness
and carelesSness have been removed Of
recent years in New York IS plain. 1t is
easv enough for all Of Us to remember
when young girls--by which | mean de-
butants of from II to - Years Of age
were not allowed to appear in decOilette
dresses. They usually dressed simply in
white, with the forearm bare aud the cor
sage cutslightlyV shaped al the neck and
filled in with lace. Gradually the V wld-
ened at the top and deepened at the point,
while the sleeves shrunk up, until now it
is the common sight to see girl whose
bust aud arms justify such exposure
wearing Orsage that rivals that OF
Russian Princess in frankness and in the
lavish display of natures charm. With
in a season OF two, girls have taken to
wearing low cgtumes of this sort at dim
ners as at balls,snd they even attend the
opera clad IN INSANE manner. OF course
this does not imlly any idea Of relaxed
morals in specla instances, but it does
show that the geeral tone of society has
been much lOwend in the matter Of dress
alone of recent vars. 1t will, Of course,
be plain to anybody who takes the trouble
to think, that gong to a dance or the
opera under the protecting eye of mother
or chaperone is vey different from going
to a three-hOuT diner in a cOrsage that is
pronOuncedly low 1t was also at one
time considered alittle RISKY for girl to
touch wine OF am sort, but great many
society girls are fevalled upon to sip a
glass of wlnS nOgadays without much
urging. AS tor tie subjects That are dis
cussed at dinner, It is simply amazing.
SOmehO y tn old nea of modest, retiring
and girllsb inu0cace has gone complete
~, and tn gicl VITO knows it alP is the
most admired. his is unquesti0nably
owing to very large extent to the fact
that in New YOk a society woman has
nearly all of neIfun before she is mar
red, whereas OF the other side of the
water her freedom doesn't begin until af-
ter the wedding ceremony.
ga far more si1ificant indication, how
ever, of the decline OF society people from
the old Puritan AID knickerbOcker stand
ard is found in tP sway which WON n OF
decidedly questionable regulations man
age to exercise il circles from which one
would naturally expect them to be ex-
Guided. In this aspect, II in no other, IL
is certain that liberalization has set in.
The stern old sOdety leaders, who once
abhorred scandals they did death, have
disappeared fromthe field and a lot of
risky young nations VINO have not the
moral stamina of the older society arbi-
traitors have takeI their places. The re-
suit OF all this ls decidedly queer when
we compare the condition OF tnings to-day
with that of thirty years ago. l could
run over a dozenGames on my fingers OF
women who have been fast enough TO
have caused Their instant Punishment in
Boston or Philadelphia, but who are in a
good standing insOciety here as they care
TO be. One of them is woman OF sucn
pronounced beauty that her picture has
been published il n number OF the Eng
hsh society magazines, and the sale OF
her photographs N Paris ana IN London
rivals that OF hepictures OF the most ia
nous OF the English professional beau
2
ital whip. Most New Workers VINO have
prcmenaded Fifth avenue know her by
sight, for she often drives a little team Of
Jet black horses in cart which was built
Tor her in London, and when IS exactly
similar to the one which the Princess OF
Wales drives around the grounds Of san
drlngham. She divides her time the year
round among New York, Newport. Lon
Con, Paris and Pau. Once IN a while her
husband accompanies her, but only when
IL IS absolutely necessary for prOpriety's
sake. AT other times she manages to
Join parties OF friends, and as she Is clev-
Ell as we'll as beautiful and the possess0r
OF at least a million dollars she is not eX-
uctly drug in the market"
But the nusbandY'
"Oh. there is no trouble at all with MIN
ne 10 pensioned, you know. He has more
OF less interest IN horse affairs, and he
manages to live very comfortably ON an
aiowauce which she gives him of $4,000
year. 1t isn't very noble thing 10 do,
pelnaps, but he is man absolutely with
put professional or business capacity, and
KNOWS enough TO realize that be couldn't
earn his living n thrown upon his own
resources. Consequently he goes his way
and allows his wife 10 70 her5. lie Occu-
PIES suite of two rooms in the house,
ana sue has the run OF the rest Of the estab-
uslment to herself. He makes i've or SIX
appearances with her during the season,
slttlng m her box on the opening night at
tne opera, ana chatting comfortably at
o. n 4 nut al d I