The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-04-11
A SOCIAL QUESTION.
An Introduction to Mr.. Gus
Yerisopht.

friend. Gussie Veri-Sopht This name
used to be pronounced in one time and
motion, but it being extremely English
to part the name in the middle, he does
it) is to be unknown. says the Washing
ton Herald. He is a social leader among
a certain sort Of the elite in the capital
city. There are circles in which he is
an oracle, and there are social events
that are like the play of Hamlet"
with Hamlet left out, il Mr.. Veri-Sopht
is not there. For the rest of it he is
not unamiable youth, whom Provi-
6ence-with a curious irony-has per
miIted to inherit his close-fsted. hard
working old fathers money very early
in his life. He possesses very large feet
and an extremely large head, and his
good, foolish mother has assisted Ma
ture somewhat in making Gussie, as
his doting parent calls him, fool.
With this sigHalement / may proceed
with what / commenced to tell you.
When this amiable and intelligent social
light took the trouble to CLIMB up to my
four-pair back lodgings, knew he VISA
Will % d SOON - NE
could get his breath aud refresh himself
with a cigar-"tobacco makes the poor
child fearfully i'll, /" his mother prattied
in my ear the other night at the Haute
Tons reception, land why he will smoke
cannot telp'-when he had. say.
finished his fumigatory reflection. he
thus addressed me: Something has
got TO be done about il. and we society
men are thinking OF holding a meeting TO
consider the matter. There are some
girls whom you can never get rid of il
you ever speak 10 them. and what / am
talking about is some plan by which We
can make 'em understand that. though
we are willing to talk few minutes,
and even take turn on a waltz. we do
not care TO have any one girl on our
hands the whole evening"" Yes. !
See" said the lounger, rs faint light
began to dawn, tell me what the
trouble is"
well, you see, there are always more
girls than men every place you 20.
Some OF them are strangers, Others have
Just come out. The new girls seem 10
have learned everything except what
they ought TO know. For instance,
there was the Haute-Tons reception the
other night; ! saw you there. Did you
notice how confoundedly bored was ?"
was OBJ iged TO say that that particular
feature of the entertainment was one /
had not remarked. well, Susie Hya-
cinthe was there. This is her first sea
son out. Susie likes to dance. and so
took her out for waltz. After few
turns / was ready 20 quit. but bless you.
there was no quitting for her. We spun
around until I thought the top of my
head was coming off. Finally the fd
oilers gave out and the music stopped. /
said, Don't you want 10 sit down. Miss
Hyacinthe?' oh, no. she chirruped:
I'D much rather walk. wouldn't your
Now. what was n fellow TO do2 We
marched around the room again and
again. Nobody seemed TO know her.
| tried my best TO get some one else TO
take her, but no, was stuck. Now.
what 1 want TO know isl quote the
young gentleman literally why a
girls mother allows thisf She ought
| to know better, If the young one don't.
The mother certainly doesn't wish her
daughter TO hang on to fellow like that
old fellow in Shakespeare, or the Ara
bian Nights, or somewhere, TO the sailor
you know what / mean. Can't you
write something about il. and let 'em
know how we society men feel2" And
| said / would.
OF course Gussie Veri-Sopht is a weak
minded young idiot, but we have emf
nent poetical authority for declaring
that even a worn will turn. In saying
what he did-leaying the personnel OF
the complainant en- .irels out Of the
questionable youth undoubtedly voiced
thought that has occurred 10 wiser
and greater brains than those he wears
under his No. 6 hat. see this question
is beginning to agitate social circles in
other places, and the Gussies of other
towns are beginning 20 take mp arms.
| saw an elaborate paper upon this very
question in the TiHIes-DcmOcrdf of New
Orleans, and the views advanced are
those which all people of the true social
monde must hold. A chaperon is now
considered indispensable.to young girls,
and indeed those who are not so young
as they were ten years ago, on certain
occasions. The system is one Of many
things We have borrowed from France.
There indeed the chaperon has her uses.
She sees that the girl who IS in her
charge has the proper degree Of atten-
ton, but never let her become bore to
the man who is willing to do his share
in contributing to her evenings enjoy
ment. In a Partisan salon no girl Is
permitted TO remain more than ten
minutes in the charge Of any man.
They walk or dance and talk little.
The girls mother catches her daughters
eye. Take me 70 mother now. please"
and the affair is ended. What was in
tended as an evenings pleasure is not
converted into social martyrdom in
France. aud a man who only intended
to offer curteous atteniionis not made
to repent of his act by the one 10 whom
Il was rendered. No. They certainly
do order these things better in
France"
lam one OF the Americans-an the
number is not smali-who believes his
countrywomen. either as girl or matron
to be clever, full of tact. and in every
respect the peers of any woman known
to civilization. It Is therefore with no
disposition TO carp that venture to say
little on the subject. A man who
knows that giil understands the ben
sednces OF ballroom etiquette will al
ways be glad to pay that girl some at
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