The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-08-16
SOUTHERN WOMEN
AT THEIR REST. BAB'S BABBLE
ABOUT THEM.
society at the White sulphur Springs.
Relics OF Rygone Days.

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, July 81.
My Dear Dorothy.-I am dating
this from quite the sweetest spot in
the world, although ] am mot there,
for l am on my way to seek the well
come chills of the North. [ wonder
if I will get them. 1 don't think you
know very much about this place and
how entirely it is given up to one
thing-that is, the alteration of wom-
ankind. 1 very much wish that this
religion, so old in the South, could be
made more general in the North.
From the time of his birth Southern
boy is taught that all thought, all
consideration, is due to his sisters, and
1 firmly believe that that is the reason
Why the moral condition is decidedly
better than among the people of the
North of the same status. Quite as
important is the alteration extended
to beauty, and even the smallest baby
boy stretches out his hand and says
Pretty lady" when certain beauti-
ful woman goes by. This has taken
generations to produce keen ap-
probation fIom young eyes of the
beauties of woman.
Curiously enough, what we call
style. for lack ofa better word, bnt
that mysterious something which gives
the cachet to get-up, finds little ap-
probation at the old White The
first attribute to being a belle is to be
beauty, and the next good birth
and breeding. A rude belle would
be an impossibility, for loud voices
hurling the slang of the day would SO
offend the ears of the men that Venus
herself, if she screamed catch phrases,
would be dethroned. The young
Southern woman is undoubtedly seen
at her best here Sho can dance all
morning, all evening, appreciate a
courtesy in the way of mint iulep
just before going to bed, and wake up
the next day very early in the morn
ing that she may take walk with her
latest adorer. She is as pretty as a
peach, and she is like the peach in the
French truiterer's shop, for which the
most enormous price is demanded.
She is absolutely spotless. Scandal
has not played with her name; she
il innocent of the fast life of London
or the more vicious one of Paris she
is kapgy in her-own good looks; she
appreciates like child the compli-
ments paid her, and, blissful creature,
unbeiief or even stray doubt as to
the goodness of the world at large, and
her own world in particular, has new
ar entered her head. She dances
through her season, is probably mar
Iied during the next winter, and after
that comes to the White as young
matron keeps ON coming every year,
until some old gentleman wakes up to
the fact that the belle of eighteen
years ago is going to introduce a
beautiful seventeen year old daughter
The old gentleman will shake his head
and remark that "she is very hand
some, and that the good blood in her
shows itself, Dut, after all, will there
ever be one who is as handsome as her
mother? p
The air is full of stories about the
bellies of the days gone by. Miss Page
Aylett ia here now as Mrs. William
Royal, and it's quite natural to re-
member how a summer or two ago she
reigned supreme. The stories often
eat told are those of Matte Ould, the
famous Richmond beauty who broke
the record, which only permits belle
to last one season, and who was tht
beauty and wit of the Old White fol
many a year. Her rival at one time
was Miss Triplett.
/ sometimes think, Dolly, that some
of the old Grecians must have gone
through the various stages of trans
migration, and the most ardent wor
shippers in the Temple of Venus b,
enshrined in the forms of Southern
men. At the Branch, to make sue
cess, there must be a smartness o
equipage, a gorgeousness of gown an,
plenty of money at Narragansett ol
Bar Harbor, to know how to do out
rageous things in some novel way ant
to wear as little to 60 in bathing a
possible appears to be demanded /; a
Newport, social position counts fo
everything; but at the Old Whit
beauty is the only key that will opel
the door to success for the season.
am sure you are going to ask me ON
question, and that is, do the Somtherl
girls dress we'll I am sorry to sa
they do not. Whether the dressms
kers Gown there do not know how
bring out their best points, or whethe
these absolutely young, peach-lik
creatures think that beautiful gowr
ing is not necessary framing, or jus
what the reason is, do not know, bu
the fact remains the same.
look at one of them every da
with great pang of my heart, fol
lovely as she Is, can imagine how
master like Worth would increase he
charms doubly. She does extremel
we'll that something which is unusu,
among women-she walks gracefull
] wanted to see that beautiful bein
put into an Empire gown of soft Gre
pom that would give in to every cury
of her figure.
OF course, Dolly, you know / ado
cotton. | think there are no gowl
so delicious or so entirely fetching
those Of muslin, but I don't thin
they ought to be washed. Entire nou
the southern girl runs to too mar
petticoats, and they rustic and are n
nice. The frou-frou ola silk gown
charming, the rustic of starch'