The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-26

little dance or even TO a little dinner,
without the fear OF social Gorgons and
Chimeras dire before their eyes. III
Sophonisba's father Is worth great many
millions Of dollars, and chooses to fill his
house with wonderful bric-a-brac, and to
wash it every morning in Tpkay--should
that be his fancy--why should Sophonis-
ba's young friends hesitate 10 ask her to a
merry dance, with no bric-a-brac and no
IoSay whatever, but plain mahogany and
ices, salads and sandwiches? II is the fun
and the cool rcfreshment after the dance,
not the ormolu and the malachitc and the
marvellous masses Of orchids, and the solid
gold and silver service, and strawberries in
January and peaches in March, which
make the pleasure OF the evening.
Besides, IL rich people entertain as they
please, why do not poorer people entertain
~ they pleasep Will you refuse to ask
your friends because you cannot serve
ortolans upon Dresden china and gold, or
pour Schloss Johannisberger Tor all the
boys in Venetian glass, us your ncighbor
doesl To put truth in homely way,
you are Ms good as he, II not as rich. and
why should You permit him unconsciously
TO bully you because he in richer than you?
Mothers and fathers deplore the extrava-
ganoe, the late hours of society, the wanton
dressing. the utter vanity and vexation, of
the social tread-mill. And lol a little
courage, little spirit, little good sense
in practice upon the part Of a very few
sensible persons, would relieve the pres
sure.
II Is plainly, however, very hard TO CON-
mand that courage and combination. But
| II il 80 also In other and moro important
affairs. II IN universally agreed, for in
stance, that the excitement of u presidcn.
tial campaign Is very serious injury 10
| the business interests OF the country. The
campaign is needlessly prolongcd, and con-
| sequcntly much more expensive. Tho
remedy Il Obvious. Tho two national COM
mittees a body Of less than 100 mcn--
could agree 20 call the nominating conyen-
tons later, in September, perhaps, M for
State elections, and tho campaign would
bc reduced 10 two months, with an inn
mensc advantage in every way 10 every
interest in the land. But nobody has tho
pluck 10 insist upon II, and nothing Is
done.
The great multitude al young persons
aud their parents in society are not very
rich, but they suffer Themselves TO he
dragged captive at the chariot wheels OF
great fortunes. Timmins will not give n
pleasant, reasonable dinner within his
means; lac must rival In way the ban
qucts al Lord Goloseton, and the result Is
absurdly comical. There is due proper
ton, a proper keeping. in all things. A
supper that costs 500 IL ludicrous upon
the table OF limmins, in his modest house,
plainly furnished. Every guest, NO TO
speak, feels the strain. The feast seems 10
creal, aud the tables in good truth, 10
grnan, with the conscious disproporiion.
Il is n wise proycrb which urges MS 10 do
Ia Rome what the Romans do. But in
Rome the Comic, with thousand scu1i a
year, does not assume 10 entertain like his
friend the Principe with revenue al n
million. Conte aud Principe are equally
noble, but not equally rich. When VIII.
lam OF Orange, in plain suit, received
Philip Sidney. the ombagsador of Eliza
beth. blazing la scarlet and gold, their
greeting was that Of friends and neither OF
them was troubled by tho clothes Of the
other. suppose We Try, madam, not to bC
troubled by the riches Of our ncighbor.