Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1888-06-16
SOCIAL AMBITION.
A Family Whose Happiness Was Sacrificed
TO the MolOch of Fashion.

when l first came to New York."
said well-known physicians lately,
"among my friends was family
named Burke. They lived in a modest
little cottage in Orange. Mr.. Burke
was cashier in large business house
In the city and, drew small. but as
sured, income. He was an enthusias.
tic naturalist, and spent his leisure
time collecting specimens of moths
and insects. His wife was q pretty.
merry little woman, happy in her hus-
band, her children and her home
They had few educated, congenial
friends, who lived simply like them-
selves. They would often ask me to
spend an evening with them. We
would have a comfortable little sup
per, some good music, and friendly,
intelligent talk. always came homo
cheered and refreshed.
'In 1870 Mr.. Burkes salary was
raised. His wife urged that they
should move into the city. She had
social ambitions. They took apart
ments in a cheap, pretentious build
ing; Mrs. Burke's pretty muslins were
replaced by snowy silks; Burke gave
up his moth-hunting and joined a
dining club. They asked me to din.
ner. occasionally, when l was regaled
with half-warm dishes from the res
taurateur's instead of Mrs. Burke's
well-cooked suppers, and cheap wine
in place of good coffee. A waiter.
hired for the occasion. had replaced
the neat little maid. None of their
old friends were among the guests,
but instead, few pseudo-fashionable
folk, who talked necessarily of their
wealthy acquaintance.
Burke soon began to speculate In
stocks and was successful. They at
once took house in one of the side
streets and gave it to an upholsterer
to furnish. Mrs Burke set up her
own coupe. When. once year. I
was hidden to state dinner, l found
the sham fashionable friends had dis.
appeared and in their place were the
rich notabes of whose acquaintance
they had boosted. The dinner was
from Delmonico's but Mrs. Burko's
own footman served it. Burke's i'm
come, every body knew, would not
half-cover his outlay. But what mat
terp We are making our way into
society,", he told me, with haggard,
anxious face which betrayed how great
was the strain upon him.
'In 1876 he made large amount by
speculation. They bought house
on Murray Hill, and emulated the
wealthiest families of that neighbour
hood in splendor and extravaganza. ]
was once asked to a ball in their mag.
nificent house, and saw Mrs Burke
paying court to so-called Russian
Prince, whom she had secured as a
guest. They were still pushing their
way, as anxious and disconnected as
at first.
There was q sudden collapse or
Wall street Burke lost in a week
every dollar he owned. The shock, in
his exhausted. nervous condition,
brought on an incurable cerebral dis
ease. He still lives, almost imbecile. s
mere wreck of his former self His wife
would not return to poverty and sim
pie modes of living again. She opened
a fashionable clearinghouse, and
drags out q hard worked, miserable
life. in debt on every side. Not one O
her fashionable friends recognize he
on the street, and that is, perhaps, thu
bitterest drop in her cup"
by the time man reaches middl,
age" says Jacob Mathurin, "the his
tories of his contemporaries furnish
him with moral lessons more signif
icant than any sermon" The mora
of such lives as that of the Burkes is
. common one, and is easily read. Ii
every community the man or woman
| who sacrifices real happiness to tn
ambition to be fashionable, finds
. sooner or later, that the mess of pot
, tage, for which great birthright ha
i been sold, is but small and bitter tt
the taste.
3 This is not because fashionable PEG
c pie are naturally more selfish or crue
than others; it is because the Tie be
tween them is not that Of genuine af
. lection or respect Or of mutual inter
est in any noble cause or work. 1t
avowedly, simply amusement ant
emulation in display. When the new
conner, who is pushing his way" i
I no longer able to amuse or to compel
in display, he is, necessarily, pushe,
e aside. Every reader will early o
late, have to decide upon his course i
f society. Let him remember the Burke
and their false ambitions. : Youth
! Companion.