The Washington critic., 1888-02-11
THE SWELL RECEPTION
Very True Picture by Mr.. Howelis oi
Other Society rs well as that of Boston.


Othersociety as weIi as that of Boston.
Mr. Howels, in his novel April
Hopes" gives a picture true TO nature
or art ofthe average society method Of ag-
gregated human association known as n
swell reception. Mr.. Bromfeld Corey Is
in attendance on one at his sisters, Mrs.
Bellinghain's, and speaks to Mrs. Brinkley
us follows
"Im always surprised TO find sensible
people at these things Of James. They're
most extraordinary things. James idea
Of society is 10 turn n lierd of human
beings loose in her house and see what
will come of 1t. She has no more sense of
hospitality or responsibility than the Ee-
ments or Divine Providence. You may
come here and have good time If you
can get it--she won't object or you may
die of solitude and inanition; she'd never
know IL. | don't know, but IT'S rather
sublime in her. It's like the indifference
Of fate, but it's rather rough on those WHO
don't understand Il. She likes 10 see her
rooms filed with pretty dresses, but she
has no social inspiration whatever. She
lights and heats aud feeds her guests, and
then she leaves them to themselves. She's
n kind woman-.Ianc is n very good-n1-
tured woman-and / really think she'd
be grieyed if she thought any one went
make them at home Ia her house abso-
lutely nothing.
| eli you ask a stranger to your house Won
| establish a tacit understanding with him
\ that you won't forget him after you have
him there ! like 20 go about and note
| the mystiiication of strangers who' We
| come here with some notion Of a little at
tention It's delightfully."- poignant ]
suffer with them; les q cheap luxury OF
woe. OF course the theory Is that, being
| turned loose here with the rest, they may
speak to anybody; but the fact IS they
can't. Sometimes ! should like TO hal
some of these unfriended spirits, but
| haven't the courage. I'm not indiyid
| ually bashful, but | have thousand
years of Anglo-Saxon civilization behind
| me. There ought TO be policemen TO show
| strangers about and be Kind 10 them.
| have Just seen two pretty women cast
| away In corner, and clinging 10 a small
water color on the wall with show Of in
terest that would melt n stone. I come
because | can t sleep. If ! could sleep
| I'd be at home in bed. I'm not one OF the
night into day.
sSphe women of America represent the
aristooracy which exists everywhere else
| in both sexes. You are born TO the pa
trician leisure; you have the accomplish
ments and the clothes and manners
and ideals; and we men are natural
commonalty, born to business, to news.
papers, to cigars and horses. This natl-
rationale aristocracy of ours establishes
the forms, usages, places and times of so
oiety. The epieene aristocraoies of other
countries turn night into day in their So
cial pleasures, and our noblesse sympa.
thetically follows their example. You
ladies who can lie till noon next day
come to James reception at eleven
o'clock, and you drag along with you &
herd Of as brokers, bankers, merchants
| lawyers and doctors, who must be at oul
offices before nine in the morning
The hours OF us work people are regula
ted by the wholesome industries OF the
great democracy which we're part of
and the hours of our wives and daughter
by the delcterious pleasures of the ole
world aristocracy. That's the reason W
are not all at home in bed"