New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-09
LONDON SOCIETY.
THE INFLUENCE OF WOMEN. ENGLISH AND
AMERICAN, ON CONVERSATION.


rrRox THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT THE rRIBUNE'I
London, August 81
ain this art of conversation" says Emerson,
~woman is the lawgver. IT every one recailed
his experiences, he might find the best III .ue
snecch OF saperior women" And he adds: " NO
one can be q master in conversation VINO mas hoC
learned much from women; their presence anu
inspiration are essential to its success nowhere
Is This truth more true than in London society,"
We were discussing lately the now dlsuseu iasnioh
of giving breakfasts, and some one asKed why 'hey
had gone out. Can you douptF answered.
social expert. g il is because women did not come
TO Them The luncheon has replaced the preaR-
fast 1t is just as informal, Just as Tree from
coremonial more convenient and is more attract
i've because women are always among the guests
and are more often than not the glvers OF the
luncheons 1t has been discovered that men DO
not talk their best when they are talking to men
only. A dinner of men only is not liked; II there
are no women, the elegance, the charm OF the
meeting are wanting; the talk becomes, or OFTEN
becomes. the talk of the smokingroom 1t has
neither the refinement nor the brllhancy WHICH
these beautiful beings impart to It,
They possess the art of talking ana inc arh
which is more rare of making others talk IL es-
nrit de Ia conversation consiste bien moins en-
moptrer beaucoup qu' en- fare trouver aux
autrcs.n La Bruyerc might well have added thai
this esprit belongs prominently to women, put
his treatment of women is mostly from dlnereho
point of view. They have, it is KNOWN tried the
experiment of dinners from which men were ex-
Guided 1t has seldom been repeated. 1hey Know
each other too well; such triumphs as are 10 NC
gained over women by women are barren. 10 Is
only the laurel that grows over the grave OF a
male victim that is worth wearing. Inc women
whose names are most famous in the social annals
of the last generation or two are women who have
,-povn how TO gather about them. Lazy
palmerston was a political force Lady Jersey
power was political, and something more. Lazy
Waldeg,ave often named as the last OF those VINO
have known how 10 make drawlng-room al
tractive was more the head of a coterie than any
thing else, gifted woman though she was. NoO
one of these was a brilliant talkcr; 1t was their
power of making others discover IN themselves
an uususpected fund of attractive conversation
which, more than any other single power secured
them their supremacy. There are women III 'he
London of to-day who have possibly, the same
oovver: certainly the same in kind, IL not IN de-
crce But the circumstances are no longer lhe
same II hostess asks thousand or even t"o
thousand people to a party how Is she 10 super
intend their talk? 1t cannot be done. She Is on
duty at the top of the staircase 10 IS noC 'li
these huge gatherings have been once more re-
duccd TO manageable dimensions that a hostess
can again bring to bear the magic OIL PERSONAL
charm: can bring people together; can impress
her individuality ON the company; can be a queen
~ society," There are queens in society stu; out
Tie crown is worn with difference. There are
,ueens and prncesscs in various sets; but OF sets
| am not now speaking
That women are the best letter-wrters in the
world has long been agreed, and exceptions like
George Eliot may prove the rule. But, Oh
dit les chooses encore plus fnement gu on ne
ueut les ecrire' and If women write the pes1
letters why should they not talk best? IL was
once the fashion TO praise George Eliot's talk
and there have been. I believe, people who could
,ead her letters They were not letters those POM
nous pretentious, pedantic compositions; each one
plainly composed with an eye to 1utufe puohci'y.
Rnt they were curiousy like her talk. Woman oil
rouius as she was. she had no more genuine
lit of talk than of poetry. In any case she
had no Mace in society, and her talk could never
. have been the fashion if she had Her remark
AHA riffs were of use to her in the company
of the devout who gathered weekly 10 listen
10 tic Oracle but that was not society," IL WIS
q form of public worship. and we do not 20 10
church or chapel TO talk; or at least we oughD
NOT. " George Eliot had chosen so 10 arrange
her life as TO bring herself within the paie o.
society she might have been the female MacauiAy
of her time That is 10 say. she had 1ui'
NiStONA'NN
n long time without stopping, ana wthou' HISS
ing date or misstating fact
Put the London world--be it said with all
resnect 70 Colonel Higginson-does not 20 to lit
erature or science for patterns nor need IL loon
6old for ornaments: it has ornaments OF us own
MANY and many man and woman OF celepriy
IN other worlds has found the doors OF TINS open
"a them. and has been often welcomed ana ol'en
bonized But they neither give the tone nou sou
a fashion. They are not TO be left out OF az
count in estimating the forces which are operative
in Mavfair but neither are they to be oVer-'alueu
for this particular purpose lake tne Ia'e .hiS'
Proctor She Lad, as George Ehot h"u ho0 I"
considerable acquaintance in society, and was
.slred out:-there was no reason in her case as
in George Elot's there unhappily was, why She
.bbu,d not be- She talked well though too bit
,e,lv had a gift of satirical comment and store
,f]d;sparaging anecdotes which amused those VINO
:, o,r her and terrified them But OF Mrs froc-
.er,s influence there is not trace rake anolner
oman who is living and shall be naineiess ohe
ACCOMPLISHED, thoughtful, studious, clever De
I'd donbt both in talk and with the pen. She
noe written successful books her name is known
g she enters room people who nave hoO seon
before look round She is the lntenectu"i
,or;or Of many of the women Of the world "hohi
meets: and they are her superiors IN every
lity essential 10 success 'n soo'e'y = 20 7
. note. and she has not am IN panic II !
asked to take her in to dinner, salo d nan :,
self cultured and clever L know 1 Sn"n
70 talk on solemnities all through oinh'i'
M dinner is not the time for solemmues.
Society. in truth is the greatest despoo on e'f'h
IT, will not conform it demands conformity from
chose who are admitted into IT. The woman WHO
tas written novels that have sold is not the law
riyer whom Emerson had in mind TO do her
Justice. she docs not want to give laws; she
brings into this new world what she has to bring
gives of her best wonders at first, or after the irs'
non+ ~ curiositv about her is past, that her con-