Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-07

II
From the London Saturday Review.
Fashion has decreed that at the present time
| it b the right and proper thing for its female
votaries TO adopt manly occupations, amuse-
ments, mode Of conversation, sports, and, to .
certain extent limitations OF the male gar
| ments, not to mention the more serious move
ments on foot for women to share in the politi-
| cal life Of men and in the government of their
| country. Nowadays it is by no means thought
| necessary for asyoung married lady to be q
good housekeeper, or to be well versed in do
nestle arrangements--all these things can be
looked after by the servsnts-and beyond We
hement protests at the largeness Of the monthly
| books when presented, no efforts are made by
management to check the expenditure and.
If some spasmodic attempts are initiated.
| they are rendered futile by the absolute ignor-
ance OF the subject on the part Of the lady of
the house, which is at once detected by the
tradesmen and servants, who use it to their own
advantage II children are to be we'll looked
after, cannot good nurses and governesses be
found, and on them the responsibility can be
placed, while in case of Illness or even of any
of the mildest forms of infantile arrangements.
is it not the simplest thing to send for the
doctor. who viii give full details as 10 the
necessary modes of diet and bringing M
suitable for them? So what is the necessity
Of studying such snbjects2 Thus in former
special duty of our women is no longer
so, and in consequence. by shelving their
responsibilities on to the shoulders of those
who are paid to bear them, they have more
time on their hands, and feel that ii is the
right thing that they should take IN occu-
pations and ideas which are shared equally
With men. In country houses at the present
day, during the annual Shoots" il the walk
ing Is OF q nature to permit it, such as in par
fridge driving and covert shooting, the ladies
now expect to come out with the lunch, or
some time before, and to walk with the shoot
ers, and they take, or pretend to take, the
keenest interest in the sport. Their costumes
on these occasions are nearly allied to that
OF their male companions the differences Of
the sex will allow. They adopt the CATERS or
spats; their dresses are made in imitation of
mems clothes by men tailors and their design
is to resemble a coat and waistcoat with q
flannel or silk shirt underneath, and with tie
and pin, and their heads are adorned with
stalking or cloth caps, which, as rule, are by
no means comfortable or suitable covering
to their couture" II is almost needless to
add that q covert coat now is
AN INDISPENSABLE ARTICLE or ATTIRE.
These ladies come out in troops, and, when
lunch is over, distribute themselves among the
guns each one attaching herself to the man of
her choice, and accompanying him for the rest
OF the afternoon, not always to the complete
satisfaction OF many 'sportsmen," who think,
place on such occasions. There is little doubt
that in our short winter days it causes consider
able delay as lunch for fourteen or fifteen peo-
pie takes much longer than it would if only
SIX or seven shooters were there; besides the
meal Is bound to be moro elaborate; while in
partridge driving in particular it is difficult to
persuade the keen sporting ladies to keep
themselves properly out Of sight, as they are
anxious to see all that is going on. the
birds coming and being killed; the result
fhaf hay oh fhav,,
the birds, so that it requires a strong-minded
sportsman to insist on his fair follower sitting
| under damp hedge out of sight while the
drive is going on. In addition to all these
patton to witness, without partaking in the
skillful performance Of it, the massacre Of
hundreds of harmless birds and beasts, and it
must be deteriorating to watch the sufferings
OF the unfortunate wounded. and is sure to pro-
duce a callousness to suffering that is most
contrary to the true womanly instinct of gen.
| tleness and adherence Of all that tends to
cruelty or the infection of pain. Many women
now bet at race meetings, and, though they
have not yet gone the length of making their
| bets with the book makers personally, yet they
get their friends to do 30 for them, and look
upon it as a serious matter Of business, and in
| many cases venture considerable sums.
SLANG AND ARGoT,
| both racing and general, are now commonly
| used by women, who pick the language up from
| the men, and who consider it the right thing
| to adopt, and now We hear expressions ema-
| mating from them which formerly, to say the
least OF 1t, would have been considered vulgar
| and though there may not be any particular
harm in these utterances, yet this slangy ten
dency in conversation detracts from the high
bred tone that should pervade our best society
in LONDON, and even If amusing at the time it
does not in any way constitute wit or clever
| ness, and can be generally heard to greater
perfection in the topical songs at the music
halls or read in many of the sporting papers
of the present day-in fact. much of It is
| borrowed from these sources. The influx
Of Americans and Americanisms into this
country has no doubt q good deal to do with
this, but the main reason of it is that the men
| make use Of slang; therefore, to be in keeping
with the fashion of the day, by initiating them
and trying to resemble them much as posi-
BILE, it is necessary that their forms Of language
| should be adopted as far as possible. Again,
| in London now, how many ladies delight in at
| sorts OF men-namely, the music halls and the
London restaurants. When We say exclusive
| resorts we mean exclusive as regards society;
OF course, they were and always will be the
haunts Of the demi monde, and we fear that is
one OF the reasons why they are now becoming
| SO popular among many ladies in society, who
hardly pretend that they are as amusing as a
| good theater or the opera; but strange fasci-
nation seems to oblige them to see and watch
that class, and they are infinitely amused if
| they recognize some Of their acquaintances in
| the company Of these fral ones.
Saturday Smiles.
Summer Religion. Inquirer -" chow does