Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-08

fOAN-<<IA9 A4OAL%--4-A4In
considers the lilies" from gastronomical
point OF view, either eats them as a veeeta-
BILE or kueads them with dough and makes
them into cakes. In either form they are
declared to afford most substantial and
nourishing repast and the aesthetics Of ten
years ago, when accused of "living on
lilies, would certainly have been enabled
to turn the laugh against their tormentors II
they had known the culinary attributes OF
their cherished flower. Mark the result OF
the professors information. At a stylish
luncheon yesterday, given by an enterprise
ing belle. stewed lilies were one of the novel
dishes They. tasted like an amalgam of
spinach and cabbage, and were not very
dainty, but they are bound to have vogue
for awhile, anyhow.
soCIETY's PHILANTHROPY.
The season of fashionable charities has
begun. Philanthropy, with very big p.
is one of our boasted characteristics. It is
even pastime. Long ago we made up our
minds to take the poor under our wing and
''learn the luxury of doing good" Why,
what woman among us with any social pre-
tensions has not some pet philanthropic
scheme on hand? Are we not forever or
ganizing entertainments and bazaars and
meetings? Is it not to Fifth avenue that
Avenue A looks for sympathy, and would
not the eloquent appeals We make from
time to time on behalf of our unfortunate
brethren fill many volumes? Yes, truly,
there is great deal Of philanthropy about,
and increase of appetite doth grow by what
it feeds on, for there is no more comfortable
and consolatory delnsion than the fashiona-
BILE method Of doing good to others which
we call by that hIgh-sounding name. It is
O balm to our own eonsciences and a yery
excellent social advertisement.
Every stylish church in town has its pet
charities and missions. But I am sorely
afraid the poor are little the better for it.
The fact OF the matter is, we talk great
deal too much about what we and other peo-
pie ought to do. We know and feel that
these poor creatures cannot help themselves,
and there is decidedly keen pleasure in
realizing that we are the strong reeds upon
which they lean, but we are strangely obliv-
ious of the fact that sympathy TO be of real
service must be practical. 1t is not much
use to put on stylish frock to 90 and dis
cuss unsanitary dwellings in Lady Bounti-
ful's drawing room, and then forget all
about our dependents in the slums till our
engagement card reminds us that we are due
at another charitable meeting. 1t is all very
well to descant upon the starvation wages of
women workers in our metropolis, and to
shudderingly urge the drawbacks in living
in damp, dark novels, half dozen feet high
and ten feet square, while we live in an
of violets. But this form of
sympathy does not effect many reforms or
help to I'LL empty stomachs, and while we
play at philanthropy in swelldom, starVs-
tion, crime and disease play havoc in Para
disc Park. Having thus preached my little
sermon, let me happily add that we tend to-
ward practical charities. The Vanderbilt
ladies capitalize society for lending money
to poor folks, the Astors back one which
cares for babies whose mothers have to go
out to work, the Boomers and others of DR..
Halls church conduct a bureau for estab-
fishing deserving widows as mistresses of
boarding houses, and there are
3 score of enterprises for giving summer
outings to poor children. OF course, we
shall load our Christmas trees, and provide
BUR Christmas dinners, this year as usual;
and on the whole, we mean well and do
A PHILoSoPHIC FLIRT.
Lately gave few plain but necessarily
piquant directions to girls in the matter Of |
and now a pile of letters from |
readers Is on my table, commencing and |
suggesting and asserting.
There is one which, being from a man, is |
unique. He calls himself PHILOSOPHER
Ind 1irt, and poses as an expert, so we
may take for granted he is right when he
'ays that "the firt is something of a
also, that "the greatest of
living psychologists (who is hep is popu-
arly reported to be an adept in the noble
lrt.'' Goethe, most Psychological &of
lrtists, he calls.the greatest historic ffirt. " +
thought Goethe went beyond filtration. /
love and filtration, our philos- |.
,pher truly says: "In love genius is of
10 more account than dullard. But in
Irritation the eyes are wide epen-an awk-
ward jest, neglected opportunity, and the
game is up" Further on he writes: 'The
presence of this intellectual element in
Irritation suggests that the most effective
1irts are men. The filtration of raw,
yreen girl will be raw, green thing" Mar
led women have the calm that comes from
ettled interests, and filtration, frivolous as
t seems to the frivolous, requires as cool
Ind clear head as mathematics" Then
le adds: ITO be an effective firt, one
hould be an effective talker; and how many
Unmarried girls are good taIkers?" An
'ther aphorism is equally good: ''The ar
list in filtration has temperate pulse and
! sweet digestion, and, if no ascetic ancestor
'e quick within him, he may have the
pleasure Of good conscience as we'll" As
read this letter, I felt assured that philos-
pher and hirt had really been addressing
ne, and giving the ripe fruit of much ex-
,erience. But dominance in filtration
hould and shall be maintained by my own
ex. CLARA BELLE.