The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-16
NOT TO THE MANOR BORN
The Washington Girl is of a Type
Not Native to the
Capital.
Vicissitudes Of Official Life Bring
Thither Girls from Near
and Far.
Society at the Capital Democratic mt All
Timcs-Eutterflies Who Live Ex-
haustins Lives.


WASHINGTON social life-ls generally an eS'
otto who has been transferred to this @socia
dollhouse from some far city and state. The
mutations of political and official life bring
debutantes from all portions of our conti-
nent, buds who blossom for season and
then drift away. Each change of admins
tration brings here new families. the feInl-
nine members of which, with ell the zest OF
the unaccustomed. throw themselves into
the gayeties within their reach and carry
each new fad to its extreme. The Ameri-
can girl from anywhere is SO adaptable she
SO readily fits herself into new surround.
ings and conditions. that i'll a month a
crude western maiden will develop into 4
self-possessed Washington society girl.
At the seat of government, whatever may
be the dominant political party, society
always remains democratic. The presi-
dent receives all persons with social equal
ity, and the lesser officials feel constrained
to follow where he leads. This results in
many free eceptions-receptions generally
conducted by the wives and daughters of
the officials, who open their houses and
greet all men ana women who present
themselves, whether from curiosity or So
cial ambtlon-and naturally these recep-
: tions are apt to be notable for quantity
rather than quality, and the idea
seems to be, in official and unofficial cir
cles of society, that an entertainment to be
successful should be large rather than
select In order to secure numbers the
Washington society woman cannot ciosely
scan her visiting and invitation lists. knd
this tolerant system affords many opportu-.
mites to the ambitious.
This city is the Mecca of the self-made
man and the tailor made woman. With
some money and perseverance these can i'll
few seasons work their way into large
circle of pleasant acqualntnnces. by using
as wedge the indiscliminate official re-
ceptions, they can, by entertainments and
tact, sooner or later become identified with
the fashionable set that is somewhat sepal-
ated from the official set. The daught ers
and sisters of the officials and rich strang-
ers who come here to enjoy the social sea-
son make business of their pleasure and
go everywhere. In fact they seem to be
seized with veritabe frenzy of going"
They return calls with feVerish activity.
They desperately try to be i'll dozen places
at once. What is known as tho season. is
very short-ony SIX weeks or two months
at the most-and the butterflies must fill
those few weeks with every available fes-
tivity.
A Washington girl works hard for her
pleasure. Follow her for Just one of her
DAYS, which will be like all the others. She
will rise at nine, breakfast. and be ready to
start out at 1890 Her morning will be
passed i'll shopping, in calling on some init
mate friend whom she never gets Il chance
to speak to at the crowded receptions they
both daily attend. or else she sober!y and
seriously presents herself at the meeting of
club for general information. This cub
is for the purpose of correcting her frlyo-
lous tendencies aud supplying her with
,I,ra 49, tl,t,,
generally he'd at some private house, and
is attended by young girls and married
women, who listen to a clever man or mar
ried woman who discusses dimly some
topics of the day. political or literary, that
his hearers are too lazy or dull or busy to
read up for themselves. These homeopa-
thic doses of knowledge are very useful TO
this girl, who has time either for read |
ing OF thinking When this serious bust |
ness is over, the girl drives home to dress
for luncheon, one of those pink, white or
yellow affairs that promote indigestion and
the better acquaintance of dozen girls who |
will never meet again.
In order to save time that is SO precious
to the Washington girl in the season. it has
become the fashion to attend these lunch
cons in calling costume and to wear bon
net or heavy hat during these dainty
meals that last two or three hours. As the
hostess must not make pretense Of hurry.
she usually wears a house dress, and the
harmony of appearance. is destroyed. This
fashion appears both announcement and rude,
for the guests Seem to indicate by their
dress their desire to finish the ceremony and
be oil as soon as possible.
After the luncheon comes the round of
calls. For these the girl either takes with
her her mother or her mothers cards. BY
q careful study of the reception days pre-
vailing in certain neighborhoods. it is pos
sible, with diligence, to make from fifteen
To fyva AMI v cp11s n n Cnnpfa of hor1ro
calls naturally mean simply fitting in and
out of parlors and a deposit of cardboard.
But they serve their purpose of obtaining
invitations and securing q return of calls
on the callers reception day. At the after
noon teas occurring on that afternoon the
maiden may linger to chat to her next
neighbor in the crush and nibble salted
almonds, yielding to q subtle fascination
which leads to an indulgence fatal to the
temper and complexion of the average girl.
BY 6 O'Clock, when the winter twilight
has faded into darkness. and the receiving
parties begin to look tired, the busy maid
en- drives home to dress for The dinner.
She is going Tonight to a theatre dinner
that is. one that includes box party at
the theatre after it. Dinner is earv at
6:3O. and our devotee of fashion needs a
speedy maid to dress her ana fast horses to
carry her in time. At this dinner the hostess
is young married woman, and the guests
are the bellies and beaus of the season. Be
ing designed for young people. the meal is
light both as to wine and dishes. The table
is extravagantly decorated with flowers
and a big bunch of iong-stemmed roses
rests besides each girls plate. If the con-
versation consists only of the lightest of
small talk, social news, little gossip. the
figures of the last german, what more can
you expect from tbs daily life of tho talk
efs! At they drive to the theatre. enter at
the end of the first act, lose the thread Of
the play, but disturb the audience sutti :
ciently to make their presence known, and
30 accomplish one of their p1rposes in 60
ing. These box parties as a rule are not
noisy when they once get settled.
The girls pose for inspection in front of
the box and the men lounge against the
wall in the background. The actors do
not look for applause from these self-con-
tanned youths and maidens, for it is we'll
known that society frowns on enthusiasm.
The Washington girl needs all her strength
to bear her through her manifold pleasures
She cannot waste any on enthusiasms
After this solemn dramatic ordeal the
girl Is driven to a reception, first picking
mp a chaperone en- route.
Most OF the houses in Washington are too
small for the class of entertainments given
in them. Therefore the receptions are
usually crowded to point of discomfort.
almost of suffocation. Even to reach the
dining rooms requires struggle and when
down stairs and past the hostess at the
door of the reception room our Young
woman may find herself forc,bly separated
from her chaperon and wedged in perhaos
between a fat old lady and a man whom she
does not know. She will see friends tan
feet away and not be able to reach them;