St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-09
CONVICTIONS CHAT.
The Intellectual Standard of
the Society Girl Of st.
Paul.
What Is the Real Relation
Between Society and
Literature.
The Purchase Of Social Bon
bons 10 the Exclusion Of
Better.
A Thoughtful Paper for the
Benefit Of Ladies Who
Think.


and which | propose formulating into a
tangible shape and tossing out to the
social world, are observations upon the
relationship existing between society
and literature. Society is a goddess who
arrogateS to herself the right to subject
her deyotees to tyrannical sway, and
demands from them. for the purchase Of
distinction in her realms, payment in
CON given to men and women for the
purchase Of higher, nObler goods. Time
is this coin. Not content with moments,
hours, days, months, she commands her
subjects, and beckonS to the debutante
standing on the threshold Of her pre-
Cincts to come and empty into her lap
the fullneSs of her treasury. Yes, sOcl-
ETY. would have all the tine of ali her
subjects, and strange to say, these sub
jects are only too willing to respond
60 her seemingly unreasonable de-
mands. Ii seldom occurs to a
dev0tee nf society to question the
right of this w0uld-be GODDESS, and the
young woman who retains some hours
for the purchase of literary acquire
mentS, OF pays some tribute at the shrine
of literature, is wonder to her com
paniOnS.
We may be fond of sweets and enjoy
8 box of ben houS with the relish of a
SWeet-toothrd child, but would we be
really rational beings should we sit down
each day to a dinner of eight or ten
courses, all Of which were of bOn-b0nS?
We might at first, by virtue Of our
pallor and languor, exile some sympa-
thetic interest in our companions. but
think Won it would be very long before
our halo Of inttreStingneSS would fade
into hale of inSip dity? Would we be
rational beings should we empty our
purse at the confectiOners', leaving
nothing fer the purchase of more sub
stahtial nuurishment?
We might be tempted to doubt the
possibility CT society WOman's finding
Che bank-n0tc of q day sufficiently eX-
tenSiyG to purchase both the sweets of q
social Whrl and the genuine food Of
literary endcavor, were it not for we'll
known examples which argue to the
contrary. There are young women in
st. Paul (VOung women of whom we arc
iuStly proud, whose literary accom-
plishmenis plainly bespeak the fact
that they recognize there is reconcile
alton to be made between society and
literature: that woman who never
opens a book or gives evidence that she
appreciates her intellect was given her
for the purpose of thought, is quite as
unworthy of her sphere as the woman
who faiM would hang up her sign as a
physician, beg admttance to the bar, or
soar into the realms of politics.
Far be it fromm to argue in favor of
the str0ng-minded blue stocking, a
m0nstrt sity, as great an eye-S0re to the
right-minded man or woman as the man
who bushes himself in the culinary de
partment of his household, or stops to
feel the texture of silks and SatinS as he
passes through dry goods store. But,
oh, there is a terrible gulf between the
brainIeSS Accommodating and the would
be masculine mind. The ideal woman
should be accomplished and cultured.
Who will deny that the ordinary species
of the genus society girl can pass
through numherleSS series OF evnlu-
tiOns before she finds herself evolved
into anything trtspaSslng on the intel
lectual sphere of man.
The goddess Society reignS in every
city. and reigns with the same tyranni-
cal sway. In the same measure does
her fair subject empty before her the
Golfer OF her treasury. Consequently, in
every city does the society girl pur-
chase the b0n-bOnS of social pleasure to
the exclusion of the IN re nutritious
food Of thought and intellectual attain
ment.
st. Paul cannot proclaim herself all
execution, and though the intellectual
atmosphere in which her young women
choose to allow their minds to breathe
may not be inferior to the standard Of
other cities. WE must regretfully &C
knowledge it is by no means superior.
There are young girls in our social cir
Giles who aspire to some sort of cultiva-
ton; there are others vino really are
cultivated; this is acknowledged most
willingly, our only regret being they
form the exceptions rather than the
rule.
st. Paul young women have been par
ticularly fortunate in their travels. Ii
is indeed difficult to enumerate ten who
have not enjoyed the advantages of a
European tour, yet few indeed show the
effect OF such advantages further than
the broadening of their as some several
Inches beyond the diameter OF an Amer
ican tongue, and overwhelming poor
men with Il sense of their vast travel by
telling them they will be ready at harlf-
past seven. Others, after several weeks
which have been passed on the CONT
nent, Shrug their shoulders, gesticulate
wildly. and do so wish there was q
pension at which they could remain
while awaiting the ren0yating OF their
homes. Others return with so little
memory of the city, in which they have
passed some twenty years out OF their
tWenty-one, that they eagerly accost an
acquaintance in the street to inquire
how they can find their way to Mann
helmer's.
Do not misunderstood me, and mag
2ne for moment that ! wish our young
girls to entertain their cal lerS by an emu
meration of the paintings which grace
the walls of the Louvre: of the churches
TO which they remember Baedekcr's
guide book made some reference; of
the number of graves from which they
plucked flowers in the cemetery OF Pere
IA Chaise. No, ask only for some ey-
idenCe that their intellectual eye was
open during their travels, and that their
minds and methods of thought broad
ened in some proportion TO their as. If,
however, a timely alusion should be
made to the Louvre, think girl who
has the advantage nf Visitto the grand
palace, should remember something
more OF the JeWeIeu walls imam the poi
ished floors, and not respond to the in
Quiry: what do you think OF the
LouvYe?' by the Intellectual response,
81 never saw such slippery floors. "
Should a melancholy allusiOn be made
to the grandeur of Pere la Chaise,
she should not 20 into hyS-
terics at the remembrance OF
the jolly good fun she had there one
day at lunch, evidently having con-
founded the cemetery with restaurant.
So much for travel. 1t is, indeed, an
easy and agreeable way OF imbibing
knowledge, but the world Of books is a
world into which we may enter
without the expense OF an ocean
voyage. How many of our bellies take
an hour Of each day for the purchase OF
intellectual adornment, which can be
had only through the medium of
thoughtful reading, ii not earnest study.
Those who do while away an hour (anX,
f0usly waiting their next engagement.
ustlessly and thOughtlessly turning the