Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-15
THE BUDS.
Their Lot Is Not a Happy One-What
They Have to Do.

New York Letter to the San Francisco Ar9onaut.
But to return to the buds-who are really
supposed to be the text of this letter-their lot
is not SO rosy as outsiders might suppose. They
must combat tremendous rivalry. Whole fami-
lies take the field in this sort of polite skirmish-
ing. A handsome girl who has been trained up
carefully to be belle, kept close by the fam
lily in order to be surprise is finally launched
amid flourish of trumpets. Great things are
expected of her. and. from the first, a sense of
fear of possible failure Expresses her. She
contends against severe odds-other girls as
handsome as she; other girls much cleverer or
Weather. But once plunged in she must go
forward; to retreat is to confess defeat. Mean
while she feels the eyes of her world are
upon her. There are people who will take
pleasure in her failure. Her family have what
to an outsider would appear an absurd anxiety
about her success. Miss So-and-So is a sue
cess, you hear triumphantly on all Sides or.
Miss So-and-So's family are so disappointed
because she is not a success" These triumphs
and failures are of much moment to this
poor little warrior as the iife-and-death ques-
ton of real life. Should it be proved that she
is a failure, she hangs her head and feels that
she is cumberer OF the ground, for all her ex-
istence is compressed within this circle. There
is nothing outside it so far as she is concerned
ting lonely at a dance, too depressed to fegn
sprightliness, heavy-eyed and wistful. And
then the poor little devil goes home and tear
fully divests herself of those fine clothes she
pat on with such gayety and hope.
The successful debutantes have a lovely
time. They are not necessarily handsome, but
they must have chic, brlliancy. sparkle. The
average man does not want to admire, he wants
to be amused. A dashing girl full of diablerie.
Will fascinate him where Venus would only
hN~ 81 ,,.t,
the success requires certain amount Of hard
ness in her disposition. She must be able to
give back hard knocks, she must know how to
snub. and where her smiles will bring back the
best returns. These dear creatures, who look
all softncss, candor and innocence, know
every fuctuation in rivals popularity, and
when she sits frowning and impatient by the
wall trip out onto the floor partner in hand,
with graceful waggling of skirts and che err
ful utilization OF pleasure in her wicked little
| heart.
Some Of the buds are not at all anxious for
| the fray. One girl, l remember, who spoke
openly of her objections to entering the arena.
She was seventeen, very bright and well bred
delightful girl, but not pretty. She had the
| entree into the best sets, her people were all
| nice and she would undoubtedly have been a
| favorite. But don't want to come out" she
said; II don't care for that life. l know all the
younger men I'll meet. l know them at the
| small dancing classes all the girls 60 to before
| they come out. They are not interesting.
Then the older men who come here to dinner
dislike debutantes, because they say they are
all fools-and so We have nothing to talk to but
the kids, who are dull, and the very old men
who have been in society since before grand
mamma was married. Then Won haven't time
for anything. I like to read, but won't have
time to read word until Lent, when I'll be
sent of to Point Comfort or St Augustine to
recuperate, and I'll be too used up to do any
thing but sit In the sun, wrapped up in shawis
I'd give anything to get out Of it, but don't
| see how can. People will think am idiotic
or have spinal disease il don't come out.
And once you get in you can't get out. It's on
my mind all the time. ! wish they'd take me
to Europe"
Fate interviewed and gave this poor girl her
| wish. She hasbecome an invalid and only goes
/ ont 70 take long driven in the park