The critic., 1891-02-25
SOCIAL CLIMBERS.
Do You Know Any?

Do hOU EuOW <AuyE
Il From he Philadelphia Times.
We hear every day Of people who get
black and blue in their efforts to climb the
social ladder. We hear Of people who are
scornfully spoken of as among the social
climbers" and every now and then some-
body wonders II they will reach the height
to which they are climbing They will II
they have skins like hippopotamuses and
plenty of money; IL they do not mind
being snubbed BY woman, and then ap.
expecting another snub, willing to take it,
and yet to smile again the day after. They
must also learn that two kicks down the
rounds of the ladder which they wi ,h to
climb must only give them impetus 10 fly
up five more. They must be willing to
spend money, and spend it in great guam
titles, and they must run after a lion, try
to capture him, and exhibit him in golden
chains In their drawing rooms; but, above
ALL they must feed their guests well, and
that is where the social climber too often
makes q mistake.
Mrs. Blueblood can afford to offer her
guests pale claret cup and waters, but Mrs.
Climber cannot content hers with any
thing less than fizz, terrapin and game.
To make her people satisfied with them
selves, she must give them Of the best in
hereafter. When she gets where she
wants to 60, when she has reached the
height Of bliss she can snub women who
are trying to follow her example, and she
can cut Off Of her visiting list all those who
helped her in early struggles, but whom
she counts as belonging to the. ineligibles
nowadays. There are always few women
who will not assist the climber, no matter
how much money she may spend or how
anf;rolv 10 n, of1bO1it IN hpiun kir1xn1
metnphorically, of course.
One delightful woman here will control
the people who visit at her house, and
once, when well-know climber went up
to her and said, 81 am going to do myself
the pleasure of coming TO your next Tues
day." she was looked at through pair of
lorgnettes by pair OF piercing gray eyes,
and the answer came with beautiful clear
ness, 81 do not admit to my house people
who are not ON my visiting list"
Another woman, who thought that by
gushing and giving great deal of personal
information she could get to where she
wished, grew very familiar with young
married woman and said to her: 81 Won
der that you use rouge; Ididn't know any
body but the demi-monde did that"
With sweet smile the naughty young
nate in knowing anything about their
habits or them; my acquaintances have
always been in different set.p AS this
was audible to the entire room, the would
be familiar friend was most beautifully
| cut.
That woman Is an abomination upon
the face of the earth who goes around
gossiping to the rest of womankind about
| the habits, costumes and special friends
of women of the other world. She can
never really account creditably for this
knowledge, and her listener has perfect
| right to conclude that she has acquaint-
ances among them, although IL Is most
| probable she has gathered her stories from
| different men. American women are
learning to do like their French sisters
i. e., to entirely ignore these ladies, and
when they meet them to stare as blankly
as If there was no material figure neal
them. This is the art of the woman OF
the world who never sees the disagreeable
| in life.