The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-26

on their dress coats and appear IN the
drawing rooms, our afternoon devotees
find themselves dwindling into the shad-
oyvs of obscurity and neglect cast by the
new and stronger lights. The society
women. be they ever so gay and thought
less. know the value Of real worth, and
the polished diplomat or gilded youth
are not ':in it" when the solid men OF
affairs appear upon the scene, no matter
how little used to society or how poorly
gifted with social graces the latter may
be. Nor should it be supposed that all
this society is stupid and absurd, like
the mad races Of some of the women, to
nav as many calls in day as swift horses
and the endurance of flesh and blood will
permit Of.
Water will find its level in society as
well as anywhere else, and the brilliant,
brsinv men who can not only talk, but
say something, are at premium, and
so are the women Of genuine tact ard
heart. Probably no capital can boast
more refined or intellectual society than
this if we take it at its best.
Here and there, even in the most fash
ionable of gatherings, one Will see an
awkward and ill-at-ease statesman from
the far west wondering what he shall do
with his hands or say with his tongue,
wandering about disconsolate and quite
overcome by the magnificent gowns and
fascinating figures which the decollete
mode prodigally discloses But wait
while. till some tactful and bright
woman gets him off in a corner. sits him
down with an ice and conversational
corkscrew and begins to draw him out.
Presently our awkward new man from
the west who, perhaps, habitually wears
q SLOUGH hat out of doors and forgets to
remove his overcoat as he enters draw
ing room, will begin to thaw and feel
ike himself He will talk, be attended
by the delicate fattery of close attention,
and before he knows it be ready to vote
the reception, which he had before
thought such a great bore, a most
charming affair, and himself one of the
lions thereof.
Then pretty women Will be brought
ND for an introduction, and more and
in few weeks the odds are this callOw
westerner will become one of the most
charming Of society men, stralghtfor~
ward, frank and unaffected, and all the
more sought and liked ON account there
Of 1.-The young diplomatic attaches and
rich mems sons will do for an after
moons amusement, but when the gas is
lit, and the electric current turned on,
and we don our best gowns" said most
! experienced and successful society wOm
| al the other night, I'VE want men, real,
| substantial men, who have something
besides manners to recommend them"
Not long ago it was my pleasure to sit
for an hour beside beautiful little
woman from Vienna, countess whose
| husband is attached to one Of the for
eign legations. Madam" said l, 81
fear you find our American men very
awkward, lacking in social and physical
grace, compared with your own gentle
men," yes" she replied frankly, ''the
| Americans are a little awkward, and
| they do lack grace. But do not like so
much grace. A man may be too grace
! full to suit woman. You Americans
have that which is much better than
grace, or any superficial quality-sincer-
ity and sense and a habit of treating a
woman as if she were your intellectual
equal and moral superior. / have been
with my husband to Madrid, Berlin,
| Paris. and Of course l know Vienna very
well, but the American men are as a
! rule the most charming men l have ever
met" Was this not very good of the
beautiful little countess? And what
wonder that the most stolid and prac-
teal of us are at times inclined to Join
the ranks of the woman worshipers:
American men have the strong quail
ity of adaptability. There is no doubt
about that. We see this everywhere.
Plain, common farmers or professional
men or merchants come here from the
rural districts or small towns, take high
stations in congress, on the bench, or in
the executive, and deport themselves
almost as if they were to the manner
born. Thy are weakest in society, fol
there manners and form mean so much
more than in the more serious affairs OF
life: yet even in society they quickly rub
off their rough edges, learn to wear dress
suits without eternally pulling at the
waistcoat, and even master the mysteri
Gus intricacies of card etiquette. But il
American men have adaptabilty, what
shall be said OF American women? They
appear to have been born under some
magic star.
have in mind, as type of the wo-
men of whom | am writing. one who
three years ago was ashop girl in west
ern city. Her parents having been very
poor, she had few home advantages.
Even the public schools did not do her
much good. for she was not able TO at
tend them very long before her father
sent her to work in a factory. From the
factory and its rough but perhaps honest
associations she drifted TO dry goods
store, and was there seen by well TO dc
and ambitious man. who fell in love with
and married her. The whirligig of poll
, tics brought this man to Washington a.
a member of congress. His wife came
with him. They set up house. bought
a carriage. hired SIX servants, visited the
milliner and the modiste, and are now
in the swim of fashionable society.
The wife is an ignorant little body. 81
ignorant that when she meets the Italian
minister, as she occasionally does, sh.
cannot tell for the life OF her whethe,
Italy is in Asia or Africa. But she care
fully avoids committing herself or
geography or anything else with which
she is unfamiliar. and by sheer tact and
I : i