Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-03
HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Some Reflections Which Are Apprc-
pirate to the Present Season
THR CUSTOM CALLING
fhs1sh II Has Gone Into Disuss I'm Some
Clsass Il SIN Remains In washington-
Whse . Fnshionzbls Girl and Q Swell Young
Ma Are Supposed to Think.
Written Tor The Evening Star.

Il ago for . weekly paper in New York which
bad Q certain pathos in it. IL represented an
elderly gentlemen, Handsomely attired, ascend.
ing the steps that led to the door of q house
where il had been his custom for many years to
pay his respects upon the first day Of each year,
and the artist had skillfully depicted a look OF
sadness and disappointment upon the old man
face when he saw that the door that had so
often opened to him closed and that a
basket to receive visiting cards hung upon the
beI handle to wan him that he must not ask
admittanoe. The time-honored custom Of pay
ing New Year calls had gone out.
1t is pity, but it is a fact. that in New York,
Philsdeiphia and Boston and in other less i'm
portant cities that copy these New Year calls
are no longer as general a. they used to be. II
10 easy to understand why. The social circles
have become so large that the caller. in order
to perform his obligations, would have to begin
his labors early in the morning and continue
them TIL after the dinner hour: and while call
ing al day was vearisome. to receive calls all
DAY was equally a bore. Therefore men began
10 stay at home and ladies began to put baskets
at their doors. But here in Washington the
custom fingers and il not dead yet. for the
President receives officially and so do other
hugh officials. and many lesser lights follow suit.
THE PLEASANT CUSTOM OF CALLING
What custom can be more fitting than the
custom Of calling upon your friends on New
Year day? The old year is over, a new year is
about 70 begin and you come to wish them good
luck for the twelve months that are before
them. 1t is idle TO say that New Year day IS
the same as any other day. 1t Is not SO. Every
body thinks of the year that has passed, of what
he or she has done and what left undone, and
everybody looks forward to the coming year
with hope or despair, as the case may be- To
mediate alone is all well enough. but it Is
h.
onward in hfes journey with heartfelt God
speed Let Us imagine some of the medita-
nons that come to different persons.
THE FASHIONABLE GIRL REFLECTIONS.
The fashionable young girl, having danced
the old year out and the new year in, all tired
and weary in body, but alert and excited in
mind. lies awake and thinks, somewhat in this
wise:
L have passed the year as I had mapped it
out have read fourteen new novels and
have talked about them with lot of men. They
didn't know much about them. but i didn {
either; nevertheless, feel that l have accom-
plished something in the way of reading And
then. have had a good time; YES. there is no
doubt about that have had four proposals
and told Maria Telltale of each one, and l
know that everybody knew about them and nv
reputation increased Once. for little
while last summer at Narragansett. / was en-
gagged. Ii was very good fun, but got ont of
1t very cleverly. 1 think l can congratulate
myself on being clever. haven't got into any
scrapes of consequence. have been in love
been in love sincerely at all. and that is pleas
ant. too. Charlie SOliman doesn't come to
see me any more. am sorry for that, but then
Charlie has become serious and isn't half the
swell that he used to be and don't see him at
parties anymore. and don't care TO have visitors
who aren't swells. 1 think i like Charlie. but
then prefer swells- l can get along without
him.
SATISFIED WITH HER COURSE.
ION the whole i am quite satisfied with my
course. Next year / think III get married.
Tommy Coseher has a drag, and know he
pretty rich. and he is a real swell. and We could
have splendid big wedding. | think I'll be
married at night and have eight bridesmaids
and big reception at home after the wedding.
And then / could have a house of nv own and
entertain for myself and go to all the parties
and dance just the same The men wOuldn'
make love To me any more--that is. some of
them wouldn t-and that's n drawback; but
some Of them that don make love to me now
would do so If / was married am sure. Alto
gether it would be better to be married. for in
year or two i may become passe. and then II
have 20 take any one / can get, and now l can
take nv pick. / wish Charlie Solidman would
propose. OF course / would reject him. but he
10 so independent that think / would sooner
have him propose than TO have all the others.
III try and make him any way"
The SWELL YOUNG MAN THOUGHTS.
And then the fashionable girl goes to sleep,
and when the sunshine of the first day of the New
Year breaks into her room in the morning il
doesn't wake her. for she is tired from her dance
of the night before, and she will not be likely to
wake until her maid comes and tells her il il
time for her to dress for midday breakfast.
The meditations of the fashionable young
man. the swell. nav be conceived easily.
well. he thinks as he walks home from his
New Year eve party, well, i got through this
year pretty neatly. i won a steeplechase last
spring. and that's an accomplishment. and
know have the best tandem team in Washing
ton haven't been left out of a single party
and my invitations to dinner are gratifying.
Ny clothes have all been handsome and that
new London tailor is certainly an acquisition
have o right TO be proud of. Some of the
palmer fellows at the club are treating me
coldly, and am glad Of that. too. for it shows
that have arrived at n position in society that
makes me envied. i have adopted the use of
the broad "A, and once in New York was mis-
taken for an Englishman; that is certainly an
about me. and pretty Mrs. Highhy's husband
threatened TO Kick me out Of his house last
month. which shows am a man worth being
Jealous Of
THINKS HE'LL GET MARRIED.
81 think I'll get married next year. Miss Mon
eybegs has q big income and think she would
accept me. If married her I wouldn't have
70 give up any, OF my horses or of nv
clothes / think j like her as much as the
horses and the clothes-or nearly. IL loved
q woman a. much a. the horses and the clothes
would 60 through fire for her. and if loved
her more, I'd commit suicide for her IL got
married know there are some girls couldn't
firt with any more. but then, there are some
Who won't firt with me now that would fiirt
with ME then Yes. / think / will get married,
but whatever do / am resolved never to be
anything but a swell, for am thoroughly con-
WINGED that IL IL the noblest career on earth"
These and the meditations Of other Young
people who are swells sweet TO contemplate.
But the reflections Of old people who have fol-
lowed out the careers which the young man
and young woman above referred To have
planned FOR themselves would not be such
pleasant reading. for the delights Of the simple
home circle are not often theirs
WHEN THE home FEELING ASSETS ITSELF
The Christmas time and the New Year time
are the two occasions in the year when the
home feeling asserts itself most strongly. Az
the family assemblies in the breakfast room and
the cries Of Happy New Year are heard and
the loving kisses are given each individual feels
how necessary 70 his happiness is home /.
was Anthony Irollope who pointed out that no
man on Christmas day would dare to dine AT
his club, and the remark is equally true Of New
Year day Alas for the poor bachelor who il
away from his kindred and upon whom no
friends Who have a home have taken pity on
that day! IL transpired once that the writer
OF these lines was stranded upon q New Year
eve in Philadelphia. the CITY Of brotherly love
In all that population Of a million souls there
was not one who was brother enough In Ia ka