New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-22
HOME AND SOCIETY.
THINGS PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW.

THINGS PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW.
-.oo,.orov toll, us that snobs were made coeval
- tbo world although il is only in these latter DAYS
w., tbe genus has been recognized and CLASSIFIED
,",crica may have had thi, distinctly social de-
,o,ment latent since her birth as Nation, Dut
" I.tc wears only do We seem to have clearly de
,oned a race of snobs of our very own HOW
- rou tell snOb - asked young girl who was
49, ont and had heard the term applied to
fashiOnaDle anu 'i"'i'e ~
acquaintance
rre per,on questioned felt decidedly nOnplusscd Tor
. answer What is il, after all? Even IhaokerdN
1als 10 explain the distinctive properties OF "
II although he gives Us such clever examples
rhe intangible. ndiScribable easily rcosm@eu
mstbngs that constitute its attributes IL Is very
,mcult TO define. What can we call il blight
iAew cOrrodng an otherwise honest and kindly
art \ moral disease which Kills true friendship
and LOYALTY The ambition that leaves no stone ul-
armed 10 reach the inner circle Of fashionable me-
hat Is ready to desert old friends for acquaintance
.Iocmed more desirable The arrogance and sen
tisfacton of those who have attained 10 position
Of fancied Importance? The whole social life III
mis- country seems tainted with snobbery pure ana
simnle Where there is hereditary aristOcracy whose
ancestors have lived for years on higher pdhc
than the level of humanity IN general there Secn''
some excuse for such arrogance. At all events We
would not call il snObbery. But in America "hcrc VIC
all cpllcUeEt Ill llS StuSt, NH'It Nt'''''' -
mor the only stepping-sOnc to fashionable posi-
tion tbe consciousness and SefsatisiactOn OF those
who are within the magic pale is an snobblNh As 'o
efforts of those who in spite of snobs ana seC
bacJl are slowly and painfully making their way
into the more exclusive set.
This craze for social distinction IS curious s'uuS
for the philosopher That is Of the eager passions
OF human nature admits of no doubt and that u Is
chmera phantasy. that is the goal of such ambitions
t,g,.I. a. hn
millions and suddenly he and his wife and his children
all seem seized with the widest desire to "eh'er
society" The most heroic efforts are made' ehoro
sums are spent, they drop old friends ana 'hVH '""e
10 the skirts of members of the inner cice ""o
for reasons Of their help them 10 cross the
threshold. If the young people are a'u''tNo a'"
welleducated the affair Is easy "a long pull ana
stronr mil and mil altogether and the entrance
& gained and n new family Of snobs join the ellte.
sometimes however il takes many seasons OF patient
waiting and struggling hut with perseverance
worthy of better cause, the family mount te lauoer
rung by ung until they too, are at the Top ana are
as readv as any one else to push of the new people"
awben heard that B. had come into such large
fortune remarked lady, the other dav. 81 said to
INV husband. Well she is the only woman know that
wealth could not spoil: and my dear. it has done 1t
already! She has not had her money more than two
wears and she is completely changed She used to
he so spOnta generous and now she ONLY gives
IN wellknown clarities-paying rent il were. to
the Lord for her lease of this worlds goods she
seems glad to see me when call. and she is cordial
enough but her aim is to be fashionable, and at her
entertainments for the smart set You never see
her old friends Once or twice during the winter
she gives dinner for the old lot. where they
meet only each other: then she is charming
and natural and afectionate as ever and one goes
home feeling one has quite misjudged her But in
couple of days You read in the newspapers that the
night after she gave another dinner whercto OILY
what she considers the de Ia creme have been
inved-those altogether desirable beings whose world
she longs TO enter By next year the Old friends and
their dinners will probably be dropped, and she Will
float off altogether into the atmosphere OF fashion.
Eut she was so good so loyal, 50 frank. and noble
that how this Midas touch could have changed such
a nature is incOmprehensble but money has done II
iust as il will continually do the seeming impossible
Possibly there is something unreasonable in this
critical attitude Is there not chance that the old
friends and the new ones belonging TO different sets,
and therefore talking different shbbOethS, might, if
combined make duh dinner! such things have been.
ave are trying to live up to Reggie said clever
woman iaughngly the other day. "fOu have no
idea what silent irresistible influence he has eXerted
in the household ever since his return from Cambridge
No more comfortable dowdyness for any OF us in the
evening nowadays! Reggie comes down to dinner
in his evening clothes and white Tie so entirely as
matter of course that feel ourselves savages in our
everyday garments after the wear and tear OF the
day. His father and l, who used to take 1t rather
easy, on off DAYS for we dine out good deal, as
You know besides having people at home have grhdu
ally grown into the habit OF dressing FOR ourselves
As we'll as for Others for we both recognize the self
respect IL ncucates, particularly with the younger
bows as the most remarkable change is In them !
They made no end Of fun Of Reggie when he first came
tiG IN
their small boys wit could invent Their brother
bore il with perfect good humor. however and
gradually with them too, the eaven is working Their
hated Elton suits are donncd now every evening with
but protest; and when see their fresh. good LOOMING
faces and correct evening dress and the good manners
they insnctively adopt with the addition Of this BIZ
IF ceremonousness, feel the greatest rest and com
fort in simply looking at them. and am more than re-
Daid for the trouble of putting becoming home
pllette myself. Thcir father grumbles sometimes
over what he calls our fashionable faGs but all the
,ame he likes il: and he and the bows all look so
handsome and manly together that feel very proud
IF my mankind assure you.
And Regge's standard Of home life does not end
here by any means. somehow, without showing IT,
nc has trained rather slack butler into an admirable
ervant who not only attends 10 his downstairs duties
,etter but he Wallets the boys and Mr. h.; and must
ay for Reggie that his influence has been 50 quiet
md so uuObt1sivc that it has annoyed no one. TIC
as simply set up quiet. irresistible standard and is
say. We arc all trying instinctivcly 10 live up
o it,"
These wandering currents of electricity that seem 70
70 reandcrinc here and there at their sweet will
blowing an otherwise harmless wire INTO an unsus-
,ectnc dwelling and taking apparently an utterly
eccentric couSe-arc TO say the least Of 1t, extremely
,pnIcasant The other night, while Mrs ~ was
Ittinc reading in her room at very late hour aiter
midnight thercabout, she suddenly he'ru her Uic
,onc sbrnr wildly ont in the stiffness OF the night
), il went without ntermisson. Knowing that this
Gas no call but completely puzzled, she Weakened
Ter son. who after listening second, promptly SAID
II is without doubt crossed with the electric light.
Is IL dangerousln asked his mother who was not
cent,fc Well | should say so,' replied the erudite
-ounc gentleman. We have probably all the dynamo
int Our and it burn