Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-01-21
new YORK'S "SWAGGER SET"
The People You Meet and
Why They Are There.
GAMBLING IN PRIVATE HOMES
Some Peculiar Manners in
Polite Society.
The Sweets of Adyerslty--"Bab" Goes
for Shakespeare and Differs with Hin
ON Point = "It Is the Fool who
Speaketh of What He Knoweth Not.v

oPoeiai Suifohponuence 6h1elte ana journal
New YoRK, Jan. 15.--I don't think that
as a nation we can be commended for our
good manners. But there, | ought 10 put
an amendment to that. What / mean Is
that don't think the so-oalled fashionable
set in New York can be commended for
anything particularly, except looking as if
they ate and drank too much. The men
look out Of place, and with very few ex-
ceptions the women as II they had too
much of what Dick Swiveller calls the
rosy" and too much Of rich graves and
rlch food OF all sorts. If anybody doubts
my word, he has only to come to this great
city and go to the opera. He will there have
the pleasure of seeing so-called ladies, who
so far forget the rules of ordinary decency
that they are more undressed than the
girl In tights in a farce-comedy; who know
SO little of the ordinary laws Of courtesy
that they talk through most of the opera,
and In way steal from me the IS which l
had the pleasure of paying to try and
listen to the music.
IN NEW YoRK's ''swAeGER SET"
They will there see a very good imita-
ton OF the worst vices Of English society,
that 49, mamma, the gentleman friend
who Is her constant attendant, and her
young daughter just out and this dear old
friend OF mammals gives her her first
coming out dinner, and presents her with
the most exquisite of white bouquets. be-
cause he feels such an interest in her And
to this interest mamma does not object in
the least, while papa, well-the chances
are ten to one that he is very much more
interested either in stocks or in stockings
Nice state of affairs, isn't it? We have
achieved the triangle of which Dumas
wrote, and its eliminating point is found
in marriage that took place here the
other day-the marriage of the daughter
and mainmas old friend. Everybody at
the wedding wondered If he would ever be
afraid Of his mother-in-law; and every
body said it was SO nice to think that he
would not have to get acquainted with her,
as many a man does with his wifes
mamma. But there were some people who
said 1t was disgusting. And so the world
goes, and that fashionable set-a set not
having brains enough to amuse itself In
any other way--fnds plenty of mischief
to do.
IT CALLS THIS SOCIETY.
There is not half as much society in it as
there is when fox-terrier paws visit ex-
pecting to see an old friend and get piece
OF sponge cake. Now, when somebody
gives dance or an ''at home" the reasons
for inviting people are everything but
social. Miss FATAL is to have party next
week, and you don't want to be left out.
Miss Sillytones is asked because she is the
best-dressed woman in New York, and she
Will help decorate the room. Mrs. Rapid
is invited because she knows such lot of
men, and she never minds bringing a troop
with her. Miss Rage Is asked because she
will say, such disagreeable things if she is
not, and Mr.. and Mrs. Brown-Jones are es-
pecially invited because 1t has been very
nearly hundred years ago since their
grandparents made fortune selling skunk
skins, and the flavor Of the roses-in their
case the skunks-has almost ceased to
cling to them, until they really seem to be
aristocratic.
UNDER SILKS AND DIAMONDS.
People are not asked because you like
them, or because you think they like to
come, or because you know somebody
would like to meet them. Oh, dear no
They are asked because you want some
thing from them, or because IL Is the thing
to ask them, and the result is that the So
called society is a bowling wilderness,
where bad manners are no objection
where loud voices are not counted bad
form, and where lack of morality, II it is
hidden under q diamond corsage and a
crown of diamonds and sapphires, is for
gotten. Occasionally, by some mistake
somebody is invited who has slight
knowledge Of who the people are, and who
knows the difference between gentleman
and cad.
MANNERS OF POLITE SOCIETY.
Not very long ago an elderly maiden
lady, will call her Miss Oldschool, was ut
a reception; standing near her was the
something that results from the marriage
of man and woman who have worked
hard to make their children gentle people,
and who think, poor souls, they have sue
ceeded; j. e., q something that wears
trousers and calls itself man. A pert girl
asked this specimen How old is Miss
Oldschool ?" And he answered, with an
air of knowing, oh, so much 81 don't |
know, never studied Archaeology In a
second Miss 0ldschool turned around, and
said i'll a perfectly distinct voice: "And |
yet you do know, because / remember
hearing my mother say that was born |
the first year that you were old enough to |
bring home the washing" ] don't pre-
tend to say that this was not bad manners,
but can you doubt its being deserved? |
And don't think that the specimen, who |
had in his early youth carried home the |
washing, was visible again that evening or
In that house.
THE SOCIAL ADVENTURES.
The nouyeau richie is as impertinent as |
she is amusing, but the woman who gets |
ahead of her. is the society adventures.
] ust now she is represented In New York |
by a pretty woman, who looks as IL she |
hadn't thought beyond the amusement |
of the moment, and who is quoted as
being SO considerable of her husband. She |
says she made up her mind when she got
married that Charlie should have all his |
amusements at home; and he has them.
But funnily enough, his amusements take
the form almost exclusively of playing
poker and faro, and good many
of his friends know exactly what they |
have paid for visiting at that house. 1t is
all very cleverly DONE but occasionally |
some woman hits back at her. And this
little spider Is beginning to dis
cover that the women flies at least com
prehend her little game.
WHEN WOMAN MEETS WOMAN.
She was at aluncheon not long ago, and
was telling how unpleasant ii was to be at
he theatre unless you had a box. Said
she: THE theatres are very nice, you
know, and of course, one wants to see
but when one can't get box
and has to sit down among all the people,
I really becomes quite dreadful. Why,
he other night, | was perfectly shocked to
ind myself next to my dressmaker and
ler husband" As she made this awful
her voice went up very
high, and the woman who had determined
o pay her grudge she owed her called
nut from the other end of the table, "Isn't
lie an honest woman ?" "Oh, yes," was
he answer "but it seemed so strange to
lave such woman beside me-" As dryly
is possible her enemy answered ut must
lave-so unusual, you know" If looks
would stab, the coroner would have been
n that room in five minutes, but FORUM
Itely for womankind, looks do nothing
worse than show ill-temper.
PRIVATE GAMING TABLES.
The funniest thing ever said to her was
90 pa1f al l
AVE forgotten to say that she is Mrs.
iates, vulgarly known to the men who
AVE been tleeced as Golden Gates y One
yening very polite foreigner, who was
he recipient for the first time Of her hos
italty, as he babe her goodnight SAID: