New-York tribune., 1892-01-10
SOME CHARMED CIRCLES
PHASES OF SOCIETY IN EUROPE.

| Iabt on Inc NfFy InOTnN ultSiloH vi pitctitHcr,
referred TO the fact that the latter affords far less
! cause for bad feeling and conflict in Germany.
Austria. Russia. Denmark and Spain than in either
! England, France or Italy. The explanation which
gave AT the time of thi, popularity was that where
as in the first five named countries stringent and
| elaborate laws provide for the exact definition OF
! the social status of every citizen from prince TO
peasant tho regulations on the subject in London
| Paris and Rome are inadequate, obsolete, and al
| together anaGhronic
| There is, however. another reason that
omitted to mention Sunday last. but which.
nevertheless goes far 10 account for the superior
| amount Of friction the score of precedence in
the French Italian and English capitals. II is the
extraordinary expansion Of Society which has taken
place in these three great cities during tic last two
or three decades. At Vienna, 81. Petersburg, Copcn-
hagen. Madrid and in the capitals Of the various
sovereign States of the German Empire, society
has retained all its od-tme eXcusiveness. IL
remains just much a close corporation as In the
| days Of yOre, and not even the most despotlc OF
| sovercigns have been able 10 open its Iealously
guarded portals 10 persons who. although adorned
with the oftiest OF titles dignities and official
honors. wcre by reason OF their inferiority OF
| birth and ancestry, regarded as unworthy oil ad-
mission TO the charmed circle.
| Mr. Ward McAllister would describe as the Nobs w.
| il not without its advantages For, al the hrst
| pace il puts a complete eXtinguisher on most OF
| those social ambitions which are productive OF
80 much heart-burning meanness. and downright
evil Social aspirations constitute the basis Oh
| snobbery and they blind men, and especially
| women not only to sentiments OF dignity, loyalty
| and selfrcspcct. but frequently also 10 those OF
| honor, and even honesty. High principles ana
| strong social ambitions are rarely to nc iouhd
combined For the latter in nearly every ease
involve the sacrifice Of the former.
| In Austria. Germany Denmark, Spain aud
| Russia these social ambitions, and all the al
| tendant evils in their train, are conspicuous ny
their absence The people who do not peiong
| by birth 10 the caste are aware that nothihS
| that they can either do themselves, or that others
can do for them. will ever succeed IN securing
| for them admission 10 the charmed cHcp'
| They know that all their efforts and all their
| intrgue.. will prove unavailing to endow them
with those qualifications Of blood and ancestry
| that constitute the sine qua non OF membership
| of society.
| On the other hand. society. feeling itself saie
from the intrusion Of strangers. and, 80 TO SPEAK,
| d. ON fom;llc can afford 10 dispense with many
f ,boSe s,raiuht-laccd conveniionalties and anec-
| toti.ns which contribute so much to render the
social intercourse OF to-day artificial and lacking In
| snontoneitv nature and heart AZ Vienna Tor
instancc the members OF society are all so lnti-
| moteIv acquainted with one another that they
| call one another by their Christian Names ana
usc ,hc prououu thou" instead OF the more formal
| "vou" At Madrid titles are dropped, ana mere
" Don or Dona" is prefxed to the Christian name.
while at St Petersburg. one hears young suoaI'ernS
| ~ tbc army apostrophizng old generals by their
Christian name, coupled with that oi thelr lather'
| p,inccss Net,ernich is nothing hut Pauline to
viopncsc socicty: at st. Petersburg no one would
! have drcamt Of referring TO that very great ladN.
| Princess Helene kotchubey, otherwise thah
| Helene" coupled with the Christian name OF hcr
| mother while at Madrid. when You remark 'hat
,.o, orc invited to the house of Dona Maria, every
| hod,. in society knows that you are about 10 be-
| comc thc guest Of the Duchess OF Medlna-C Cocli.
| From this il will be seen that excl"siNenesS
| is no, without it's very great advantages II does
| ova, with snobbcry aYectntion convcntionatH
nd ;rtriouc and renders society at Vienna and IT.
| po,orshurg the most brilliant and delightful mat
| u ;s nossbe TO imagine Every body knows every
| ,i,g about everybody else and consequently there
| ,s no need or even possibility OF prctense There
| is but one wel-known member oi the 'iehhese so-
cictv concerning whose ancestry parentase' oh" eNcn
| history considerable ignorance preVails' wo"i"
| NOT refer to him here, were IL not Vha' "c -
| u .o,it.rv execution 10 the general rule-the
only man in whose ease Austrian society mas
| made an execution, and has accepted on MS o""
ncrsonal merits. The name when ne pears l.
| that Of Frederick Smart, hut whe'hcr hc u a"
| Austrian or an Englishman II Is l'nPossi"" 10
.a,. ror no talks both languages equally we'll
A tall. soldicry looking man with snowy-whl'c
| hair and moustache. and very cour'y hlghpren
| bc
| ,h ,rdest members of the Austrian nobility, ana
| % ,r.,ted bv them as of themselves. Wh"
! h r.oIIv * no one seems 10 know, athouSh
| ,,.hodv nrofcssrs to have hard dhcrent
| story ON the subject. None oi THESE S'"'i''
are alike although most OF them are ot fhoic
or Ies, romautic character Nor do any one oil
| ,Lo,n rc6ect the slightest discrcdit upon their
.,,h;oo, may add that he is as much
| -, homc in Pail Mall and on the
| p.ri. houlcvarls as hr IL Ill the palaceN "i tue
| Sshyorzenbergs. Of the Esierhazys and ot the
! Dictrichsteins al Vienna. Inc hrst occasion Oh
t,;a,, mo, him was at n dccuner given by the
| Kbcdvc lsmail at CAIRO IN hohof oi the D"Ne VI
sutherland II was the latter who made me ac-
.i,,,d with Smart with the remark OF
'au.., ron know Smart Everybody knows
) u, Tho latter proved the life and soul OF
| 49, r,, and no one present felt any grrdge
| ,ins, him for monopolzing the conversation, so
;n,nr.s,;rc brilliant and sparkling was his talk
! wien after rising from the table, turned 10
,ho Dukc and asked him for information CON
corninc his friend Smart whom everybody
| irous- n. bummed and ad, and finally cnded
| ~, ,rofcssinr entire Ignorance upon the SUBJECT
Ofhcial rank. or titles of new creation. no mat
Tar how lony. count for nothing in NienncSe
| soci.,v unlcs. accompanied by the possession OF
cha. nrons, number Of nobliary Qmartcrings. This
foregn dirlomats accredited TO the Austrian Court
have found to their cost. and remember one par
,icuar occasion, when the attitude Of NIennesc
society toward a fsreign Ambassador and Am
bassadr.ss Of bourgeois birth. had been OF a
specially chilly and evsn freezing character tnas