The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-06-24
Thrifty, Staid and Pri1n Is the
Goldfish Aristocracy.
GOOD SCHOLARS, BUT
POOR SWEETHEARTS.
so HE DESCRIBES THE MAIDENs OF
THE HUB.
Fire Entertainments Are There I'm
known-Class Loye-Making of
the GirIs-Oddities of Domestic
Life-MutuaI Admiration in the
Hub of the Universe.

interested in hearing of late the criti
cisms of certain Bostonians on the
fashionable life of New York city. Il
appears to be agreed by the profound
thinkers of the Hub (Which term in
cludes a great majority of the citizens
both male and female) that the society
Of this city is a thing to be stunned
being not only wicked in itself, but de.
moralizing to the community at large
and to all those who come in contact
with it. l have on many previous occa-
sions volunteered to take up my pen
not exactly in defense of metropolitan
fashionable life, but rather for the pur-
pose of explaining. For while 1 an
free to confess tia the so-called Foui
Hundred of New York have their fail.
ings in common with most others OF
Gods people, have always maintained
that the unfavorable light in which
they are regarded is due chiefly to igno-
rance and to a general tendency among
all amateur critics to jump at conclu-
sions.
1 will not, then. undertake here to re.
ply to the criticisms of these BOStoni-
ans, but will merely attempt to give a
brief sketch of the social life of Boston.
such as it is, for the purpose of com
parison. These remarks, it will be
understood, are made with every kind
intention, as I have no desire to treat
with anything but the most sincere
respect a people who have always been
and no doubt will ever continue to be
so unusually exempt from reproach.
BOSTON THRIFT.
1 shall lay down as my first propo-
sition, therefore, that Boston society
people are of themselves a study. The
goddess of fashion has never been lured
to take up her abiding place among
them, for they are essentially practi-
cal, economical and thrifty people, who
have been trained to the habit of count
ing the cost of everything. Even the
wealthiest Boston people are quite
strangers to lavish expenditure and
luxurious living, and a New York visit
ing Boston for the first time IS instant
ly struck with astonishment in observ-
ing the extreme simplicity with which
everything is conducted.
The great purpose of the lives of
Bostonfans is to husband their re-
and to add to them, in order
to endow some institution and do some
thing to ameliorate the condition of
man. though that something must be
COlIt III litGIi wv IL pCOIlicl4 way iAA~J
will pinch and save for a lifetime to
this object. 1t follows,
therefore, as a matter of course, that
true fashionable life cannot exist when
by such conditions, for
fashion admits of no rival, but flies
from those absorbed in practical life.
1 have observed that several of our
Boston critics complain because the
fashionable people of New York city
are in the habit of spending money
lavishly and to no apparent purpose.
In making such complaints they over
look the important principle that eX-
expenditure and fashionable
life are almost interchangeable terms.
No persons may pretend to belong to
the smart set in New York city who
do not entirely disregard the amount
Of their expenditures. | am we'll aware
that such a spirit is quite incompre-
henSible to our friends in Boston, for
no one could imagine even the most
fashionable citizen of the Hub spend
ing his money without stint for the
of entertaining others and oc-
cupying a position in society. A ques-
ton which is invariably asked by New
persons and which is a sure
Indication of the spirit pervading their
lives is, DO 1 get my moneys worth?'
1t is this spirit which is responsible
for too little entertaining in Boston. 1t
is very seldom that one hears of a
large and brilliant reception or dinner
among the fashionable people at the
Hub. 1t has been said that large din
lers there are only given as a matter
IF necessity, upon the occasion of some
visitor coming to town
At such dinners the food is so carefully
prepared and cleansed as to have much
IF its flavor washed out. Such a thing
as an accomplished butler is unknown
n Boston, and it would be rather I'M
to expect a man who has
lived in fashionable family to submit
10 the memorable rule in that city that
he butler must daily make the kitchen
ire for the woman cook. Such a, rule
Keeps away accomplished, Well-trained
BOSTON GIRLS.
The young ladies in Boston society
nave been so thoroughly cultivated and
brought up that they are. in
| majority of cases, entirely ignorant
If such thing as being madly in love.
Even the casual reader will not fail to
notice what a different state of affairs
exists among the fashionable young
women of New York CITY, who are so
familiar with this state as not to give
t any serious consideration. A certain
eminent BoStonian once confided to me
hat all such stuff has been. effectuaIly
educated out of Boston young ladies.
They are good scholars but poor sweet
hearts. There are, of course, instances
when Boston young ladies really do
all in love, but it is of a classical sort
which would make the society young
nan of New York feel rather uncom-
ortable.
If a Boston girl wants a dress the
irst question she asks her mother is.
Mamma can we afford it?" The fash
enable girl of New York, on the other
land, first gets her dress as q matter
IF course, and may or may not won
Ter how muslh lit costs; thereby recog-
lizing fundamental principle, that a
fashionable woman must always be
'aShionably dressed. In Boston such a
principle does not obtain
~ any means and I have IT on
fery good authority that numbers Of
women who are acknowledged to be
high in Boston society dress with ex-
plainnesS. Such persons
me cannot conscientiously term fash
enable: the best dhat we can say of
hem is THAT they i'm most cases subs,li-
lite culture for fashion.
AT NEWPORT AND NAHANT.
There was time, fifty years ago.
WREN Boston people made quite AN
ait Viewpoint There were
hen but few New Workers Ito divide
he social honors with them, and the
fashionable life in dhis country was in
is infancy. Great luxury and ex-
'ense of living were unknown. The Bos-
onians then made a. record at New
yort which still exists Sudh families
IS the Shaws, the Sears, the d'Haute-
lilies. the Lymans, the Grants and the
made a, lasting impression
N Viewpoints little fashionable coterie.
\ few of their descendants still have