Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-05-20

our provincialism and outgrowing 10
now rapidly. This season, for intance,
for the first time, the artists OF the
opera have been received by the women
most prominent in tho social world.
Heretofore tho alleged questionable
morality OF some OF our lyric artists has
been q barrier which has excluded
them from social reception. This year
society has said these women are public
women, we will take them al thsir
worth, and leave the question OF NOR
ais TO their own consciences. Our
society, the Four Hundred, as has
been dubbed Il hate the phrase and use
II only TO designate my meAniug), has
never accepted people for what they
are intrinsicslly worth. They want 10
know how many clubs they belong to,
how many millions one has In the
bank, whose drawing-room one 10 re-
ceived in, aud million or moro similar
things. A successful salon can never
be established under these conditions.
For il must live and flourish through the
cleverness and the interesting character
OF its members. The members OF
successful salon must be drawn from
the brightest minds OF all the walks Of
life-ths arts, professions, literature
and politics"
"Do yon know any American woman
who knows enough about political
affairs to interest our leading states
men in the discussion OF political
moasuresp'
"Oh, pshaul tbs women are clever
enough, they know enough about
politics to interest any statesman IN the
land, and IL they dont ttsy will make
the statesmen believe that they do.
Women are tactiul: they are sympsthe-
tic listeners, and, when not familiar
with the subject IN discussion. they
can discretsly remain silent and lock
wise, and make the cleVerest OF the
men believe they know thoroughly the
subject under discussion. Let me tell
you an incident whIch.occurred In the
salon OF one OF the clevsrest women In
France, and which was related to me
not many months ago by Count Ferdi-
nand de Lesseps. The mistress OF the
salon had invited a wealthy man who
was Interested almost solely In the
growth and culture Of the oyster, 10 her
reception. Now, all that Madame
knew about the oyster was that the
little bivalvs was decidedly palAtabls.
The gentleman came, talked oyster
with her all the evening, and when he
had departed, expressed himself ~ be.
Ing charmed with his evenings enter
tainment Madame - had hardly
opened her mouth 10 say n word. She
was afraid OF exposing her ignorans
The next day the oyster planter met
Count de Lesops. What q clever
woman madame is, no said. why she
even knows as much about tho oyster
az I, who have devoted my life 10 10
study When Count do Lessep, told
her OF tho compliment, madame eI-
claimed: mon Dleu, all | was doing
was concealing my ignorance.
There Is another reason, an inpor-
tant one, why the American salon has
not vet been established. will tell 10
to you, but please don't print II. II Is.
the American man Il not interesting
enough. Yes, mean what ! say.
Our men are good fellows, and | Ike
them, that is, I like some OF them, but
they are not properly trained TO make
a salon a success. They are not yer-
satlls enough. they plunge into bust
ness, devote themselves TO It, and dis
regard tho study OF the arts. and other
matters which make them versatile
and interesting In draWlng-room.
They are not familiar enough with the
small graces OF conversation. They
cannot begin 20 copo with foreigner
in the drayinr-room game OF battlsdofs
and shuttecock, aud IL requires all OF
these graces OF conversation 70 make
the effort TO establish a salon worth auy
goman's while. The conversation
should sparkle as the sparkle OF good
champagne. How many men IN Con-
gress can talk with an artist on arr,
with q drsmatist on the drnmt, With .