New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-06
HOME AND SOCIETY.
FAMOUS Dopo, AND HER MARRIAGE.

,cor,1NrANcE or MISS TENANT De
n,urs HER-MoDERN GIRLs-PANIc MAR
,,,crs-THE FAsHIONs-BITs OF GOSSIP.
81, ia curious what a little thing VIII maze one
roUadays" said well-known clubman.
famo" n,,ss Tenant for instance. have knowa
ihe' .oors and although admiring her, In a way,
hei ~ ono does who comes in contact with her
90 ot Individuality. never considered her as the
"r, NJ the fn-de-siecle fashionable develop
~ until Mr. Benson presented her TO the world
"' Nao Then she suddenly became as interesting
a. re General public as any royal parsonage. ana l
" .ha, even my slight acquaintance with her re-
nho " LID sort of lustre of late my post
he0 ,,, conversation. What strikes me most forci-
hon, her in conjunction with her undoubted
Wy cation of manner. is her extraordinary frank
ia an almost brutal outspokenness. about her
nv nd her own concerns-whch, by the way Is
se :, the odd characteristics of her set For in
o '.S,cs before her present engagement was an
".sd the pros and of the alliance were dis
nv herself and her family without the slight
eu'e1,ar,,e before me and some other guests who
es' - N be present, and Sir Henry's qualifica-
hapr 4, COMPARISON with those of another sutton
u0" enlv talked about without any reticence
whatever. o.o,, sooro, Tho, sno
ssented to the world as the heartless product
was ~ fashionable life? Not in the least al
Wv ranches OF great sweetness and even nobility
a., think she rather ENJOYS the prominence
~ :. .hs hook has given her, and in this, as In
~ oher matter. she is perfectly frank. While
IS s,opping with her people. letter arrived
- The author apologizlng for having given his
her questionable heroine some of her more at
o,va qualities although declaring the character
:. Ire entirety 10 be wholly imaginary
81 do not in the least mind his having taken me
model exclaimed the young lady with her
%, frank cynicism: dare say am quite as
ia as that but l do think that instead of an
sno,ogv he might have sent my pecuniary worth
In a good fat check!
Mics Tenant by the way. is TO be married next
rbursdav; and one of her bridesmaids Will be little
Miss Dorothy Drew. Mr.. Gladstones pet grandchild
7, ,s rather hard for people TO live up TO their
children in these modern times, and the fn-de-siecle
lung woman with her up-to-date ideas is often
q comnete and not altogether agreeable surprise to
ber mother whose simple domestic and social HE
has been running quietly in the same grooves Tor
wears and who looks upon her emancipated or
snr,ng with much the same feelings that matronly
hsn may be supposed 10 experience when her brood
take suddenly To the water and prove TO be DUCK
lings Mrs ~ is friendly, social little woman.
who a few years ago was wont TO talk of how
much she expected to enjoy herself when Lena,
her eldest girl. should have grown up. 1T VIII be
so delightful to have ones own daughter as con-
GENIAL companion" was her constant cry and she
was forever longing for the time when the child
should leave school and come home for good. IN
fortunately, however, when Lena arrived at years
OF discretion she discovered that her vocation was
social reform and she spends her entire time
IN the downtown slums. organizing newsboys clubs
and starting free reading-rooms
Most praiseworthy Of course from philan-
thropic point of view, said one of Mrs Ms
friends who was discussing the problem of the
modern daughter and the old-fashioned mamma
but do maintain II is hard on Elizabeth to be
Obliged 10 play second fiddle a lot Of dirty little
boys; and l must say that l felt sorry for Pro-
lessor " when | happened to drop in the other
day at his luncheon hour to discover that excellent
man resignedly taking his chop In the lobby. while
the house re-echoed the shrill. nasal voices Of
twenty or more ragged gamins. who were rehears-
ing some songs for festival in the dining-room
and parlor" Disappointed in her eldest daushe err,
Mrs. N, with her usual hopefulness. remarked
cheerfully we do not much as we would
like OF dear Lena. She is such wonderful worker.
and has so many calls her time that tell her
she must not bother about me. Edith is such big
girl that shall have her to go about
with" But alas for the frailty of human hopes
Edith had sooner finished school than she an
nounced her determination to go TO college; and she
has since been taking courses OF higher mathe-
MATES and writing essays on the advanced educa-
ton Of women.
Again the admiring mother patiently bore her
second disappointment. feeling sure that her third
daughter at least would be likely TO resemble her
and find pleasure in the same occupations. "Hetty
was such a pretty. lively little thing. she surely
wouldn't be comfortably frivolous.
my dear!" exclaimed the friend who had been
narrating Mrs Ms trials and fluctuations. "Hetty
was positively the worst of the lot. She developed
a craze for art and nothing would do but she must
go Paris and study, and now she has cutie ior
Monet is an impressionst Of the most advanced
school, and goes in for dress reform. Poor poor.
dear Elizabeth She cannot understand one OF her
daughters who for their part are utterly incapable
Of sympathizing with their mothers simple aims
and pleasures"
"Not few marriages are the result of a panic on
the part of the woman" declares one VINO mas
had the courage of her convictions. and who has
chosen 10 remain single rather than marry simply
for the sake Of being married. 'In the early part
Of her grlhood woman is apt 10 think all she has
to do is 10 walt and amuse herself in the interval
that the future holds the fairy prince who Is sure
to present himself later, and that ne VIII
be all that she would have him be- She has made
up her mind what he is TO be like and what must
be his various qualifications and she even chooses
mentally the color OF his eyes and his general ap-
pearance She is so Of her future. anu that
the right man Will finally put In an appearance,
that she gives little thought to present suit
ors and remains in maiden meditation fancy free
until suddenly she realizes the awful fact that the
years passing. that her chances are becoming
iessened and that the fairy prince is mirage after
all
1T Is then that the average woman Will In nine
eases out Of ten take the first available candidate
mat offers rather than remain unmarried Her
family expects her TO marry; she is brought up 10
no occupatlon what the world will she has been
accustomed 10 consider all-important. SO rather
tnan run the chance of remaining single she elects
70 unite herself for better worse TO some com
parative stranger. who may be utterly uncongenial,
the match being as say simply the result of a
panic"
Notwithstanding the educational facilities of the
oay and the increased amount Of culture. very few
people write really good letter. or seem to have
'he power. when separated from their friends, OF
s'''ng an idea OF their daily life. manage to in
ase any OF their personality into their epistles
good letter should leave the recipient with the
tbat .,ftxt 30