The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-17
WITHIN THE PORTALS.
Bah ON WARD FALLIsTER AND
THE ca ARMED CIRCLE.

There Must AIA ays BE n Line Divid-
ing SOciety--rhis Is an Unnltera-
BILE Lavv-The steps of the Ladder
social Aspfrants Have to Climb
Du Maurier Anes,dOte Anent Re-
spectabIe ReIatfo ns-As 10 DE
cent" Kin-The StS4-y of a strange
Case-Important Is Lhe Part OF the
sSOeiety RePorterH--Few in the
..EIects After AII-Decency should
Re the Keynote of society.
New York. Feb. l6.-People are discuss
ing. now that he is dead, the value OF
Ward McAllister. The set that he repre-
sented was at least a conservative ont,
and his usefulness consisted. In as FAR az
possible. keeping from its portals thos
people who lacked birth or reputation
and it cannot be doubted that, no matter
how much money was offered this man.
ne never pushed. as he might have done,
anyone socially.
There will always be drawn line That
divides society. This is the unchanged
BILE law which all wise people recognize
There are people as good, as handsome, as
rich. as those counted in the notable four
hundred. but they have not achieved the
position occupied by their more fortunate
sisters and brothers. Mr.. McAllister'
man well-born, well-educatgd, and with a
curious ability for arranging festivities
of all kinds, was selected. not by the
man, but by a woman. to do exactly what
he did; to see, in the case of subscription
dances. that every one had their rights;
TO put before the committee. composed Of
men, the names Of strange visitors, and
these men, not Mr.. McAllister alone. de-
cided whether the invitation asked for
should be sent
OF course, influence counted for some
thing. but usually birth and breeding had
much more to do with it. Every New
Yorker remembers how some years ago
the entree was given to "A young woman
who had nothing to commend her IN the
eyes of the world but her beauty, which
was great The pretty, but simple irocks
which she wore were earned by her, as her
daily work was drawing designs for car
pets, work which she did at home; home
being represented by the quiet boarding
house in which she lived with her father
and mother. Mr.. McAllister met her,
found her pretty and interesting, anxious
to go into society, refusing to accept any
but that which she considered best, and
he opened its doors for her. For a num-
Der of years she was quoted as the belle at
all the swell dances, and finally made
very rich marriage. Her acquaintance in
the fashionable world would have been
glad to have assisted her in making her
marriage a function of great Importance,
but, with wonderful good sense, she in
sisted on having the ceremony take place
in the parlor of the house in which she
boarded, and to it were invited only a few
from among her fashionable friends, and
her own kin.
Poverty was not a bar in the eyes Of this
man toward achieving good position So
cially, and it is a well-known fact that
in many instances, where mothers begged
for invitations for their daughters, lac did
all in his power for them; but that awful
Vehmgericht, the committee, decided who
should and who should not be among
them when there was a sound of quiet
and well-bred revelry by night. To sit on
the top rung of the social ladder and look
with fastidious GOODNESS through lorg-
nettes. framed in diamonds, at the other
climbers, is the ambition Of every woman
who is rich; and feels that she ought to be
where she is not. The scheming and the
want, is, Of course, disgusting, and tends
TO make the women who do it, mean and
low. The charity dodge" as it is called,
which meant getting an appointment on
the committee of various hospitals, giving
enormously, and, in turn getting the de-
sired invitations, has long ago been played
out. Women will take from Mrs. Parvenu
all the money imaginable, for their pet
charities; but this will not buy an en-
trance their
than the coolest bowling acquaintance.
A little woman who is here now, and
who comes, like many other good things,
from out of the west. is determined to
get there. I have watched her with much
interest, and 1 am convinced that if she
is only patient for little longer she will
succeed. Having plenty of money, her
house is magnificent. Her husband proba-
bly, never read anything beyond his bust
ness letters; but her library would be a
delight to book-lover, and she possesses
volumes bought for her by experts, that
would make the millionaire bibliophile a
lSieptomaniac. Her pictures are by the
best artists in the world. Everything about
her is irreproachable. She has given 10
charities until her name is well-known.
In turn, she has received from the women
she would like to go among, invitations to
enormous teas, that are really social
clearinghouse; but she has been wise
enough to accept none.
On the day of the tea, she sends to her
hostess magnificent box of orchids.
and little note which tells, that as she
IS something of an invalid, she must
deny herself the pleasure of going to
large assemblies. In time she will be
asked to luncheons. Then she will give
one, and in a little longer time she will
be asked to dinners, and that will mean
that she has accomplished what she has
wished, and has got there. There" rep.
resenting what she supposes is the land
OF delight. Many social climbers make
the mistake of being satisfied with the
visits of the men of a family, and this
usually means that they never get ac.
quainted with the women. My little west
ern lady is wise. She is adopting what is
vulgarly known as the domestic dodge. .
is ready to take much advice in regard
TO her little people from elderly danes
and is Mortified at the young married
women who take away the bachelor.
from the single girls. Mothers feel tina
they need not fear her. What she will
do when she is in it is impossible to say
but have an idea that once accepted
she will be less domestic and NOR
tilrtatious, less pleasing and more posi-
tive.
New York woman says that any wo
man who was not born or raised in New
York can ge into any set she desires