New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-05
HOME AND SOCIETY.
o,rDLY WISDOM FOR THOSE IN MIS-
FORTUNE.
CANE OF GOSSIP AS PLAYED IN SOCIETY
~ BODICE LININGs-THE TRANsFoRMA-
rrox wAIsr-THE SECRET OF

~ RODICE LININGS-THE TRANSFORMA-
r1oS wAIsr-THE SECRET OF
SUCCESSFUL DINNER
.>-,rs- acknowledge yourself beaten" said a sue
-, man but make the world believe you are
e ess- and prosperity will come" There Is
pr ,-uth in this precept than many people real
nv -. only in business relations. but IN social lie
a" .sn II you succumb to financial difhcuiues
s,nk gradually 10 lower level. acquire sioVeh-
az :, A. least careless habit OF dress. ana be-
y, y -eti-ing and distrusttul. soon you find your
. asserted by your friends you suppose where
,aali;v Il is you who desert them In the press
,asrn life there is time 70 stop and look after
80. who fall by the waysde and II Is much easier
r.sn A footing than TO regain II II once IoSt
xsvsr le: your right hand know how poor your ei'
&c" IS another worldly axiom that the chill
nan" :. .his generation find profitable TO fol-
c''" - -h,s -uggests a problem, How is 1t that
Wv" Who failed dlsastrously last year. and VINO II
',s lbs. every penny and more besides Is ap-
IS sal sal, s,v rolling in wealth. And how does he
P.rs 70 keep MS carriage with two men on the
na- .na 20 on giving dinner parties to his smart
"" rbsnsve- II seems good 10 him 10 do so?
- o-lv las, week that the newspapers an
~ vat ne would not pay 80 cents on the
-, a-a vet his wife has just ordered a gown
49,. Nine x who. every one knows. Is one or
-. extensive dressmakers IN town. Who
Cor the dinners. and the carriage. and the
-, Ani Il they not paid Tor, how does
-. manage II, and why he not let us all into
a.-a., Then again. there people who make
.,,, one would imagine 10 be an anp.e income. and
,1, We. talk a, y they were positively poor. and
rrbo DENY themselves not only the luxuries OF life.
IN, os..n the necessities OF pleasant existence
vbv * Il that some people have nothing. and yet
s.s, 70 possess everything. and others have suff-
c,sncv and yet seem 10 lack SO much that makes
lie comfortable?
The Old game Of gossip. which Is 90 popular among
IRE little ones wherein story Is whispered at
end OF large assemb.age and is then retold from
one to the other until the opposite end is reached
the last auditor repeating aloud the distorted ard
almost unrecogn!zable version OF the original tale
Is being constantly enacted on a extended
scale by children o, larger growth. An innocent
remark twisted and transformed ou. OF all sem
blance often breaks OF friendship and bitter
enemies with no more raison detre than little
speech that could possibly be nlsconstrued II Il
hal been literally repeated. I always make .
pon; O.: tracing back anything that hear concern
ng myself 10 its original source" said woman Of
great good sense whose prominence causes her ac-
lions 70 be frequently commented upon. and AL
most always find that It Is either pure fabrica-
ton, or that the grain Of truth that It contains
Is almost infnitesima For instance heard the
other day that Mrs A. one OF my best friends
had sal that was unk;nd 10 my children and ;ha,
ny daughters were unhappy. AS I know
:.
believing that possibly. IN my great solici,ude FOR
ny childrens future. the world large. and per-
haps ne children themselves. might misconstrue my
motives although knew. OF course the latter would
never consider me harsh But the speech ranked
as nothing had ever hurt me before. and although
l knew il must have been exaggerated. avoided
Ms A for weeks.
Finally. however. met her In shop. and she
straight up 20 There Is thing
wrong. she said. and want you tell me what IL
is And then and there told her what had
heard. She is a truthful woman. and she did not
deny the story many would have done. Give
me time 10 mink she answered and l will tell you
how It originated. did say day I remember.
at Mrs B.s-and. Emma. I have often said It TO
you yourself-that l thought you unnecessarily
strict and that many girls less conscientious than
yours would be made unhappy by being forbidden
10 do what was allowed many Of their friends.
! made the remark entirely in their praise. and
# never occurred to to censure you. Surely you
believe that?' An she looked with her kind.
honest eyes Tow silly TO believe II possible
or you 10 think cruel mother returned. as
heartily. And there the matter ended. as nine out
y ten similar Observation-Disclosures would end. II
people would but give their friends chance Of dis
,rovng a SANDER For a lie that is half truth is
.ver the hardest 10 fight.
How will you manage 10 go 70 Mrs As
luncheon after the meeting in Mulberry Bend?
said a fashionable philanthropist 10 friend OF the
same Tx. "Oh. l shall wear SUM skirt and
snart body" the reply. And the result was
mos, satisfactory for no one looked more gorgeous
a, the entertainment In question than Mrs. A..
whose upper half certainly left nothing 10 be de-
sired Next 20 the golf trock and the bicycle cos
tune nothing marks the feminine end-of-tne-ceh-
,u-y emancipation from the tyranny o, FASHION
more than the separate waist which the dress
makers have tried so unsuccessfully 10 abolish and
Eve han
ever For there is nothing that makes II so pos
sihe 70 rush from one occupation 70 another or 10
Appear appropriately gowned at the most opposite
functions as IN the case just cited Intense en-
,rry . mo =, the characteristics OF up-to-date
fashionable woman and she has no longer e'ther
ne time or the inclination for long. elaborate tohets
4, the middle OF the day, although she is ready
,n,ugh 70 adopt the attest extravaganza IN the way
a. ,ew fashion at the proper time and season.
,sox,ne thereby the instinct % the eternal feminine
witch men adore and al the same time laugh at
T was looking al pretty gown nad iast year
-,,a-ked a particular woman a day or two ago.
..ra .ho,,g,| hat :, looked fresh enough 10 wear
another season. Something. however. caused me- 10
change my mind and as my maid was busy win
some sewing set 70 work 70 rip II UP io1 net Inc
dress was rather deliberately trimmed win r1i'leS
and bows and 20 NY horror found that the "hoie
thing was Enthusiastically dirty. All the tiny crev'ces
and folds full. OF dust and heaven Knows what
microbes and bacteria. perhaps; FOR as IL was
street costume II was undoubtedly the dirt from
the streets. And yet would have put on that gown
and fanced myself perfectly neat II 1t had not oeeh
that decided 10 have II remodelled
There Is untdy habit about women that
understand" commented a married man
They think themselves 30 dainty and yet they VIII
wear the same dress lining for whole season WITH
Oh; any protection 20 their neck or arms My wiie
never hesates about the wearing Of low-necKeo
and short-seeved underDodies beneath her cioth
gowns. which. Of course are expected 10 last for
months without any change. In fact. she has one
favorte talor-made that know for certainty
is three years old"