Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-06-13

opera recently. She had simply an ad-
mission ticket for which she had paid
two dollars. But seeing vacant seat
she proceeded to occupy it. When the
man who had bought it came along, pre-
sented his check, and the usher polite
Iy asked her to vacate, she bluntly re-
fused. The head usher was summoned,
and he asked the lady TO move i will
not she said, and 1 dare you to touch
me- y policeman was appealed to, and
he discreetly declined to interfere The
result was that the grand dame held
her ground and the young man who had
paid six dollars for his seat stood
through the performance"
That story is absolutely false. 1t is
possible that some fiashily-d-cssed
woman may have taken seat at the
grand opera which did not belong to
her, but it is not true that she was 'one
of the most prominent society DANES of
Washington"
Stories of that character are written
by the yard with little or no foundation
beyond the vivid and diseased imogina-
tion of space rate writers. To say that
one of the society leaders of Washing
ton was so ill-bred to conduct herself
in that manner in the Grand opera
house is to state a fact something
which is actually impossible. If such
woman should by any artifice secure
admission into Washington society she
would soon lose caste by her ill-breed-
ing and could never become one of the
..prominent society danes of Washing
ton"
OF course there are great many i'll
bred people in this city as there are in
al cities, but they are not leaders in
society. nor can they ever be referred
to as prominent DANES" 1t is such
reckless Journalism as this which con-
veys to the people erroneous impress
sions concerning their national capital;
ard the readers of country papers CLEAN
from such writings the idea that Wash
:ngton is sink of sin and iniquity.
Once upon a time a lovely western
woman by an accident of politica; for
tune was dragged from her quiet little
three-course-dinner village and brought
into the snares of fashionable Washing
ton. She thus relates some of her expe-
riences.
Il ate my strawberries with spoon
| ond left the little jabber lying alcng-
side of my plate"
''Horrible, What happened?"
/ 'Oh, nothing; the people We're well
bred; bnt discovered my mistake when
saw my husband fiourishing the
1leHu1Sn Instrument anu regarding me
with a mournful smile.
Hot and cold chills played hide and
seek throughout my entire system, a
| mist rose up between me and the cor
rect and elegant hostess, my new din
ner dress was a failure, my partner was
a block of ice, and the straw berries
were Dead sea fruit.
Il got through my official calling very
| WELL" she continued, 'as 1 had only to
keep a correct list of addresses, put on
my best clothes, hire a carriage and
| start out. OF course the calls were a
| bore, and at times embarrassing, but
when 1 concluded that the women who
received were as much bored rs l was,
felt as competent to discuss the
| weather, to find fault with the cold,
or heat, or rain, whichever>it happened
to be, as the wife of a cabinet officer.
Then I got through receptions very
| we'll; we never went early, so I could
| Just look around and do as the other
women did 1t was the first dinner par
( ties, however, that pretty nearly ruined
me in my own estimation"
| "Did you never see anyone else make
mistakes?'
.'Oh. yes. indeed; and now that I'm an
| old-timer and give entertainments my
/ self. / often sit and feel sorry for some
| other little rival soul who uses a large
knife when butter-spreader is before
her, ard eats her oysters with a dinner