Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-07-26
TRYING TO KEEP UP.
False Pride and Living Beyond one'a
 Means.

False Pride and Living Beyond Oneh
 Means.
 There is nothing so absolutely fooi- ish and unremunerative as the false pride which attempts style of living beyond the means of the individual. whose only incentive thereto is that others in her set do thus and so, and therefore il is incumbent upon her to do likewise. To strive to keep up to q certain standard, without the means to do so comfortably or success fully, is of all things most wearing and dispiriting. Many woman Tt the end of the season asks herself what it s all worth, and thinks how foolish she has been to waste time, energy anu money to gain the favor of certain peo- pie who have so much that they count for nothing the efforts made to please them and consider that they are con ferring a favor by accepting invitations.
 Yet. despite her experience of the vanity and hollow sham of it all. the chances are ten to one that such woman will begin her poor, pitiful worldly campaign the next season with renewed vigor, and that she will again sacrifice herself and family to this Moloch of modern society called public opinion. If only these poor, hard-work- ing, weary denizens of vanity fair real ized that such striving is not only fruit less, but derogatory, that the very peo- pie whose acquaintance and friendship they are most anxious to secure would like and respect them far more if they were simple and honest and hospitabie according to their means, it would save them no end of trouble and discourage ment.
 We dined at Mrs. As the other evening" said the sensible wife of one of our mnlti-millionaires "and enjoyed it so much She lives in tiny apart ment and has only two maids, and she gave LIS the simplest little dinner, but so good. and such relief after the elaborate affairs one generally has to sit through. Just soup, fish, filet of beef, m entrce and. a sweet. everything in such excellent taste. and only eight Ut table, but just the people one wanted to see. Do ask me again. my husband said to her as We were leaving I have net enjoyed myself so much this win ter,' and he really meant it. We took dinner with some one else. who shall be nameless, | couple of evenings after ward. Such a tiresome experience as II Wasi The dinner was poor and yet elaborate, and everything was on a scale too big for the house. What d mistake those people make I said IS we were driving home, and how anN- ious and Tagged Mrs. = looked. F presume they are living beyond their means, was my husbands $ manlike con. eluslen. # came to me the other day to get me into some new enter prise in which he is interested, but guess I'll keep out of it.
 How tired and diseontented Mrs. Clymber looks," remarked one of her acquaintances. "and yet she has made a success of it this winter, every one says
 "she has bought her victory too dear answered some one who was present. "She has spent more than she can afford She has offended her old friends and what has she gained? Tol- eration only from the set she has set her heart upon belonging to. No won der that she finds the apples of Sodom dust and ashes-yet she will continue I to reach after them with the same eageiness next season. IN Y Tribune.