New-York tribune., 1896-11-02
SOCIAL COMMENT.
WHAT DOES COMMON" MEAN IN THE
FEMININE VOCABULARY.

FEMININE \OCAf l LhINi'
when YOU say that Mrs. B. Is common what
40 vu mean by that?" said her mnch-puHHlo" ma"
.u,ire ouditor II wish could understand what IL
= tho, Won women classify under that denomlha-
ton At home my sisters use the woro s''"'
deal and never can understand whal '''' a."
driving at Yes. Mrs. co-and-So Is very p'"''
thcv say but she is common. 10 you ii''"'
Chat she is not we'll educatedT ask. on no lheH
answer I believe she is very clever ana mas p'eh
.,nrd,a,v Taught both tere and abroad Is she
ioud or fast?' l INQUIRE of course not. jim they
exclaim w never said she was anything OF 'he
kind she all right. and she Is cer'aiily very
good -naturd. She Is only common ooh So"
know Tome. however the object OF ineir ce'S"'r
appears to be a very pretty. nice sort OF sr' "''
what II is hat is lacking am totally uhdpie u
discover. Pobably 1t Is because am too optuS-'
hut when Iheard YOU use the same expression III
regard to Ms b. who is certainly as unlike MISS
8. as u is rossble to imagine. though' "ou'"
like you TO lefne what that very conclusive anu
evidently Objectionable classification really means
I'm order 10 do that" answered her ladvshi'
rather tartly, 4 would have to begin by giving you
perception ant II is just that quality that you MeA
seeu TO lack low often have been surprised at
the women yo all admire and run after! Ihat
prctty woman rom Chicago. for instance. sa"
YOU with at tn C.s dance the other nish'-you
could not see sk different from your sisters
But thev and ,oud IT, and ii is just that We
not the voice. ahough the voice betrays H. 1t IS
not the manner although the manner shows II. II
4. not the dress although the dress generally has
traces Of it. Itis the altogether A woman VINO
is common neverknows it herself. and therefore she
always remains so She ruhs you up the wrong
way. and you fel that she Is diHcTeh' IN man
ner that you do Ot like. -,
.'Do you see wat mean" she concluded with
emphasis But poor man. more befogged than
ever. gave up tin definition of this purely feminine
adjective as hoptess.
II IL curious low race characteristics assert
themselves. on bicycle. it teing quite i'm
possible In the ,ois de Bouogne 10 mistake the
different natonsitics as exemplifed by feminine
cycsts-French. English and American. Without
any undue patrtic partially II is impossible not
to decide that tn comparison Is greatly in favor OF
countrywomn. who look neator. swecter and
altogether compiler than any Of the others. The
Frenchwoman's ig seems really extraordinary 10
Anglo-Saxon eye, her qu.etes attire for morn
ing spin being nir of black satin bloomcrs and a
loose white pqueiacket. AS for her gala dress. il
is fearful and woderful to behold The conscrva-
tive English woma, in her disapproval Of the eccen-
trcties Of her livey Gallo neighbor almost
much on the other hand. and skirts that are
absolutely dangerUs in their iergth. touching the
ground on ei.hc' .de OF her wheel, while her no.
ticeably low seat poduccs churn-ike motion thar
Is anything but graceful. On her head she places a
large, muchtrimmd structure. quite out OF keep
Il
lace veil. tied dow under her chin. With all her
respectab bility she less attractive looking Great
ture than the absudy attired little Frenchwoman.
who. whatever she years, is always although often
unaccountably) '.chc" This ability to any
thing and everything belongs 10 hcr alone
Americans. by reaon Of their natural imtativeness.
otten display caGet" on their return from Europe
that appears French but which evaporaies after
q few months sojorn at home At first, however.
tne change hat l. often wrought In a prbn and
sSlls'''S'"s sSls "a''" by visit to Paris is remark
Did, I'D yoS ycs zee Ms ~ remarks one, of her
stylish. Suh remarks often heard about a
newly returnd traveller and certainly there is an
inSescriDable ioine;hing that Distinguishes woman
VINO has Just come back from France that is un-
French chch, is a dstncy f noiccabe bn W which
ntiis by llttlefades away under the influence Of the
local dressrnakr and miilncr and the old familiar
pfim look gramally returns.
The beautiful white house on the northeast corner
o. Fifth-ave md Ffty-seventh-st., which has
Gently been prchased by Mr. Hermann Oelrchs is
becoming as te years on centre of pleasant
memories. for ew houses in New-York have been
tenanted by sch interesting people. 1t was built
oy Mrs. Mar, Mason Jones. whom many Of the
eontemporarlesof her granddaughters still remem-
ner as most earning hostess well as one of the
caevercst old ldies OF those good old times when
nmIy and cuhre were esteemed TO be at least
eoeQusl with walth, and when 10 have all three
eees the fortunate possessor prominent in both
ssmispheres. With the courage OF her convictions
stosaa tosa vas remarkable in those days when brown
ssone front the typical residence Of the period
Sno n spite adverse criticism she erected the
atingly whittItalian-.ook row OF house front
a. The green tres and shanty buildings which tnen
1Ieo the space ow occupied by the magnificent resi-
SSsnce Of Mr. Anderbii;. She designed the corner
sor her own 0eing; Here she brought gu, her
X s one Of 1 sss ana dnnes s.
Sno nsre shs enlrtained only those whom she deemed
v@thy OF plae on her visiting list. being eminently
soIservatve. al very intolerant OF new people"
sense Of familNmportance.
IL u matte Of social history. and therefore OF
sssSaumate menpn. that that most remarkable and
e.scessfut womn. Mrs Paran Stevens,
:srst received WITH open arms by New-York society
~ tMeIe 10 one lousc. said the venerable mistress
Sr, - .ne marble mnsion that Mrs Stevens will
cser. cs. am oldsnoush please myself and do not
cn.s.!s 20 extendDy sufficiently large circle OF
Xamsnces 'as 1t the irony Of fate that when
tStdn OSo ga OLD sy quilted her spacious earthly hsb
SSSSn ioI one MT built By her. the very person OF al
tSns!ss tSne!s whom &c had vowed should not cross her
"Ys.nouu . shoul' prove 10 he her Succ4szc-?
ssnt sssute you vas actually afraid 10 give my
-.,s ~ tne Iea4" said one Of the hc!rs aftcr Mrs