The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-02-25

W. NJ are or can be. When
they live in cities
and circumstances favor them, when
they are in any sense their own mis-
tresses, they become so devoted tn, SO (
absorbed in, society as to become often
what may be called social monomaniacs.
These are well known, though extreme
characters in all big American towns,
notably in New York, and are curious
subjects for study. They are not, as
might instinctively be thought young
in the main On the contrary, the mass
of them are wives, mothers, frequently
middle aged or beyond middle age
They are not even drawn to society, as
many women are supposed to be, in
their capacity of managing mammals.
Their daughters may be well off their
hands, being advantageously married
and settled.
When they have very young daugh-
tiers, children, even babies, their ma
ternal interests, strange to say, are
swallowed up by their social interests
They do not, Of course, nourish their
own children. They would not II they |
could. The claims of society are I'M
measurably beyond those of their own |
offspring. Women Of fashion here could
not be expected to do what peasant wo-
men alone do abroad. They would re-
gard that as exceedingly vulgar under
| any circumstances. They perform their
entire duty, they think, by securing
competent nurses for their small chill
dren. by hearing reports from them and
about them twice or thrice daily. Ii a
friend inquiries about the last daughter,
mamma saws that she is informed that
Clara or Florence is very well, quite
over her ailment She has not hersel1
been to the nursery since the day be-
fore Mamma has theory, generally
cherished among the titled and prlvl-
legged classes in Europe and which she
is addicted to airing, that children are
fonder of and have much more respect
for their parents when they see very 1T
tie of them and only ON stated occa-
sions. They can hardly believe this. The
.opinion is essentially un-American, but
it suits their convenience and their IN
clination to act ON it, and it accords
with their set.
Whether young, middle aged or old,
! maideps, wives or widows, all the
members of the peculiar class are con-
secrated to society and are concerned
with little else. Society is their common
, bond, their sole affinity, their one voca-
. ton. They seem weary of it /; they speak
YEARLY of it. How can they help being
weary of such monotOnous round--see'
ing the same faces, saying the same
things, hearing the same stories, eating
the same breakfasts, luncheons, dinners
/ sup,ers, substantially at least, but not
y wearing the same clothes, or decorations
d by any means? A woman OF fashion
never does this. She would not, coult
q not, be fashionable if she. should
II is it clothes alone that even preserve
i the charm of society? 1t certainly ap
pears SO at times Wherever (some
=, women can wear new gowns continual.
rs their paradise must be. But society
A. no doubt something more than that T.
a them What that something is may no
be understood by the representativ
10 masculine mind. 1t may be the newnes
w Of each occasion, the fresh sense OF trl
no umph through distinguished personal
or ity, the novelty of adulation at ever
function, that prevents aught ike pal
I'd ing.
AS a woman in society is generall
an actress, and as actresses never tire
appearing for whole season in on
mart so 1t must be with the cOmpletel
:. social woman.
o. Social monomaniac is not an exagge
nd ated or extravagant term, as many
woman demonstrates. She really has !
10, counter attractions. She reads SOM
~ what. she travels, she studies music al
-as languages, she gives certain amour
A. of time to charity, but those pursui
,;s are socially regarded, are as roads ha
he ing one terminus She seldom thinks
IA talks of anything else. The social not
~. are the first thing she turns to III q
newspaper, and she dwells long and j
.,,o tentlv ON them. She is apt 10 be seve
vn ON many persons mentioned there. In
are not in society, she is prone 10 ga
ore She is inclined to call them upstar'
80 nushers. adventuresses nouveaux rlcht
49, IL she refers TO them at all. She con
NO monty disdains TO name them III 81
way. They are not, to her mind, won
se her notice, which she conccitcdly CO
~ siders as bestowing favor. AS rule 5
TON descants very little ON wealth. That
',,5 not. 10 her thinking, good form
.ta nhrase she il partial to. But it Is ea
RI see how essential she ranks 1t 10y tn
ing it for granted that nobody VINO
ANYBODY can get OH without It, " NJ
i'm essarily belongs to every kind OF en1c
mo able life, any life worth keeping. ;
Md has it, of course. Otherwise she won
~ not belong to what is now styled
led smart set.
LAS Her social views are not unintere
f,ed] ing. She holds that no one should
,siIJ sumo to have any place in society W
,es y is not rich: that sociatv imperativ'