The herald., 1897-03-14
WERE De WE'RE MANNERS
They Are Out Of Date In France, England and
America

AmCTtCu
The high-bred manner that marked
the caste of We're de We're Is certainly
not characteristic of aristocratic society
In France, England or America now.
The cynical Frenchman who said he
could always tell the difference between
the actress and the countess by the su-
perior refinement and good breeding OF
the actress was not SO far wrong. Not
long ago an English dame of the old
school, who had brought up her daught-
ers in the traditional, admirable, insu-
into a first-class carriage on the Dover
Mail with two of those daughters, and
they arranged their various impedimen-
ia in the neat, orthodox British fashion.
Hardly were the three seated when a
party rushed down to the platform,
talking and laughing, calling each other
Billy" and Nell and Tommy" and
fashion to one of the lot, who was evil
IDENTIFY not to accompany the rest.
MY dears," said the British matron,
bristling with disapproval. those dread
full creatures are coming in here. They
are evidently Americans. Do not on
any account permit them to scrape an
acquaintance. 1 am told they are most
Objectionable in that way" AS the
strangers scrambled in and the guard
cld ttC ooOip QhCi iaiiiiioc oAA'4
her girls glared haughtily at the intrud-
ers. one OF whom said pleasantly: II
fear we are crowding you. but there was
no other carriage to be had" To this
there was no response. Another we'll
meant remark about removing some
papers was also received with chilling
hauteur. So paying no further heed to
the original inmates Of the compart-
ment, the new arrivals literally ate,
drank and made merry. to the intense
and manifest disgust Of the solemn trio,
who exchanged glances expressive OF
their annoyance, furnishing obvious
amusement to the presumed Americans,
who. like naughty children, seemed
greatly diverted by the situation, and
rather tried to increase the ire of their
companions de voyage by an overflow
of hilarity.
At Dover the two parties stopped at
the same hotel. and crossed the next
morning to Calais. But what trans
formation scene on the steamer! The
British matron met the noisy young
folks with beaming smile and bow,
to which a supercilious stare was the
only response. The prim daughters
proffered rugs and other comforts, which
were curtly refused. What was the
cause Of this sudden turning of the ta-
ples? Merely that the English matron.
with the curiosity characteristic Of her
class, had examined the hotel register,
and. to her dismay. had read Lord and
Lady Fitznoodle." "The Duke of May
fair" and THE Honorable Maud High
flyer" The smartest of the smartest set
In London. The intimate friends of H.
r. H. The people of all others that they
were most dying to know.
For new people charity is one of the
best ways of getting into society,"" said
Mrs Knickerbocker, besides being
much more respectable than most meth
DDS. A couple of hundreds sent to the
board of directors of a fashionable
nursery or hospital has an excellent eff
feet. and taking large number of tick
cts for philanthropic entertainment is
also appreciated. l shold say, on. the
whole. that almsgiving pays better than
entertainments at the beginning of an
ambitious woman's social career No
one would refuse donation, and it must
be thankfully acknowledged. 1 have
seen the most exclusive women, who
would not have deiGned to call on new
society aspirant visit a liberal sub
scriber to their pet charity, and become
intimate with women whom, under
other conditions. they would not have
looked at. have watched many fail
ures and successes in my life," conclu-
ded the good lady, land recommend
philanthropy as the best of all entering
wedges"