The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-06-20


art Is Very successfully practiced by the
+ weaker sex, with "a, shade Of diff
| ference. AS an unmarried woman is III
| less general demand. she Is apt to at
! tach herself to one dear friend, always
sure to be q lady in possession of fine
country and city houses and the other
appurtenances of wealth. often OF an IN
ferlori social rank: 50 that here there Is
give and take the guest rendering real
service to an ambitious hostess. The
Feminine asp1rant need not be hand
some. On the contrary, an agreeable
/ plalnness is much more acceptable. serv-
ing as a foil. But she must be excellent
in all games, from golf to piQuet and
willing to play as often and as long as
required. She must also cheerfu!ly go
into dinner with the prime bore Of the
evening. only asked on account Of his
pretty wife tby the way, why it ls that
Beauty is always thanked by the
Beast? and sit between him and the
second-prize bore. These two worthless
would have been the portion Of the host
ess fifteen years ago and she would have
considered ii her duty to absorb them
and prevent her other guests from suf-
ferins. Mais nous avons changes tout
celia and the lady Of the house now
thinks first of amusing herself and ar
ranges to sit between two special favo-
rites.
SOCIETY," is made much easier and es-
pectally less expensive for unmarried
men than it used to be For even If
hostess asks a favor in return for weeks
or hospitality. 1t rarely goes beyong a
cot!lion with an unattractive debutantc
whom she is trying to launch or the
sitting through particularly dull opera
IN order to see her to her carriage, her
iord and master having slipped Off
70 ms club and quiet game of pool
the writer Is old enough to remember
that prehistoric period when unmarried
Ellls went to the theater. and even to
parties, alone with the men they knew
Gle is told that this custom still prevails
IN our lrrepressible West) BY that ar
rangement all the expenses fell on the
man-theater tickets, carriage if it rain
ed. and often n bit Of supper after. If
he asked Il girl to dance the cotillion
ne had TO send q bouquet sure to cost
between $40 and Sl5. What a blessed
change for the impecunious swell when
all this went out Of fashion! Now, New
1ork IS his paradise, for in other parts
OF the world something is still expected
or him. In France 1t takes the form of
handsome bag of bonbons on New
Years day, If he has accepted hospi-
tally during the past year. While here
ne need do absolutely nothing (unless lie
Wishes to) even the occasional leaving
or a card having been suppressed Of late
by our jeunnesse dore, five minutes Of
their society in an opera box being es-
tlmated (by thenO as ample return for
| a dinner or a week in n country house
The whole truth Of it. Is that there
are SO few men who Ego out cit being
practically impossible for a Young man
| working at any serious profession to sit
up night after night, even If he desired
ana at the same time so many women
| insist on entertaining to amusc them
| serves or to better their position that the
| society man gets completely spoiled and
| almost comes to consider the obligation
| hn RI
| more amusing sight than to see poor
pa1erfamilias sitting in the club between
! ana D. m, pretending to read the
evening paper, but really with his eve
on the door, for he has been sent down
by his wife to "get a mana MS sho 10
one short for her dinner that evening
he must be one who will go m well
WITH the other guests; hence papa's
ANXIOUS look, and the reason the edito-
| rial gets SO little Of his attention!
watch him as the young ''profession-
a. lounges in There is just his man.
You will see him cross the room ami
snake hands, and. after a few minutes
whispered conversations ''patcr'' vii,
walk down to his coupe with such a re-
iieVed look on his face. And young
professional who is in faultless even
ing dress, Will ring for a cocktail. and
| take up the discared evening paper To
pass the time until S:o5.
Eight twenty-five adViSedly for ho
Will he the last to arrive, knowing. clev-
er DOG, how much eclat it gives one to
nave q room full of people asking each
other, Whom are we waiting for?,'
when the door opens and he is anno,,,,t-
ed. he Will stay a moment after tho
other guests are gone and receive tho
most cordial of hand pressures from q
grateful hostess Gf not spoken words M
tnanks) In return for eating an eynui
sltely cooked dinner. seated between two
agreeable women. drinking irreDroach
able wine, smoking a cigar OF. two after
ana washing the whole down with n
glass OF 1880 brandy or some priceless
historic Madeira There is, suppose. n
moral to be found in all this, bur frank
~ the writer finds himself 50 mixn1
IN ms ethics that he fails to see where
the blame lies or which is the less wor
thy individual. the ostentatious host
or the worldly guest. One thing how.
ever, he sees clearly-viz, that life is
very agreeable to him who starts in
with few prejudices, good manners. q
large amount Of well-conceaIed 'chcel,,
and the happy faculty Of taking things
as they come.
PARENTS Reds BARRED to Mites.
(New York Tribunel