New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-02
SOME WAYS OF THE WORLD.
ART OF LETTER-wR1TING DECLINING
AMONG THE RICH.

AGAIN THE SERVANT QUESTION. AND SOMETHING
ABOUT A HOUSEWIVES vACATIoNs-HERoEs
NOT ALWAYS APPRECIATED
In the old days a woman Judged by the notes
and letters she wrote. the paper she used her
chrography and her manner of expressing her-
self. Nowadays. however. we have changed al
that. and the pity. 1t is a singular ana
. lamen able fact that women who go in Tor the
higher education write extremely bad notes rs
q rule Whether it is the habit Of taking notes at
lectures or OF considering such details TO be more
or less puerile certain 1t Is that highly cultivated
women often write notes that couple OF decades
ago would have been considered unworthy OF d
schoolgirl. even their spelling being not always
without rcproach \ clever woman of the ola
school wrote recently to a principal Of educa-
tional institution in regard to the placing OF her
little daughter. and received In reply note which
decided her against sending her child to that schoo
The epis,lc In question was badly written ana It's
statements badly expressed. And yet the Old
fashioned mother made a mistake. for the writer
was snSularly successful in her methods of educa-
ton and thoroughly cultivated herself ana
Il by no means followed that because she had
adopted In writing the careless habit or scholars
she would permit her pupils similar liberty
The trouble is that , the higher curriculum. with
girls as well with boys. too little attention Is
given 10 writing and composon-which certainly
ought to have an honorable place among the hisher
branches and not be RELOCATED. as Is now the case.
10 the primary departments.
WHERE IGNORANCE is BLISS.
Ignorance is bliss in many instances TO careful
and pan ticular mistresses who would be much as
tonshed and not little upset could they but
know whit is going in their absence. or when
circumstances render 1t impossible for them to
keep an oversight of the proceedings OF their 40
mestics I'd, instance. how fortunate II is that a
certain womn' Of limited means. who prides herself
upon the succa ,sful way she keeps up appearances
lv.as m m
cans and aprons. does know what happened
upon one Occasi1 n, The long desired and greatly
enprec,ated first call Of the great Mrs. II. was
made: the door wais opened by the aforesaid mald
with blowsy hairi and collar and in the act or
wiping her handss upon dirty apron She re-
marked gcrally asNshe ushered in the me visltoi'
..yez must excuse my appearance. mum; but It's
washing day and it's,heping the cook am Ana
then after tedious wait the same woman reap
peared with irreprpachabe insignia OF once 10
saw that Mrs. A. would be down directV' 'ne
obvious inference being that the servant had made
herself tidy, before daringo take the cards 10 her
mistress who saikd down, sercney a few minutes
ofterward unconscious of her well-trained ser
wants delinqls'ncieS
..Iov angry Mrs. B would be" 'sad one OF her
suburban neighbOrs. IF she knew tha' "heHeNei
che wont 10 town \her waitress and coachman TOOK
,be,r bcvcles for a long ride, Tell them? WHY OF
course not, it is none Of my business and people
meyer thank YOU for discovering their domestic
imperfections." o, .o,,
..Nav "a, TO Mrs Z.s~to-night. ma'am? sa'u
the cook to\Mrs. NJ. The servants are going 10
have a dance> in the barn.
But l thought Mr.. and Mrs h'Sn gone 10 INC
mountains qlhred the mistress.
so they be-" NwasNthe answer. But 'hey 'oid
their helm they might have a ball" The consent
for the cook TO attend the ball was reluctantly
given. as there scemedA no reason for withholdlhs
4, but Mrs NJ had hertdoubts.
fal, confident that tine Us never toiu 'he'
..,o,.s ,ho, couI,1 have high jnks In their abb
seuco" she said to,her husband afterward' nut
had no excuse for refusing Mary" And 1t nap
nened that she was right in her conjecture aoou'
the Z's only neither she nor Mrs H. ever K"e"
. the truth OF it,