Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-09-24
TO THE DEBUTANTE.
Some Suggestions That Nny Lead to
Delightful Season.

From HarUers Bazaar
Soon the names of the debutantes will
be thrilling the land, and society with one
accord will prepare to do them homage.
Upon these maidens devolves the task of
keeping up their citys reputation for
beauty and. still more important, attract
iveEess; and. indeed, this is no sinecure.
One makes a mistake when one thinks that
q debutante's winter is to be merely of
the butterfly order, and that no duty falls
upon the young shoulders Often she is
laying the foundation stone of success or
failure in her world in this her first sea-
son. and woe 10 the girl who secures no
lasting friends at this initial period 1t
is only lately, asserts some old-fas hioned
mhtrOn, that such a fuss is made over a
debutante- True; but that very fuss makes
her conspicuous, and whereas she might
have passed years ago unnoticed she is
now brought prominently TO the surface
II entails much upon the young girl, and
now that much is given much will be re-
quired-
In the first place. 1t goes without saving
that her training should be excellent She
must be polite. graceful, gracious; she
must dance well. be tip in the subjects of
the day; she must know her outdoor life
anu be conVerEant with the sports and
anusements OF her brothers and boy
friends; she must have read what uaople
are taking Of she must know about the
actors of the times; she must have some
surface knowledge, at least of the Gel
ebrated artists and musicians of hnr da,,
as well as of those in the past Her oWn
language is far from sufficient I'm this cos
mopohtan world, for should she meet for
eigners. she must be able to exchaDge +ba
cOurtesiSs of the day She rnust kroH,
theoretically something Of music and arr
even though she have no decided talent
Ior either-In fact, q great deal of general
reformation viii carry her farther than
IhOTOughUpSS nr
Enc must have saVoir faire, and show no
awkward embarrassment at uneynac.ad
circumstances; she must have tact TO
know When 10 talk and when to listen she
must not be forward In EXPRESSING her
opinion though she must by no means be
colorIess and Initiative. She must never he
LOUD or boistercus. and yet be full of life
ana spirit; she must be unSelfish and never
Tor an instant appear to think herself 81
great Importance; she must not brag 70
other girls less fortunately situated Of her
c!OtheS, her entertainments. her friends
she must not make a fuss over mon or
even by limiting or plain asking endeayor
10 secure them as partners for the cotil-
Ions Better be wall flower pure and
simple, than forward. exacting damseL
She should be Chary in her corresnOn6-
enCe with men, and when called upon to
write. send only bright, clever little notes.
short ana TO the point, always remember
ing that men are proverbially careless
about their letters. and the chances are
that the very epistles dashed off under the
impression Of great and ever-abid ng friend
ship may hereafter be read by the future
wife or by variety of sisters or maiden
relatives who love TO rummage in the top
drawer or desk of needless men.
Therefore, let the debutante write moth
ing which she ever need mind being seen
by the most critical. 1t is hardly neces-
sery to add that she should be even more
careful of bestOwing her photograph or ac-
cepting or making gifts in the prolniscuous
manner 50 much to he deplored in the
present generation
In her relationship with older women she
should be courteous and pleasant, remem-