The evening times., 1898-05-28
GLIQUES AND
GOOD SOCIETY
"The Set" Prevails in Hamlets
as in Cities.
Dress, "Blue RIood' nnd Gufnea's
Entrance to Its Portals.

Good society," Magic words these and
capable of being interpreted in a hundred
different ways. In fact. two women can
rarely get together who will agree as TO
the best methods for their recognition.
says Dorothy Maddox.
There are deluded ones who fondly inn
agine dress can squeeze them past the
lynx-eyed social leader; others are equally
confident that blue-blooded stock clothed
in dowdiest fashion can worm its way into
the very midst of this leaders charmed
circle. while others still depend with GER
tainty upon the c.ink of the mighty dol
lar to down the slightest murmur OF dis
content at their appearance.
The hamlet smart set is most interest
ing; II is comical as well because of its ex-
treme faith in its knowledge of what 1t
should do and what II should leave un-
done
The smallest town Is not without ats
good society. Cliques are many. and each
CLIQUE is honestly sure 1t Is following right
In the wake of the city's ultra smart set.
The villagers exiled suffer keenly under
their Punishment. Heart burnings are
many. Feeling runs high. Not long ago
L accepted the hospitality of a member or
a village coterie. and l had not been in
town a day before l saw that the entire
place was divided against Itself. The
set carried all before 1t. Other sets ate
humble pie. Fantastic enough were the
attempts at modishness
l do not believe a single earnest soul
ever dreamed that her soarings after style
were ever anything but sublime. There
are no class distinctions in the world that
breed such constant unhappiness as
those which belong to some picturesque
little spot hidden far away from fash
ionable centers.
Occasionally hamleted democracy rules.
and Miss B. in the big house on the hill
condescends to entertain Miss c., who
lives in a shabby house down in the hol-
low Odd ideas control society in this set,
such ideas as would open with horror the
eyes of any leader in the four hundred of
a big town.
Good society as ii exists in all its per-
fectness carries code so rigid that no
excuse can suffice for the infringement of
one of its requirements. Social queens
must be dressed to express the very
swellest modes of the season and no one
save a leader of fashion has any real con-
ception of the time, money and brain
work squandered on this Herculean task.
Truly ones clothes tell tale which
there is no evading. The fake queen may
think she is arrayed in the purple and
fine linen of good society, but it needs
only a chance for comparison to have the
keen-sighted, worldly-wise critic discover
her false claims to elegance.
Some of the simplest rules governing
the ultra smart set rarely ever find their
way into obscurer regions: places where
the DANES and damsels are perfectly sat
isfied with their social progress.
And a blessing II Is that where ignor-
ance is bliss 1t is folly to be wise. Grand
DANES and their conventional daughters
are hard-worked souls. Sometimes l
question whether any pack horse or army
mule is more constantly with his nose to
the grindstone.
Not a lapse of fine form is allowable.
Brought up from childhood to understand
the code as thoroughly as a naval officer
his signals, fair slaves TO social calls
rarely blunder. 1t is the comparative
newcomers who suffer.
They are unused to the treadmill exist
ence for a treadmill it is. with all its va
ried entertainments, its panoramic lights
and shades so constantly supplied folly's
demands.
l have frequently had the question ask
ed why do women torment themselves
as they do for the sake of leadership or
being at least in the swim?'
An excuse of some sort is trumpet up.
In truth it is for self and self alone. Most
women are abjectly miserable when made
to feel that they are on the extreme edge.
just about ready to be pushed off. Until
they reach the center they are on the
ragged edge of despair. Once there they
become autocrats. and woe betide the poor
souls who get under their thumbs. Rules
governing good society are many and
iron-bound. Heavy is the strain even
with knowledge as a hacker.
The American girl in good society"
knows what IS required of her. She is
picketed by conventionalities. This does
not annoy her in the least. From the time
her school is selected or her governess ap-
pears until she enters college or a FASH
ionable finishing seminary. she is well
aware of her duty. She knows nothing
that cannot be accepted as proper by her
mother.
One great blessing that comes to the So
ciety girl is shown in her ownership of a
tactful. graceful mother. the sort OF moth
er that a girl can depend upon at all times
and under all circumstances. This gives
youth its full swing under protective en-
vironments that show the American
daughter to be well shielded as any girl
in the world. say what people may to the
contrary.
II nfashionable mothers could emulate
this example of espionage much misery
WOULD be saved the middle classes. 1t is
the free and easy selection of compan-
ions that works so much mischief.
Good society" may be summed up in a
few words. 1t is having a complete
knowledge of things to be done, and as
perfect knowledge Of the things that
must be left undone. Steep is the road
that leads TO perfection To the woman