Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-11-03
HUMAN PooDLEs OF EUROPE.
PIatonic Admirers of wives Tolerat-
ed by Husbands Who Do Not
Like to Be Bored.

Poodle is the name given on yonder
side of the water to what is sometimes
here described as the tame cat' of an
stablishment-that is, the only recog-
nized admirer of the lady of the house,
whose devotion to her is tolerated alike
by husband and By society because it is
known to be harmless and Platonic. Il
is custom which has been imported
into England from the continent, where
the admirer in question is known as the
"cavaliere servente," and to-day in
Great Britain, as everywhere on the
mainland of Europe, all women. with
any pretension to fashion and to So
ciety have their human poodles.
Poodles of this kind seldom, if ever,
figure in the divorce court. The women
regard them as all very well to fetch
and carry for them. to act as their es-
cort, to entertain them, TO give them
flowers, ETC., but they would never
dream of compromising themselves for
the sake of a poodle. The poodle is
usually single man, with enough
money to enable him to live life of
leisure. His poodledom furnishes him
with nice house, where he feels at
! home, and where he can go without any
| formal invitation, no matter whether it
is in town or in the country. Single
men get dreadfully tired of mems so
| ciety and find great relief in that of a
pretty, brilliant, witty woman.
Besides, it is so very convenient for
| the husband. The poodle saves him no
end of trouble, acts as his wife's escort
everywhere and serves as a sort of light
ming conductor Tor all i'll humors. In
fact, to-day poodledom has become such
recognized social institution in Eu-
rope that it is only the evil-minded and
the people without any experience of
the world who see any harm in it.
Nothing is more amusing than to
watch the attitude of the husband to-
ward the wife's poodle. His manner is
characterized by a sort of mingled con-
| descension, patronage, just touch of
contempt, and dash Of gratitude. His
pride would be hurt were he to see the
woman bearing his name without all
those little attentions of which fash
ionable woman stands in need, and yet
which he would consider a bore if
obliged himself TO furnish them.
| A woman makes mistake if she
chooses a poodle who is more brilliant
or distinguished than her husband, and
is particularly blameworthy if she Sc
lects one who is richer than the man
whose name she bears. 1t is only cases
| of this kind that excite talk. No stones
| would have been cast at Mrs. Singleton
| (the Violet Fame" of hterature) had
she not chosen as her poodle man such
as Lord Currie, who was so much more
wealthy and brilliant than poor. dull,
insignificant Mr.. Singleton. And in the
same way the present duchess of Devon
| shire, while still duchess of Manchester,
was the object Of much SANDER owing
| to the circumstance that her preux
chevalier, Lord Harrington (now duke
of Devonshire), was so much more
clever and we'll to do than the late duke
sof Manchester. That the two ladies
were entirely innocent of any real
wrongdoing is, however, shown by the
| fact that both are frequent visitors of
the queen at Windsor castle, and that
while one-namely, the duchess of
Devonshire- the wife of a cabinet
minister the other is British ambassa-
dress at Rome.
No one ever hears anything of the
poodles of the young duchess of Suther-
land, of Lady Dudley, of Lady Wolver-
| 'OH, u INC SooHS ouChesS VI oeu1oTu,
of the duchess of Portland, of the
marchioness of CRANKY, yet they all
have their poodles, only they have the
tact and savoir faire to choose for the
purpose men more Insignificant in
very respect than their husbands
| That is why their names remain ig-
nored by the general public, although
| they are, of course, sufficiently well
known to society itself to render it a
| breach of good manners to invite a
great lady to any entertainment with
out at the same time asking her poodle.
= Washington Post.