The Indianapolis journal., 1899-07-23
FOR FEMININE READERS
THE EDUCATION OF CHESTERFIELDS
ONE wOMAN's SUMMER DUTY.
Fashions Show Amazing Combina-
tions of ColOr-CuriOus Lapses of
DEMONSTRATIONS Suggestions.


process We hear less of than the "educa-
tion of a debutante" or the training of
an athlete" says writer in the New York
Commercial Advertiser. but it is a process
that goes on busly these days at the sum
mer resorts, where the boy or young fell
low from sixteen to eighteen is taken in
hand by his wise mamma and shown the
difference between rough diamond and
well-polished rhinestone and impressed with
the value of being a gentleman as well as
a good fellow.
At one of the big hotels near town
conscientious woman is taking advantage
of the summer leisure and pleasures to drill
her two boys in the ways of the world Of
good manners. The boys are not appre-
ciative as they might be, because they do
not know what agonies of humiliation and
self-consciousness she is sparing them by
making them learn early the lessons that
cause such torture of mind when they have
to be learned by the man of mature years.
The younger boy is only ten and he is
in no danger of becoming a prig, as he
spends his day swimming, fishing and boat
ing and comes home in the evening as red as
a lobster and dirty as days fishing and
tramping can make him. His social career
ent leather shoes, white duck knickerbock-
| ers, white shirt and white tie. After din
| ner he dances with the small girls, who
reign over the ballroom early in the evening,
and his mother invariably dances with him
| once or twice. AS she is by no means as
| little and slender as she used to be, her
| dancing with a small boy can only be in
| terpreted as duty.
|
| few days ago. The elder boy, who is bare
ly seventeen, was intrusted with the tact
full task of hunting up the guests who had
put their names down to play. and collect
| ing from them the usual tax for prizes.
| cards, etc. He was authorized to buy the
playing cards, the tally cards. etc., to mark
| them and to attend to all the troublesome
details incidental to large card party. The
pleasant part of the work-the buying of
the prizes-was left to the ladies. The
| young mans labors were not over when the
| playing began. He did all the punching
| and helped TO sum up the score cards after
| the game was over. That poor boy must
| be tired. He deserves a vote Of thanks, !"
said one admiring woman, used to the self
ish type of youth. Not at ALL" said his
mother. What kind of a man will he be
If he doesn't make himself useful? 1t will
do him good And so he worked like a
| Trojan, gained every ones good will and
| was too busy to think he had done any,
thing out of the ordinary.
The social education Of this youth is near
| Ing completion. as far as his mothers tut
| tion is concerned, but he has not mastered
| the intricacies of physical grace under all
| circumstances. The other morning the la
| dies gathered on the piazza were amused to
see Mrs. Blank rush into the hall as a car
riage drew up at the door. Come here. Ed
she said. breathlessly. There's Willie Var
he helps that girl out" Ed watched. The
graceful Willie performed the ceremony
easily quickly. almost imperceptibly. i
deftness made the fat, clumsy girl appear tC
alight like a feather.
DO you see the difference?" asked Eds
mother. You would have grabbed her by
the elbow, meaning we'll, of course, but she
| would have stumbled or dropped her para
sol. and probably told you to leave hel
alone
The "setbacks" which the teacher of so
cial ethics receives are not infrequent. TIL
small boy admires pretty young lady who
sits at the same table in the dining room
The social trainer believes in the civilizins
influence of pretty young ladies. wher
the small boy broached the subject of send
ing Miss B. some flowers, she readily acqui
esced. Wavecrest boasts no hot houses. 81
the mother suggested that the boy get III
early and row down the creek for pon(
bowl to put them in The boy was delighted
He was up betimes and came back befor
his pretty young lady had come down I,
| breakfast His mother arranged the lille
prettily in the bowl and together the,
waited in ambush until Miss b. was seei
| to enter the breakfast room.
Now hand them TO the head waiter
| said the boys mother. land tell him to Civ
them to Miss B: with your compliments
She waited in the hall to hear her Ches
terfied deliver this speech, but her beam
ing face fell when she heard the first par
Of the message spoiled by this: And yo
tell her that IL she wants to see me- I'll b
out on the rocks fishing. and II she keep
quiet and don't frighten the fish, Won
| mind"