The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-11-11
THE .POSE DEGENERATE"
A Boston Fashion Among Yours People OF
Playing at Being wicked.

BosroS, Oct. Whats the matter with
her? Oh. nothing really. She's doing the
pose degenerate. that's all. Shes nice and her
| husbands nice and they re asfond OF each other
n. two people ever need to be. but she fnncies
that the pose degenerate IL rather a fine thing
and he has fallen into her way Of thinking.
shes n college-hred girl. you know" con-
tinicd the woman Of sense "a she poured her
friend another cup Of tea and settled herself
more comfortably behind the dainty inlaid
table. but instead OF being proud Of her brains
and her breeding. she has somehow jumped 10
the conclusion that the rather fast Bohemian
set is the one best worth while and she is trying
n, hard as ever she can to ape its manners
and customs. In her it's funny. for she really
isa Puritan. you know, came from an old Boston
line, but in him it's positively absurd. lie
hates 1t 40. and he's nothing AZ all Of an actor.
He comes around here in the evening occa-
sioually abouta o'clock OF 40 TO bring meamag-
alinc or q new book in which he has been inter-
es'ci and he acts ~ being so wicked that YOU
would think il wee at least midnight instead
Of he beginning Of the evening Then when
! tell him Mr. Williams il busy finishing the
outline Of a brief that haste b. done in a hurry
and inquire ~ him concerning Mrs. Farnham's
whereabouts. he replies with the most comicaI
attempt at jluntinass that she has gone 10 the
theatre WIN Jh'a hNlSIt, os' guys NHeI nv
Ikea. you know
silly children they are. nothing more.
They have 20, it into their infant heads that,
tho degenerate pose Is the surcst method Of
getting on, and got On thevmust. The worst Of
f. /. that they are both clever enough to be able
t. do harm By passing on their OWE distorted
ideals.
In fact" continued the woman ot sense,
stirring her tea cnergeticHlly ~ She warmed 10
tie unarru-tomed labor OF preaching. in fact
II see rs to me that If were asked TO put my
finger ON the worst possible specinlen OF the
fv .id dqRi SSin 5nt 10 5is .ncR R's touS Ss a people SrG5s'n a. 'yRss
friends Of whom | am speaking. They had
fine Ideals when they came out OF college and
settled down IN their little suburban cottage
To- enjoy together the fruits OF the culture for
vhiaht h"yhHd ardupls!y %strli"n, but they have
nos come to tho conclusion that the best hing
The Inconvenience of wlCkednes-. The mod
ern novel and the modern play has done this
"On. Of course you IRE riglt when YOU say
,h4,, }4cy mus, lave been lislt s,un under
Is the latest Whit Of degenerate doct rinc
aud In a way that would be true, But you
nus, remember tina, they are only infant.
ING and being strictly M 10 date they no longer
g to church and hear sermons on SUNDAY.
been in-ld" a chlrch for years You ace,
they've absolutely no, one Of their own to tell
tIr'l tbat WIS" people sun cillg 10 IN" old
fa-hirne notions OF virtue and prOpr!oty that
v"l-brcd married people still are seen some
times together. and that while most Of ~ arc
weak enough TO smile al the French Jokes
about women and the clever thrust, AT the
morals of men u, few among. us still expect
our daughters 10 be pure and our husbands
L. he faithful. Perhaps We. too. are victims
Of the pose 1" some extent, but | must stick
I" IN" 'oNt
y for me-, ] tell her 20 stay at home and
study Browning rs she used 10 do when she
and her husband We're fret married and
W Williams Tolls him that IL H. really inst
n vol 10 appegr ~virtnol- in case one T. so
h|rpN a. 10 hc above reproacl Was II Shake
p'ir' Yen are far more clever than WHO
sail q Ine a virtue II you have it not"'
s'r.nt' i'n,t II. that those silly children next
dor sluuid seem 10 think that II reads As
san" a VIC they only knew their Shakes
p"Hr' ~ they do their S~winburn. they'd have
n0d" no such pit liable mistakes