The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-28
A NEW YORK W0MAN'S X-RAYS.
MANY MATTERS PRESENTED IN An
ATTRACTIVE MANNER.


phia-The Job Lot That England
Has sent 10 New York This season.
Something About Noted GeOr-
gian-Nrs. LanRtry aud Her Epi-
dermis-The Langtry Gowns in
"The Degenerates."
New York. Jan. 27.-There has been
great deal Of discussion here this winter
over the decadence Of New York society.
There is no recognized leader here to
hold it together.
Mrs William Aston is the umpire, so to
speak, OF the smart set but she is not
the leader and couldn't he. for the reason
that she is too old, too homely, not indie
pendent enough nor sufficiently amusing
All who are invited to her dinners and
balls attend, just to let people know they
were invited, and with curiosity to SEQ
which of the "outs" will be admitted to
their set this year.
I have never heard any one in my life
say they really had a good time at an
Astor function.
They are stiff and prescribed.
No one dares do a thing original.
If one has theEourage to emit a joke
it falls as fiat as a punctured balloon
Your daring is not even admired
l have been told that last summer at
Newport. the boldest of the new set pur-
posely selected their dinner nights on
the same evening of Mrs. Astor's, so as
TO avoid having to go there. It was so
much more fun at Mrs. Potter Palmer's
Mrs. John Drexers, Mrs. Pembroke
Jones, where they could sing comic songs,
win prizes in cake walks, tell jokes and
be natural, rather than be forced to talk
"platitudes in stained glass attitudes"
Mrs. Astor realized this. so feigned i'll
ness, closed her house. and sailed abroad
Mrs Ogden Mills is not eligible either
as leader.
To be sure, she is one of the few women
in the smart set now who can boast of an
aristccratc lineage. She was Miss Liv-
ingston of the old and best Livingston
family, but she married a man of the COM
monest origin.
Sne is very homey, not original, aid
has no tact-the greatest essential for
grande dsme and social guide. Her hus>
band is rich, and she gives beautiful dim
ners. She likes to be called the most ex-
elusive woman in the smart set, but she
is not consistent.
i lave seen the veriest mushrooms hob
nobblng win her at the opera. Men and
women whose only claim to recognition IL
THAI they understand how to feed the re-
concentrates Of society.
Mrs Stuyvesant Fish is socially quail
fed 10 be . leader, for both her husband
and herself are well-born and he is rich,
hut she has temper and tongue, her
manners are insolent and i'll bred. She
doss not hesitate to iurt the feelings of
i
Mrs. John Drexel, Mrs. Herman Oelrichs
and Mrs. de Forest are new recruits lately
added TO the Four Hundred.
Mrs. DreXel. is pretty and hospitable,
with neither breeding nor brains Mrs.
Oelrchs is handsome in a way. entertains
charmingly, but the thought will occur to
one, if her father had not been so fortu-
nate as 10 discover that gold mine out
West, she would now be a pretty attract
i've little chambermaid some where.
Mrs. de Forest is clever and amusing,
but she lacks the principal oomponents of
a great lady.
These are a few Of the aspirauts for the
leadership, but the same faults fit all the
others.
If Mrs Jack Aston was happier and
stronger, she is the one woman in New
York who could satisfactorily fill the po-
sition. She was Ava Willing of Phladel-
phia, beautiful and high-bred, with tact
anu CONSIDERATION 1Or all, feUned ana ac-
complshed, being a good linguist, but she
dislikes New York, the insincerity and
rudeness is abhorrent to her.
The civilization is totally different from
that she was brought up in The aristo-
cratic set here, who would be congenial
TO her, are not in the fashionable circle
owing to their lack of means and their
determination not TO be hangers on" to
people who are their interiors in every re-
spect, except where bank accounts are
concerned.
Say what you will New York society
is not stately.
The parvenu is always on tiptoe trying
to reach where he has no business 10 be,
and certainly no one on tiptoe can be
stately.
has been skinned by those who have gold
en- spoons.
q borrow this from Ouida)
The success of the day Is not with blue
blood, but with cleverness, impudence,
physical beauty, above all, with wealth.
Harry Iehr of Baltimore is called The
tombstone or court jester of the smart
set. 1t Is a position that no other man
has ever, or will ever, aspire to.
he is by no means a fool and has dem
onstrated chs by persuading mis- superiors
to drink his brand of champagne which
as conceded 10 be the worst on the market.
with the exception of one years vintage
The men all hate him, and the women on
adore him. He plays and sings to them
III his high falsetto voice; when they tire
OF their fancy work he finishes it for them.
to the accompaniment of clever stories and
naughty jokes. He has perfect taste in
women's dress and jewels, and corrects
them when they go amiss
Some man asked Louise McAlister why
the Newport women tolerated Harry Lehr.
She replied, ION, Harry is never exigeant.
always amiable ana he knows just who 10
know!'
This must strike the Baltimoreans as
being very funny
The smart set is not at all particular
about the quality of their men. Man IS at
a premium here-I am speaking of unmar-
ried men-ah of the best ones are benc-
diets.
In one Of my letters / spoke of the New
York society man as an "InVertebrate."
81 M hnt l.at tcr