Evening star., 1902-01-11
SUCCESSFUL DEBUTANTE
THE 0LD-TIME BOOK MUSLIN GIRL
- HAS PASSED.

Written for The Evening Star.
''Debutanteshfp is not what 1t used to be,
and the blushing rosebud who does not
know how to regularly hustle for attention
is going to be left In heart sickening iso-
latiOn against the wall" The veteran
chaperon worked off stitches with a huge
wooden needle as she talked and knitted
a pink and white afghan. II am referring
now to the rushing, ambitious. exacdng,
overcrowded. luxurious society Of our big
cities. in which, according to most con-
servative estimate, it requires every cent
of $4,000 to put a girl through her first
season In a style sufficiently brilliant TO
command attention and interest. That Is,
in actual figures. what one New York girl
is spending on her own social behalf this
year. This girl has no end of common
sense, and she Is the only daughter OF
rich but not mult-millionaire father,
who dotes upon her. She has pleasant,
clever face and agreeable manners, but she
knew that they were not OF suftictent i'm
portance TO place her commandingly in our
society, so she had plain talk with papa.
She explained that If he would finance her
properly she would guarantee to come out
and come out in manner that would re-
feet credit on them both, but If he felt
he could only put UP money for the usual
set of afternoon receptions. hired caos ana
modest wardrobe she would prefer to join
progressive feminine inteilects.
We'll it appears that papa was delighted
with the business acumen her proposition
displayed, and. approving the estimates she
had made he promised TO put up the money
if she would pull the social chestnuts out
OF the fire. There was not from the first
any doubt as to her success, because she
invested at once In an automobile, an opera
box, subscribed to all the best concerts.
lectures and charity associations, dressed
with conspicuous splendor, keeps two horses
for use In the park and entertasns brll-
liantly and constantly. In three weeks tnat
girl was a figure in society, and fhe iypl-
cal debutantes. who sit in white chiffon
beside their chaperons, wonder how she
contrived to do 1t and why their sweet ways
and fair faces fail TO accomplish the same
brilliant end.
1.-The whole trouble is that the young
girls have been crushed by the coInpetitioh
of wealth and by the married bellies Moth-
ers Of debutante daughters lead the cotl--
lions wear the diamonds, issue the opera
and dinner party invitations, and are more
and more resentful every year OF resigning
their Gayety and prerogatives to the young
er generation. There are nowadays num-
bers Of gay matrons whose daughters never
formally enter society at all, but go In Tor
intellectual pursuits. decorate the pack
seats of mammals opera box, I'LL up at her
dinners and oblige by entertaining the
more elderly and less interesting admirers
in mammals train. Society is full OF these
flowers that blush unseen, just as it is
fUier every year OF fuoQ6Idlcly wen " oO
debutantes who come out in very fashion
able society and find to their discourage
ment that it requires great wealth or dag
zling wits, or enchanting beauty to make
so much as first impression.
She Gets Attention.
Some of these girls. who go to the sub
scription balls and gorgeous dinners and
find themselves overlooked are cast down,
and slip out of the competition, but 1t is
the girl who. as said at first, is willing to
hustle who will get the attention. Some
of them do. and one under my chaperonage,
whose people are from the west. has con-
quered society by sheer force of enterprise
To her first big ball she went in a sweet
white gown, and though ! sat through with
her until am she never had but five
dances. There were no complaints, but l
saw q look In her eyes that meant grim
determination. and the next time / took
her out she was clad from her shoulders to
her toes In scarlet, and her black hair was
put up in the wickedest little knot with
pair Of regular long Mephistophelian cock
feathers in it. She displayed many dia-
monds and l expostuiated but 1t was no
use. When We got into the ball room was
horrified to see that her black gloved hands
were thrust into a huge muff made wholly
of scarlet ostrich feathers, but in spite
of my horror could not help noticing that
every one turned to look at her, and
number Of men came up to ask for intro
ductions. She seemed to get on wonderfully
well from that moment. kept all her SWANS
in roars of laughter, and was not on my
hands for five minutes.
When we got into the carriage at
clock in the morning she leaned back
with contented sigh, and explained to me
that her first ball had simply been an irni-
tation. II saw then that to get one in So
ciety, she said, I had to do Just as papa
does with his canned goods, advertise at
tractiyely; and so got my red gown ana
borrowed mamma's diamonds and then I
studied ep the jokes in the back of some
old magazines. ] am going to pose as a
anything you like that shall get on. This
is day of speciaities and the oId-fash-
ioned book muslin debutante has got fo
push and bid for position and saw social
wood all the time, just as business men 40
in Wall street. unless she wants to keen
her slippers intact and merely observe So
ciety from the chaperon's corner