Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-02-22
MATTERS OF LOCAL INTEREST

quaintarce on the street because his
: father was only baker. my dear?" Or
did Won ever observe the jealousy of
two millionaire families in some
what larger place where reciprocal
scandal fiourished ana the son of the
ieigning family had to run off with the
cook to make up for the dearth of
legitimate social amusements? Well.
we are not afflicted with that kind OF
prcvincialism at any rate. Neither
are we ''countrified," in the usual
sense of the term. We dress well, as
or: city friends cordially testify. Our
standard of comfort in living is high.
anG we pride ourselves on having AL
the modern conveniences'' in our I'M
pretenticus homes. We continually
shop and make visits in tine Metrolo-
pus,' and our knowledge Of affairs out
side Gunner is not gained from rigidly
conscientious reading of newspapers, as
in the case of real country folk. A
large proportion OF our girls goes yearly
to fashionable boarding school and
GENES back with its sweet radicalism
as bright as ever. We do not say
I WAL neow!" and we do not keep
"caows." Neither do we say that
certain young man is keeping COM
pary" or setting up" with particular
young woman.
we do, however, calmly and uncon-
scicusiy disregard most of the COM
mon conventions of city life. We have
not yet reached our chape-on- age-in
that matter We have no system at all.
Any respectable girl may go driving
alone with any decent young man,
and no questions asked" Dances,
picnics. theatre parties and the like
need no older persons presence to save
them from scandal. Our young wo-
rnen have the freedom of Daisy Miller,
with much more than her share of COM
mon sense. unacknowledged engage
ments have with US all the outward
privileges of those which have been
announced. The young man may call
as often as he likes, give valuable
presents and maintain the exclusive
right to be the girls escort. We chaff
tho couple a little. but we take their
sincerity for granted. Married women,
however as in all intensely American
communities, are more hedged about
with restrictions. A young matron
man not appear in public with any man
but her husband, and she is rot ex-
peCted to receive calls from men.
Ana as a matter of fact our men do not
can nuch, unless their wives drag them
to 1t. Cumnor bachclordom seems 70 feel
iordly disregard for social obligations,
ana visits only those young ladies vii,
poSSess-and eXcrt-powers of entertain
ing we nave no rigid laws of etiquette
IN the matter. our calling hours are not
uNed, even for women. Your acqllain-
lance may drop in on you at two in the
afternoon, or at three, or at half-past six
or at any time, in fact that suits her coz
Vehlence. This lack of system has its
disadvantages, as you never know when
TO expect people. but the informality OF
1t tends to Sociablity in that it involves
Il certain degree of 'chumminess. Our
entertainments, too, are generally in
formal-'small and early is the rule
with most Of them. We think evening
clothes rather pretentious at these func-
tons, though we are growing rather more
punctilious in that respect of late.
Now, after all this lady hath protested,
you must know very well that Gunner
possesses such thing as social distinc-
tion-was ever the tniest hamlet without
II? There are differences among us; some
people are more highly respected more
sought after socially, than others Yet
the distinction is not based on wealth.
on heredity, on birth, on cultivation
even on the character of employment.
What, then, is ii based on? Perhaps |
can best answer that question by enumer-
ating some of our cherished ambitions
We admire elaborate gowns-particularly
street SoWns-and. as far as our purses
will allow we have them. Diamonds, too
we possess, in large proportion to the size
of our incomes. We want THE latest
thing in house-furnishing, and we have
been Known to favor carbon prints of the
'Sistine Madonna" because the picture is
so stylish" Our tables are set as lavishly
as possible with silver and cut-glass and
we are mortified if the food DISPLAYED on
| them abundant nd Of fba
best. We do not care for many courses
at meals, however-these rank with
frock-coats for men, numerous servants
and dinner at night, "a little bit
stuck-up. We yearn for frequent trips
to New York and Boston though we do
not care in the least for foreign travel.
Some of our local smart set (for We
have one of course. though it is not made
up exactly on the principle of New York's
or Boston's) went to California once in a
| private car and We're rather more bored
by the whole thing than they We're will
ing to confess. We don't like private-car
| arrangements in general We build our
| handsomest houses near the street 50
| that we may "see the passing" We like
| to go where the crowd goes" and be in
the thick of things everywhere. We are
| greatly interested in theatrical matters
! and pride ourselves on knowing about
plays and players all over America, par
| ticularly the opponents of society COM
| edy' and light opera. We admire the
woman who can write witty club papers.
| but she soon bores us If she talks much
| in that vein.
The typical social success among US,
! then, is well-dressed. sociable, interested
| in the lighter aspects of the worlds af-
| fairs. active in devising amusements
! fond of eating, dancing, cards and gos-
sip. She is practically the same you see,
as a successful society leader anywhere.
| except for the fact that she does not care
| enough about conventions to be uncon
| ventional. and that she maintains no lofty
! standards of birth or breeding. She
builds no high fences about her social do
| main-you come in on your own merits,
| and you stand on them after you get
| there. This, you see, is the true West
ern spirit. And the East is full of it
| especially Maine.
| An English translation of the Latin
| text of the trial of Jean dare is being
| published. About the middle of the last
! century this document was translated
| into French. but it has never been done
| into English. 1t is probably the only in
| stance of a complete biographical record
| of the greatest historical Importance, be.
| ing taken down by evidence on oath. The
| dispositions cover the whole story of
Jeanne dare. Literally it takes her from
| no IN ba stake