The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-31

Society is beginning to come hack to the
city. Not. perhaps. because any unusual
activity in a social way is yet due. but it's
almost September, and that's the month
that marks the returns from the resorts
regardless OF the weather.
Speaking of the weather, il has scarcely
been worth while to leave the city for any
length of time to escape a " hot spell.
Indeed, we've had something of summer
resort climate hereabouts throughout the
dreaded months of July and August, and,
aside from the change and resultant pleas
ures that one gets from a trip. the vaca-
ton season at the seashore and in tho
mountains has not been such a great boon
to the St. Louis folk who ordinarily go
away to court the cooling breczes OF more
comfortable climes.
In a few weeks the town will be quite
lively again, and we may look for a busy
fall and winter from the viewpoint OF Inc
gayety seeker.
Touching a subject that has come more
or less into prominence recently. l nave
received the following communication:
Dear Serena Lamb: VIII you kindly let us
know in your Sunday column II IL is a fad for
young ladies TO wear necktles with their sweet
hearts or one of their young men friends in
itiaI on them? l ask this for the reason that l
have lately seen quite a few young and we'll
known ladies' Of the smart set wear mems four
finland ties with the initial OF young men on
them. II this is a new fad will you not kindly
advise through the channels Of your paper. 80 as
TO crafty the curiosity Of some Of your young
lady readers? Your reply will be appreciated.
c. L. S.
No, my dear young friends. 1t is not the
proper thing for young ladies who have due
self-regard to engage in such practices. 1t
is not even a fad, in the sense of a recog-
nized departure from the conventional. ex-
cept-and this exception covers a multitude
of little things that unthinking folk, and
sometimes society folk" are apt 10 view
u~nkindly-the seeming offenders happen TO
be engaged
IL the young man whose initials edorn
your tie chances to be your affianced hus-
band, iC may very rightfully be considered
by you-and should so be looked upon by
others-as quite a warranted little compli-
ment or modest regard shown him.
1t Is not a severe restriction TO limit this
Notwithstanding idea to your own initials.
if you have no greater reason than mere
friendship or a desire to appear smart"
for labelling the cravat with the embryonic
name of any young man Of your acquaint-
ance.
Common sense, which means a preferred
stock of brains, should be the guide OF all
young people who are confronted or con-
founded with these little displays of foolish
ness that courtesy too often dignifies with
The not-too-dignihed title of fads. A fad is
a fad for one who knows its limits, and
may be pleasing to that extent. For one
not so informed. a fad is too frequently a
lamentable showing Of weak spots in the
region of the brain, and, aside from being
silly, it is now and then shocking.
Don't wear the initial ties produced by
this latest fad unless you ultimately ex-
pect 10 wear the name altogether. In that
case 1t may be, and probably Is. a very
pretty and proper show OF affection. AT
least. there's no harm in IL.
Down at Manhattan Beach the limit of
the Initial fad has been reached By the
.,,r.-na- IL Ghn fo DoGtffNa1xr mann
grained from top to toe. Shirt waist bears
a string of large letters on the right side.
Long fore-in-hand is initiated on one end.
belt has three small letters right in the
middle of the back, just above two spike
tail laps tina hang over the placket.
Chatelaine bag Of suede has a new and mob
by leather Initial appliqued on at the bot
tom.
But this particular girl of whom my cor
respondent writes, deserves credit for the
most original initial idea of the SUMMER.
Viewed from a distance of ten feet, as she
sat on the beach in her bathing suit, she
appeared to have a patch OF white paper
pasted on one round, brown arm just above
the elbow. A closer inspection showed that
she had cut her monogram out of paper,
stuck IL on her arm and was trying TO
sunburn the arm all about the monogram
SO that the latter would show up IN good
relief when she pulled off the paper.
How's that for a novelty, you dear girls
who like to do bizarre stunts occasionally?
Put that's at a summer resort and the
~i-.itials are all her own. Quite different
from those of her numerous beaux.
September wedding cards are beginning
to arrive. There was a time not 80 many
years ago when the coming month was
considered quite as questionable a mar
rage time as Lent or August or May, but
that has passed. Nowadays there are really
no months set aside by the fa~shionables
for the ceremony of marriage. The fall and
the spring will ever be regarded by many
as suitable. since at those times. more than
at Others, families are settled in their own
homes, and not j%aunting about at winter
resorts nor. summer watering places. But
the last few years so many American fami-
lies have acquired handsome places of resi-
dence for the summer season that Miss
Observation-Disclosures rightfuliy thinks a
wedding with the man of her choice at the
Wequetonsing cottage, the Bar Harbor vii
la or the Colorado ranch Is eminently the
thing and much more picturesque than a
formal cut-and-dried church ceremony and
N