The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-06-04

MRS. AsToR
| winter Mrs William Astor, social arbi-
| ter, let down the bars and allowed 1876
| more individuals 70 skip over into the
| paddock of first society: then she in
stantly put them up again. All these
! new people will flock to Newport. The.
| old town, which was erstwhile chosen
| for a place of summer rest and reste-
ration by the sea, will merely witness
| continuation of last winters social
circus in intensified form.
Last winter was the heaviest soc1as
season ever known in New York and
Washington. The quite up to date
fashionable woman not uncommonly
went to a lecture in the morning and
in the afternoon to a tea, where she
swallowed peanut sandwiches and 9TH
er connections the most unholy that
could pass into human stomach; after
that out to dinner of half a score OF
courses and more Ubiquitous concoc
tons, then away to the opera till mid
night. after the operas over, then
we retire to the ball. to dance and
again stuff till after the sons and
daughters of toll have taken their
places OH the treadmill. Does daylight
look in disguised on the revelry, the
wan faces, the wthered flowers? Draw
the curtains closer, turn the electric
lights higher, shut out the day beams,
and on with the dance! Let not the
whirl stop!
1t is no exaggeration 10 say that the
life society women lead In New York
| and in the national capital during the
season is much like that. What do
they do it for? l don't know. Nobody
knows. To the less happy it would
look as if this feverish, incessant
spinning round were to enable them to
forget. But what can fortunes favor
wish to forget,
The strain of such q life is harder
than that of the washerwoman. Last
winter it broke down several who
started in determined to do or die.
One of these was Mrs. Roosevelt, the
amiable. hospitable wife of our prest-
dent. She was obliged to retire tenn
come coming of Lent gave surcease
from entertaining and receiving One
Of her most efficient aids, Mrs. Knox,
wife Of the attorney general, also
dropped before the season closed, a vic
tim to her desire to keep up with her
duties in the world Of society.
In New York city it was the same.
, nr1V % +ha
leaders were knocked out premature
~. Some retired quietly to their coun-
try homes. others sailed to Europe to
this or that spa to drink nauseous wa
tiers and live on plain food until such
time as they could once more piece to-
gether their shattered nerves. Others
still went for cruise upon their
the Carolinas- anywhere to get away
from turning night into day and the
digestion inside out.
1t is said the only leading society
woman able to endure a social season
without wincing is the oldest Of them
all, Mrs. William Astor, the Mrs. AS
tor. lady now almost seventy years
"a oSS. WIN oCIChC. ScSuES SliS
starts in at the beginning Of the sea-
son, takes the lead in the social pace
end keeps it to the end royal ana
strong.
'T am we'll because . take good care
Of myself" she is said to have re-
marked. This is true of every one.
NO matter what she does. Perhaps @
am more prudent and temperate fns
my manner of living than others whe
complain. Nerves? q do not know
that have any"
II the present and future WewpoAe
seasons are to be a continuation Oh
winter designations. merely shifted -
a new scene, when will our poor mi4-
honaire ladies get any rest? On thu
whole. seeing what awaits young fem
fninity In high life. it is we'll 8aae
American college girls are now tax
ing strenuous training in golf, baskea
ball and, it is said. even football. They
win need to be Shadows. every one,
II this thing continues; but. again. D
rank outsider may be permitted to
ask, What is ii all for?
KATE SHARP.