The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-21
BY MRS. BURTON HARRISON


II has been well said tina. the fem
inine creature depicted az an American
woman by writer for the Daily Express In
London ts Impossible" At her worst fba
American graft upon the tree Of British no
oiiity has not succeeded In equaling certain
nlgh examples that haY, >een set her by
great ladies' 10 the manner ,orn IN the de-
nance or moral law, which seems not to
aHect their standing In society nor prevent
british matrons Of lesser degree following
In thor wake with slavfsh reverence II
one Is 10 believe the stories told over tea
cups in London drawing-rooms, there "a
not, nor has ever been. in the most exas-
Grated variety Of American social life such
startling frankness In nisdemeanor, such
cool avowal Of is emouments, as the
LADY from the States" hears detailed for
her amazement Cor delectatIon. as the case
tnay be- when admitted 10 circles deemed
OF highest vogue
To ones knowledge there IS nothing what
ever comparable to this IN our society, ex-
cept In the case of a visiting graude dame
OF British extraction who occasionally en-
joys making the eyes OF her transatlantic
sisters open IN establishment. That the .'hy-
Bird American woman of ''the Chicago
Park lane four hundred upper ten variety"
should attempt therefore. to strike at all
that is most cherished IN the home life Of
England. at all that Is most modest, unselS-
ish and reverential." would be to carry
Goals to Newcastle. She could not If she
would She has 10 descend gradually TO the
plane where such things are boosted of with
astounding sang froid. and If she succeeds
In making the descent 1t IS not American
habit or precept that has inpelled her The
'apelike decadence" of New York society
may not compete with that!
OUR ENTRAVAGANCE OUTDONE.
In the matter of extravagance there Is no
woman more lavish in accruing to herself
all the appendages of luxury than the wom-
- n Of fashion in England. Elegance in dres,
As the breath OF her nostrtl Long van
fshed ts the day when the British trump
WIS held up to public disapprobation Dur
ing the festivities of the coronation summer
last season were seen more exquisite and
elaborated toilets than are ever brought to-
Bether On any one occasion with US At
dances, dinners. the opera, fetes garden |
parties. reviews and military functions, at |
Ranelagh, Nottingham and Lords. at Ascot
and Henley. not to go farther In Hyde Park, |
on what was called coronation Sunday
when tho dense mass of well-dressed Ioiter-
ers covered the walks and turf in their IA
vorite haunts 1t IS impossible to imagine |
smarter gowns. bonnets and parasos than |
the scene presented. To one in a dozen in a |
similar crowd with US, there every toilet |
was snowy, striking. intended to CAPTURE !
the eye with brilliant color. 1t was a COM |
mon saying: Nowadays they wear their |
ball gowns in the park What IS left for |
the EVENING"
To the charge that she Is g tuft hunter |
social pusher in her ambition to reach high
- er place. II that be SO of the Individual in 1
what does she differ from the land of her
adoption? 'She has no scruples In her
methods Of applying to social life the ethics
Of modern finance" If this fine phrase
means that the American woman pays her