The St. Louis Republic., 1903-10-18

''I-'5 q Iss-fuI responsibility 10 bring
oct sirl nowadays" said the handsome
watyon IN tee velvet gown with slsE.
..Js,st what I am going 10 do with Emily
is a problem. Gertrude never made
formal derut. you know. Wouldn't hear
10 g.; and her father backed her up. ana
said she should not he put on the market
II she didn't want TO. 50 when she came
hack from Pennington. where We sent
her fc- a yea- after the Mary she went
qr.e.,v a., with her German and her violin
music. meeting her old girl friends and
Joining a few thimble clubs and reading
classes. Coirc out a little 10 luncheo-5
and frv- sJudsy night suppers at houses
where We have always visited and grad
uaIly drew about her a circle OF very
charming Young PEOPLE. returning the
courtesles IN simple fashion occasionally
with an Informal tea on some holiday
when she asked the men that she had
met. and once i= awhile going to the
ster Or concert 1t young mans invita-
tion.
She has had a very good time in the
three seasons she has been home and
IN more than Crstifed. OF course. her
make flIeads stood her in great good.
realize that. She enjoys things heartily.
Is entirely free from afcctation in such
enjoyment. and doesn't give herself any
stiff and surercillous airs about being
afraid to tai. pleasantly TO everybody
whom she meets This has been largely
responsible fer her good times and her
popularity. since the friends she has are
g,F1 inc
Naturally her father and myself have
exercised some supervision over her goings
out ard her coTainEs ir. but we have given
10 large entertainments for her. not one,
and we have neither OF US 'zonc cunning
as my son says. TO hunt beauX for hcT.
Now she has met young Kenwood Parke.
after visiting a school friend. and they
are engaged after six months friendship,
the engagement meeting with every sort
OF approval from her father and myself.
for we feel that our eldest is going 10 BE-
happy and that she will be well provided
lo- during the rest OF her life
But here e Emily back home again
after aimCst the same school life that our
older daughter had. and the proposition
girls are so different Emily is quiet. al
things. but after her own reserved fashion.
She requires pushing constantly TO give
her color and 10 enable our friends to
see that she is by no means the uninter-
esting young person that I'm afraid they
may imagine on first acquaintance.
1t is much against my wish. and her
fathers also. TO do anything that ap-
pears-er-strenuous. you know. in intro
fig1rlnr aar 10,
but she certainly will have TO be pushed,
for she is a fine girl. really more clever
than Gertrude. hut lacking the others
show qualities. and I want our friend
TO appreciate her as we do ourselves. She
is much more OF a beauty than Gertrude
ever was, and certainly has a fine pres
ence, but it's really going to be a prob
lem" The handsome matron sighed again.
The two other women present during
this speech nodded their heads in agree
ment.
Thank heaven, I've no daughters now
sdays" ejacu.ated the elderly matron in
the black lace cape. Mine married before
the social times became what they now
are. and sometimes break out in a cold
perspiration at the very thought Of what
it would mean to launch a girl, socially.
in this day and age. =
why. when came out--I,rn not going
TO tell you how many years ago 1t was
my parents gave me a lovely ball. my
aunts another ana my cousins. all OF
whom were young ladies. invited me to
their big country house in Virginia for
the holidays, where was at once
plunged into a circle of lively young peo-
pie. and IL I had any inciplent shyness
and gaucherie It soon wore of. and 1 en-
joyed myself heartily.
The young men who called at my
fathers house called on me. took me
horseback riding, always with n party;
danced with me. sent me flowers. and
when the proper time came. married
one Of them. and that was all there was
TO it. Nobody was blase nor worried be
cause he had TO pay party calls. nor be-
cause she had TO sit next an uninteresting
and crusty old bachelor at dinner and
talk her prettiest. Everybody did those
things as a matter of course. and did
them with the best possible grace
You don't find one young person in
ten now, who really performs his or her
social obligations. heard my youngest
niece going down the stairs few nights
ago TO her carriage, which was to take
her TO Mrs. Westminsters to dinner
I hope TO gracious they'll give US a
better dinner tonight than the one ate
there last spring she exclaimed as she
put on her gloves.
Il could not help calling out my open
door:
My dear, doesn't Il occur to you that
you are not invited wholly to eat? You
hostess may expect you TO be a little
entertaining, and in my day We didn't
care whether We had any dinner on the
table or not. II the company was inter
estlng'"
The other women laughed. you don't
find girls nowadays so entirely forgetful
Of the inner woman" said the matrUn
with the zibeline gown. It's the selfish
spirit Of the times. But IL the young