Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-03
Chapter TX.

Chapter TX.
Mothers are usually ambitious for the
social success Of their daughters. and so.
weeks later, when l confidei to mine my
intention of going to the Biennial, and the
fact that her daughter was down on the
program for paper, she was proudly SYM
pathetic, and denied herself new spring
clothes to add to my wardrobe. We agreed
to say nothing to Joe until the last mo-
ment, and 1t required no little manage
ment to get my outfit ready for the nota-
BILE event. But my husband was always
liberal with money, and, with my mother s
help and Mrs Parsons taste in selecting,
was soon provided with prettier clothing
than Sver before.
You're really very well dressed now"
was Mrs Parsons comment. you've de-
veloped wonderfully this past winter, If
you'll pardon my frankness. And now,
may I make another SUGGESTION
Certainly; anything" 1 answered. For
it's your advice and influence that have
developed me-if am developed, added,
meekly, although not without certain in
ward reservations.
well, then, my dear, just drop that
awful Kansas name. Mrs. Joseph is com
is impossible Mrs. Johnnie Henning is
childish; one imagines it to be your nus
bands name, and he a saHow, carlow
youth. But Mrs. lucknow. that has
some some style to It. Call yourself Jackie. or
Mrs. Jack. That just suits you
/ liked the suggestion, and said so.
''There are noted society leaders In Bos,
ton and New York known as Mrs. jack
she went on "Why not in Chicago?
/ could not suppress a thrill OF nat,ereu
pride which nearly suffocated me, ana sue
saw it. 1 do not know to TINS gay Whe. me
she said those things merely to fiatter me,
or to further her own ends by making me
her abject slave, or yet, whether 1t was pc
cause She honestly liked me. Perhaps Ut
tie of all these reasons entereo ,,r riiIp vas vas
known by the name. And when the news
papers of Omaha sent on, weeks IN advance
of the Biennial, for my photographs anu
some account of my humble career, SAT LOT
INV nbotograph in evening dress, ana MN
ME Morrison my newspaper 1rlend, sem
back a glowing story regarding tIle an az 80,
try life history and Accomplishments ot wv
"weIl-knoWn social favorite and Wl1e OF oil'
Of Chicago's capitalists, Mrs. JACK heh-
ming" 1t was fortunate for me- tha1 the
real masculine head of my family dld ho'
read the Omaha papers.
Those who think the real eAcItelh.l'
Of a Biennial begins with the opening
EXERCISES have never known the uellsn'
Of being one of the hundreds OF women
who Journey to the great cohVen.fsom ~ -
able mornings of my life was that when
slipped quietly off for Omaha, leavihg iiS
mother in charge of the house, ana gNlls
the babies hurried good-by. Joe haa gone
early to business. he ssiu Ell. t me- ,eo and
| had deemed it wise to make TINS morhins
different from another by 1nslstine on al
affectionate farewell: for ! had POT en-.
Mghtened him as to my plans, anu ~ va tbe
Mrs Parsons reported having met MN tnt
week before and spoken OF my gong :.
the Riennial as a matter of course, anu u.
had answered, "She isn't going. You ~
mistaken, madam" 1 had felt II inc tnnS y,
nnon me to evolve some shrewd methoo o.
outwitting him. l was fully determiheo :,
20. let it cost what it would IN the way
of family peace. A.. 90.
The familiar waiting room az the SIC
tion wore a festive atmosphere that morn,
ing. as the groups of smiling, middle-asso
women gathered and saluted each otner
THE air fairly Quivered with expectah,
longing as the crowd OF deiega.es steeoee
each other cheerily, or bade affectonate
farewells to the friends who were seeing
them Off An occasional husband was
there carrying parcels ana wraps an.
flowers, attentive and even lover-hKe' pu'
e. must be confessed that most OF us were
departin9 in single blessedness thought
of Joe in his office down town, lnnocentiy
surprising me safe at nome, III ne eooh
fhe trouble to think of me at. all MY
conscience asserted itself at the last mo-
ment and I was at the point of telephon-
ing him; but the special train was caiieo
and there was a consequent Dustie OF
baggage and wrap gathering and grano
rush for the train: Even then $1,000 ~,
bag and my arm with jolly Come on;
You'll be left, and that brilliant paper
would not be read" And in two minutes
I was scrambling into the car and hunt-
ing for my seat with the rest oi Tie
eager, smiling crowd.
It was a lovely June day, and the ride
across the rolling farm lands of Illinois
and Iowa was delightful change from
md 1,1,Cf Ia III
an ordinary traveller in the usual express
train is one thing, while to be a pas
senger in a special train where one rel
lows are agreeable, even distlngulsneo'
women-women of culture and refine
mention pleasure bent" is quite an
other, as I discovered before nightfall
The visits between occupants OF diHer-
ent cars the gatherings in the opserva-
ton ear attached to the rear, and mo-
nopolized in the ordinary train by the
men even the "caucuSes" held in the de-
serted smoking compartments OF our
sleepers put another phase on the nmlta-
lions of ordinary travel.
On through great fields of moving grain,
past vineyards of tender green, whose
waving tendrils seemed to toss good
wishes after us, through peach and apple
orchards and across the ragged edges or
peaceful hamlets and struggling villages,
with fleeing pictures of comfortable farm
houses and great barns and herds OF sleek,
handsome cattle, all stamped with pros
"
free lot of women; care-free because we had
left all the duties of home behind, and de-
liberately made up our minds to be gay.
But before night 1 was called into the
"drawing room" which Mrs. Parsons oc-
cupied alone and discovered that chatter
and laughter had not entirely eclipsed the
purposes of our leaders. In short, l made
the discovery that a special train for the
Biennial without it's electioneering features
would be an anomaly. Before my berth was
made UP that night / knew not only who
were to be candidates for the chief offices
in the National Federation, but also for
whom was expected to cast my vote. And
II had been intimated to me that a dele
gate may not have a mind of her own in
such matters, but is expected, IL she be a
nice. popular and well-regulated delegate,
to vote as the leaders in her state should
dictate learned, too, that Mrs Parsons
was looked up to as state leader, and
that, privately, she would not be averse to
accepting a prominent Office herself; and,
quite In confidence, 1 was made to under
stand I was to work for that end. Why
not. since 1t was through her influence that
I was representing the great influential
Nota Bene, of which she was the illustrious
president?
Amid SO much that was absorbing and
delightful, on train that took US swiftly
<l,ro,,oI yevu and Oicturesdue country. III