The San Francisco call., 1904-06-19

IL Is QOL Only because o. nE4 bEduNs
that the American maid is a winner"
says Grand Duke Boris, but because
Of her Doise. All, 'Tis her exquisite
poise that distinguishes her from her
fellows" Now the opinion Of Duke
Boris is entitled TO respect. for was it
not because Of his industrious amours
that the Great White Car ordered him
home from the wars? And was il not
he who reviewed the women Of each
country as he passed through it on his
worlds tour. even as the hero Of Ap-
pomattox reviewed the soldiers Of
strange lands? And was il not he,
when pausing for a breath in San
Francisco, who pronounced Mrs. Post
ley Sterling the most beautiful woman
he had ever looked upon?
Granted then that the Duke knows
a thing or two about women and that
his knowledge has been gained through
mparative-would you say anatomy,
or spirituality, or mentality. or would
all three make adequate meaning? OF
course. not having the pleasure Of the
Dukes acquaintance, know not the
focus OF his vision. But at all events,
a pity It's that so rare a connoisseur
of my lady fair" was permitted so
brief a view Of the women Of the Gold
en- Gate. And more particularly is the
fact lamentable. since he so ardently
dwells upon the charms Of "poise-"
Now. in all our great country where
freedom Of thought and speech has
developed frankness Of character in
women even as in men, il has remained
for the big bounding West to impart to
its women the highest type Of candor
and freedom of thought, blasting
shams and senseless traditions OF mi
ssmic maidenhOOd and clearing the
ground for the sweet t-breathed bios
SONS Of mental and moral honesty
and herein is the root OF "poise,"
springing psychologically from healthy,
wholesale, frank minds. And the rea-
son that the American maids "poise"
50 charmed the Prince is because Of
this very fact. In Russia, in France, in
Germany, not quite as much. perhaps,
in England, the well bred maid is ex-
pected 10 present 10 the world Just
one phase Of her being-the smiling,
amiable, so-called sweet" side, elm
mating all suggestion of personality
or human temperament, which, accord
ing 70 the old code, maiden should
not possess. And let the gods be
thanked for the evolution Of the Amer
ican girl with her honest heart and
clear vision. which have endowed her
with that rarest and most comfortable
Of social attributes-poise.
Among the maids Of our Western
shores who would have interested the
wandering Russian on this score are
Ethel Hager. Pearl Landers, Helen de
Young. Charlotte Russell, Christine
Pomeroy, Ednah Robinson, Elizabeth
and Ardella Mills-there! / have ven
tured into what could be a truth
ful rollcsn of two or three coteries
Of our smart set And as for the young
matrons. why. they are as cherry bios
SONS in Toxic. But of them we expect
much. including the attribute beloved
by Boris.
Last week was deadly stupid in town
Those who haven't fitted hence seem
TO be hybernating; but then to be
sure bridge" calls for quiet. And that
may in measure explain the sweet
serenity Of restfulness that has SEEM
inglV settled over the gay devotees Of
pleasure. By the way, there is much
talk abroad Of high stakes in some
Of the matrons' games, but the stories
run to earth, prove to be structures
Of bombast. Why do some women love
20 boast Of their losses? In that they
are distinctly unlike men, for who
ever heard Of a man blatantly boast
ing Of sums he had dropped at poker
or on the ponies? That's the chapter
they snuoge over and try to forget
But perchance the ladies like to
demonstrate the. stanchness Of their
finances in not wincing at the negative
side Of gambling.
The events Of the week were the
weddings that graced IT.
On Wednesday the Tisdale-Weeks
affair at San Jose was distinctive from
its fellows in that its prettiest aeces-
sories were unpremeditated.
Miss Tisdale. remaining true to the
home Of childhood and loving the
dear little ivy-grown Church-Around-
the-Corner, decided 10 be wed in San
Jose and in the quaint little chapel in
which she had worshiped since in her
pinafore days. And in her decision was
q literal determination to be quietly