Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-09-09
A Paragraph On Society.

act as censors, or rather as dicta-
tors, of who shall and who shall
not enter the portals.
1t is an acknowledge fact that in
the great cities, to greater or a
less degree true of the small ones,
that society harbors profiigates,
libertines and immoral degenerates
all becauee of the fraud and
hypocrisy prevalent IN the social or
swell set. The big divorce scandals
all come among the elite society,
the milliOnaires, whose wealth was
either stolen or inherited, and these
degenerates become debauched and
enfeeble because of their high liv-
ing and lack Of exercise. That the
world is growing worse is as GER
tain as that the rich are growing
richer and the poor poorer; but that
is an old story.
The subject we are going to talk
about is city society. Did you ever
attend one of the society functions2
Did you ever notice how SIS per
month clerk splurged around in
swallow-t tailed coat that he gets to
wear perhaps once year because
an arlstocratic neighbor invites
him just because he is neighbor
or used to board with them?
And then there are the dear ladies.
They will spend weeks preparing
for ''partee", have new parry
dress made, buy a new pair of
gloves, order a hack week in ad-
vance and stand off the butcher
and the grocer Why some of the
dears who can't afford to have those
rustling silk skirts get pieces of
sand paper and SO fasten them that
they will make as much noise when
they walk as heavily starched under
garments.
When they get there to the pink
tea, they bow, stiffy and touch
finger tips, and the conversation
runs about like this: "How do you
do, Mrs. Jones? am SO glad to see
you. Why haven't you returned
my last call?' Why, Mrs. Smith,
have been SO bothered. My servant
girl is SO provoking. | have had
three In the last month. She is so
1ndolent and careless and is so in
dependent. She seems to think she
owns the whole house. Yesterday
she actually fed Fido his porter
house steak without cooking it and
fixing him some toast. You see,
F1do dearly loves rare steak and
toast. But then l will call in few
days Good by, dear"
After Mrs. Smith leaves, she re-
marks to Mrs. Brown, Il just can't
bear Mrs. Jones. She is so coarse.
Her husband is cheap counter
jumper at the Bee Hive, and she is
always trying to butt in. I don't
see why she was invited"
Mrs. Jones, in talking to Mrs.
Wood, remarks: That Mrs. Smith
makes me tired. She puts on so
much dog. Her father is a gambler
and she is only butchers wife.
should think she would get the
grease off her. Why, / used to
know her when she wore under
clothes made out of flour sacks"
And this is sample of the edify-
ing gossip that takes place at these
swell society functions.
But what does it take to get into
society? The main thing is money.
No matter how you get it, so that
you get it. You may have taken a
republican recipe for paying your
} debts-go through bankruptcy, as
did Emerson, Boyce, Wiley, Will
liams, and a lot more of the bon
tons-it makes no difference what
you may nave done so you have the
money. Talent, culture, morality,
honesty count for nought, so you
can make a show. 1t is ALA sham
and pretense, and the members Of
the swell set, knowing full well
that their positions and superiority
are assumed are ever afraid that
their sins will find them out. They
art constantly villifying each other
and actuated by jealousy, reiterate
the stories of scandals that they
know are going the rounds concern
ing their rivals
The honest, handwriting man
who wears overalls and whose wife
does her full share to get along by
doing her own work, taking care of
her own children, have nought but
contempt for the hypocrisy that
pervades swell society The honest,
sensible man or woman does not
long for such associates. Happi-
ness abides not in the homes of
the aristocrats. There can be no
true happiness where there is not
contentment, sincerity, love, res
pect and good will. Such an ideal
condition, is found only in the
homes of the plain common people.