The leader., 1905-04-15
III is SMART 10 Be SIMPLE
That Is the Prevailing Motion Among
the Swell Society People Of
New York.

Inc simple liIe as preacneQ Dy CnAfAe3
Wagner and Theodore Roosevelt Is the
fad among New York fashionable f0ika
according to the Sun OF recent date. INe
worse the fare at p dinner party tho
more fashionable, and lemonade is dis
placing champagne as beverage.
Canvasback ducks and ortolans are
within reach Of every wealthy person,
but it takes a woman with great con-
fdence in herself and great deal OF
personality Of the right kind to make
her parties seem smart just because the
suppers are poor.
Poor suppers are not, of course, the
real reason that makes her parties
smart, for there is always some other
attraction than the two kinds Of lem
made, one pink and one white, and
with scarcely perceptible difference
in taste between them. A party is not
smart merely because there is moth
ing to eat but sandwiches and oyster
poulette, with watery chicken salad
that recalls the middle sos.
1t is only the rebellion against gold
dinner favors and $12 canvasback ducks
that calls attention to this gastronomic
phase of the affair. Some hostesses are
exaggerating the simplicity of their par
ties, in the hope that they may acquire
fictitious smartness from seeming SO
simple.
Wealth has increased so greatly DUR
ing the last few years, and money has
been so freely spent on dress and en-
~ fhnro
should be revulsion against extrav-
agance and desire to go to the oppo-
site direction The woman who is able
to play the simple life as applied to
entertaining is certain to make an inn
preston which champagne and terrapin
would never accomplish now.
1t may be that the host is million-
aire. For that reason, if for no other.
it will be his object, or his wife's, to
make the food and refreshments as
plain as possible.
At a reception the other evening the
names of the guests would have orna-
mented any list of among those pres
ent" They were all there-not the new
people with money, but those with the
AdllS0 dAu IAC tllOLCJ1 IOO.
The names meant smartnesS, position
and up to dateness in the highest de-
gree. The hostess is one of the women
whose names are most frequently seen
in public, and she has deliberately
adopted the simple life for the sake Of
its smartness.
The women, who had taken their tip
from the hostess. were dressed with
unusual simplicity, and the floral dec
orations consisted only of few lilies
and roses set about the room in vases.
The guests moved from one part of the
room to another, talking together as
long as they wanted, with no effort on
the part of the hostess to keep the party
going.
On table that stretched across one
side of the drawing room were two
bowls of lemonade, some damp sand
wiches and few ladyfingers. In the
center of the table as the piece de resist
ance was large bowl of cut up oranges
sprinkled with sugar.
A man servant stood by the table and
asked those who still looked hungry if
they would not like some ice cream. If
they said t'yes'' he would disappear into
a hallway, to return with some ice
cream in a saucer, piled up with the
spoon and not in mold
All this simplicity contrasted charm
ingly with the automobiles and
broughams outside the door.
One must, of course, be rich to be able
to afford to give ones guests poor food,
but with a position and bank account
beyond question, the simple life is the
last cry of smartness.
Young women aiming at society in
New York formerly wanted to get few
of the well-known people of the smart
set at their houses, and then they want
ed to have sufficient publicity given to
that fact. Now the way of getting into
the gay world is quite different. Young
matrons must cultivate dignifed
dowagers and talk to them about char
tiles and good works. Good works are
smart in themselves nowadays.
Il went to a dinner the other night
given by a man who had married the
daughter of many times millionaire, Z
said social observer, "and l was de-
lighted at the naive way in which we all
discussed socialism and the advantages
of poverty.
Zone of the men at that dinner was
employed by man who represents in
the highest degree whatever evil there
may be in an unearned increment, hav-
ing inherited millions from his father
and devoted it to every bad purpose pos
sible to money. This man talked with
the greatest eloquence of the evils of the
present systems of property ownership.
THAT was only a phase of the present
return to simple pleasures. High think
ing is just now much the mode, and, of
course, simple living is the pendant to it.
Personally, don't believe that this
sort Of thing is going to last. Canvas
backs and terrapin have too strong a
hold on the social public to be shaken
off SO suddenly, even in favor Of the
simple life in society.
Nov, however. it is smart to be sim
pie"
Few Enormously Rich in France.
The French ministry OF finance has
s,s+ ,,1,11ichad fIa cfa+ic+i,,s. ,e 81, = M.