The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-03-26
BY VALERA FETTERMANl

n
This. dowagcr, on whom my tale is
found.
Since last she laid her husband in the
ground.
y simple, sober life in patience led"
These lines were written long ago. In
this. the twentieth century. the society
doWagcr's days work is anything but
simple and her life sober. Socially. she
seems to be all but intoxicated.
Chief among this seasons debu-
1anteS Will be Miss So-and-So. who. be
sides having the usual coming out for
lhdliucS, VIII he made much of hy two
Hi Society'S dOwagerS." The society
NpWaRerS were out i'm full force" The
S2'iely doWagerS were represented by
MIS- Here-and-TheTc and Mrs Come
and-tio. both of whom are rcSDIen-
oent. etc. 1T is whispered that one of
the reading society dowagers is in
VOWED in a bit of gossip that is causing
even the most blaSe member of society
10 show an unfeigned interest" Il is
Inc society dOWager this and the society
HoWAger that until not even the stupid-
est OF MS. socially. can remain ignorant
OF the fact that this widow is. i'm sooth.
an exceedingly important parsonage in
the circle or life she bleSSes with her.
presence. and that hers must indeed
6e an interesting. not To say unusual.
days work.
Law
OF ease and elegance which is natural
" supposed to be the portion of those
VINO. like her, are blessed with plenty
oi this worlds goods Other members
ol society may consume the greater
part Of the morning getting out of bed
but the doWaCcr rises betiDcS 10 take
mp the duties which somehow society
seems To have made peculiarly her own
>" long since that the reasons therefor
ar" lost i'm obscurity.
hon
reading his morning newspaper while
ON his way TO his office in trolley car
or subway. the dOWaEcT. as a rule is
buSyInC herself with Il mail as fnrmi-
Gable as that which the business man.
half an hour later. Will find cIaimipo-
his attention. Her CorreSpondence has
10 do largely with matters of charity.
ana 10 assist her i'm them she has at her
Deck and call a confidential agent who
a "Steusibly known as her social sccre-
TaiN. but who, i'm reality. spends the
greater part Of her time in investigat-
ing the numerous requests for aid that
or" brought 70 her employers attention
IN every mail
Tho mail gone through. tho dovagor
orders her carriage and drives to a hos
pltal or some other charitable iustitu-
Hon I'm which she is especially inter
CStCd or she may order her caachTnan
I" take her 10 the residence of another
d"WaSer i'm order that they may confer
1ruthfulneSs the dOWaGcrs might be
called SoCicty'S board of charity work
CrS- Scan the list Of charitable iDyti-
buttons in such cities as New York
philadelphia. Chicago and Boston. and
IF YOU are acquainted with the society
OF any Of these cities you Will find the
names of dowagers plentifully Spriu-
Killed. among the dITeCtoratcS and those
Of officers Moreover. these women are
frequently the maiuStayS Of inStit1I-
lions For example, a blind nlpu's
home in upper New York is kept in ex-
3St"nce by tho contributions given To
and solicited for il by the five dovagers
Tho started u. and constitute the gov
CrniuE body At present the home shell
1"r@ nearly 200 INDECENT blind. and so il
Is Uo small part of the directors days
work Z" look after the comfort of these
lUfortunates
II IS indeed. n blessing for the worthy
JooT that the society dOwager. as a rule.
whatever may be her shortcomings in
other directions. is feTVid i'm charity.
she not only gives Of her own money.
but SIN" knows socially scores of men
PD1 women whose wealth Is as great.
does not hesitate, by various Skillful
methods. TO open their purses in the
name Of charity Where IL would take
=" outsider days 10 get to some wealthy
man m order 10 put before him the
crying need or philanthropy i'm this di-
J"ction or that, the dOWager is i'm his
presence rs quickly AS her carriage
can take her to his office. and she has
the contribution. i'm the shape of a
check, in her wrist bag. before she has
been i'm tho 6nanCier's presence a
quarter Of an hour Especially is this
tho case (whisper il SOftly) if the mans
vic is a social aSpirant: and a check
given 10 q dOwaEer for her pet charity
mas more than once unexpectedly
opened the doors of society to an i'm
\ patient knocker on the other side
The morning is sacred to the dowagSr
Tor her charitable work. her afternoons
gre generally spent in careful consid-
Grafton of the social calls upon her fell
dow dowagers, or receives them in turn
Frequently, this study of the climber
leads to her social damnatiou and
sometimes. to her social elevation. for
he it known. the dowagers of society
fscitly form . close corporation for. the
dissection and disposal of the climber.
and though the society leader said 10 a
climber enter. and the dowasers
turned their backs on the newcomer
yet would she not be in the blest realms
Of all her hopes and dreams.
II is recorded in New York society
that a few years ago Mrs. Aston, who