Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1905-03-17
MANY MEN AVERSE TO THE
PREVAILING HOURS.
Dancing Should Begin in the Early
Evening and End at Midnight
Professional Society Sports" May
Enjoy Late Functions: Young
Business Men will Not Attend
Them-The Society Girl Should
Plan Her Affairs Earlier.

recently accepted a responsible pCsition
In a business house and has announced
his remuneration Of his favOritc pas
time.
w never expected this of you, wal
ter" laughed one Of his favorite cou-
sins. 1--WE thought that we might
count upon you to the bitter end. You
have always professed yourself will
ing to sacrifice your all for dancing.
The girls are in despair. No one leads
like you, and It does really seem as
though you might go to at least one
dance a week"
Il might If the girls would set the
hours where they ought to be-" re-
piled the boy. Il like to dance as well
as | ever did, But | have "A little sense
of honor, and | find that # am IN
late | am not as cle~ar-hcadcd nor AS
patient as | am when ! keep regular
hours. ] mean to give to my employ
trs the very best there is in me. I
cant do that when | am dncl.g until
two or three O'Clock " or three
nights or even one night per week. If
the dances would begin at eight or
half-past, or ever at nine. and close at
II, | think ! could, as You say, stand at
least one each week, but now they be-
Gin between 10 and II and last until
almost daylight, and, though haven't
as much conscience as wish had.
a n feel right to 20 to them. | sup
posed that ] was exceptional that |
must be IA sort of physical weakling, to
be so much overcome by these late
hours, but two Of my old college mates.
with whom ! lunchcd the other day,
said, Of their " accord. that they
could not afford the time nor strength
there was n general confession all
around. They say hat all the fellows
they know have had to give up
dancing"
Il should think that the girls would
care enough about you to try and
change the hours
"They seem TO feel rather bid because
we o come any more. but there is
a set of rich boys who either work for
their own fathers, who let them come
to business when they choose. or else
boys who live on their incomes and do
nothing but sport from morning to
night ard from night to morning, and
these fellows set The pace. The girls
can sleep all the morning if they want
to, and they cant realize what it Is TO
have to eat breakfast at seven or eight
and then pitch into work for the day.
They simply cannot grasp the idea.
They scOld about our not coming. and
feel hurt, but it does not seem to occur
to them that by making a lille effort
;hey could arrange things 50 that most
Of us could come TO their parties, or q
good many of them"
This conversation led to interviews
with several prominent society girls.
"\Nhy cant you make your parties
scnsible? You want all thcs" fine bust
ness and professional mcn to come to
them. You get tired Of the sporting
talk of the idle tellows-the beam
length of the yachts, the new develop
mcnts in motors, the sort OF missile
which Kills big game to the most
deadly advantage. You would rather
hear OF the real life of these young
men who are struggling To achieve
something. 70 their conversation the
sporting talk is AS moonlight unto
sunlight and as water unto wine. And
yet you deliberately shut out these
better clements by your silly cOnven-
lions as TO time
The girls insisted that the thor
ough-Eoing society men" had the
"whip hand" They preferred to have
smoking time before they should dance
and what could the girls do? There
Is no beast Of tie field more abso-
lutcly and ~insonnOusly selfish than
your professional society man" and
he has no in~5titutiCn more sacred
dix of wine and smoke. AS he dimes
out more than hall the time, the early
dance would seriously incOmmOde him.
Unless the girls take mp the matter of
reform with a high hand the dances
will probably continue to begin at II,
as at present.
Fortunately the great mass Of the
people are not fools. They have some
useful occupation to which they must
HE early In the day, and at which they
must work so hard and long that they
are glad to drop into their beds at
from . to II O'Clock every night,
Still, "A considerable class Of our youth,
especially in the larger cities, are in
jured by these unnecessarily late