Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-26

This dowager, on whom my tale is found.
| Since last she aid her husband in the ground.
| simple, sober life in patience led
| These lines were written long ago. In
! this, the twentieth century, the society
| dowagers days work is anything but SIM
| pie and her life sober. Socially, she seems
| to be all but intoxicated.
| "Chef among this seasons debutantes
| will be Miss So-and-So, who, besides having
! the usual coming out formalities. will be
made much of by two of society's dow
| ayers" The society dowagers were out in
| full force" The society dowagers were
| represented by Mrs. Here-and- There and
Mrs. Come-and-Go. both of whom are re-
| splendent," etc. 1T is whispered that one
of the leading society dowagers is involved
| in a bit of gossip that is causing even the
| most blase member of society to show an
| unfeigned interest" 1t is the society dow
| ager this and the society dowager that until
| not even the stupidest of US, socially, can
| remain ignorant of the fact that this widow
| is, In sooth, exceedingly important per-
| sonage in the circle of life she blesses with
her presence, and that hers must, indeed.
| be an interesting, not to say unusual, days
work
| In the first place, hers is not the day of
| ease and elegance which is naturally sup
| posed to be the portion of those who, like
her, are blessed with plenty of this worlds
| goods. Other members of society may con-
sumo the greater part of the morning get
| ting out of bed, but the dowager rises be-
| times to take up the duties which somehow
| society seems to have made peculiarly her
| own SO long since that the reasons there
| for are lost in obScurity.
When the average business man is read
| ing his morning newspaper while on his
| way to his office in trolley car or subway,
| the dowager, as a rule, is busying herself
with a mail as formidable that which
| the business man, half an hour later, will
| find claiming his attention. Her CORE
| spondence has to do largely with matters
of charity, and to assist her in them she
| has al her beck and call confidential agent
| who is ostensibly known as her social sec
| rotary, but who, in reality, spends the
| greater part of her time in investigating the
| numerous requests for aid that are brought
| to her employers attention in every mall
The mail gone through, the dowager or
| ders her carriage and drives to hospital
| or some other charitable institution IN
| which she is especially interested, or she
| may order her coachman to take her to the
| residence of another dowager in order that
they may confer about some charitable mat
| ter In all truthfulness the dowagers might
| be called society's board of charity workers
Scan the list of charitable institutions In
! such cities as New York, Philadelphia,
| Chicago and Boston, and If you are ac-
| quainted with the society of any of these
| cities you will find the names of dowagers
| plentfully sprnkled among the dlrectorates
| and those of officers. Moreover, these Wom-
| en- are frequently the mainstays of insti-
| tutions For example, a blind mems home
in upper New York is kept in existence by
| the contributions given to and solicited Tor
| 1t by the five dowagers who started IT, and
| constitute the governing body. At present
| the home shelters nearly two hundred In
| digent blind and it is no small part
| of the directors days work to look after
| the comfort of these unfortunateS.
| Loosening Purse Strings.
| It is. indeed a blessing for the worthy
poor that the society dowager, as rule,
| whatever may be her shortcomings In
| other directions, is fervid in charity. She
not only gives of her own money, but she
| knows socially scores of men and women
| whose wealth is as great, and often greater
| than hers, and she does not hesitate, by
various skillful methods, to open their purses
| in the name of charity. Where 1t would
| take an outsider days to get to some
| wealthy man in order to put before him the
crying need of philanthropy In this direc-
| ton or that, the dowager is in his pres
| ence as quickly as her carriage can take
| her to his office. and she has the contribu-
| ton in the shape of a check. in her wrist
| bag, before she has been in the f1nanclers
| presence quarter of an hour. Especiaily
| is this the case (whisper it softly If the
| mans wife Is social aspirant; and
check given to a dowager for her pet char
| ity has more than once unexpectedly open
ed the doors of society to an impatient
| knocker the other side.
The morning Is sacred to the dowager
| for her charitable work; her afternoons are
| generally spent in careful consideration of
| the social climber, the while she makes her
social calls upon her fellow doWagers, or re-
ceiVes them in turn.
| Frequently, this study of the climber
leads to her social damnation, and some
| times, to her social elevation; for, be 1t
| known, the dowagers of society tacitly
| form a close corporation for the dissection
| and disposal of the climber. and, though
| the society leader said to a climber ENTER"
| and the dowagers turned their backs on
| the newcomer, yet would she not be in
| the blest realms of all her hopes and
/ II is recorded in New York society that
a few years ago Mrs. Astor, who hap
| pens to be dowager as well as the leader,
! saw fit, as a leader, to open the doors OF
| the four hundred to a certain climber from
| out coppery west. But Mrs. AStor had
| failed to consult several of the powerful
| dowagers of the four hundred beforehand
| and when it came time for the climber 10
! he welcomed by the rank and file, a de-
| cided GOODNESS toward her was manifested
| in various influential quarters and not I'M
til the lady in question went to the sulk-
| ing dowagers and made peace with them
| did this GOODNESS disappear on their part
and the attitude of their large following.
Social Matchmaking.
There is told a story, well authenticated,
of how a now famous member of the four
hundred broke into the set with the as
| sistance of a certain dowager.
This aspirant for a seat among the So
cially mighty was utterly ignored for three
| long years by every one whom sne endeav
| ored to interest In her campaign. After
| spending thousands of dollars of her hus-
| bands wealth she did finally succeed in
| making a friend of one of the lesser MEM
| bers of the four hundred, which was some
thing, though she was apparently still far
from the goal of her ambition. To this ac-
| uuisition the climber laid bare her heart
and incidentally her check book, in order
further to impress on her nearer how tre-
rnendous her struggle had been. When she
had finished the friend said simply: go
see Mrs. She is one of our powerful
dowagers, and If you can get her to take
you up, the leaders will not dare to say
you nay
The climber did as directed. The next
season she was politely, not to say enthus-
iasticaIly. welcomed In the salons. and the
society columns of the newspapers spoke
| of her as "the beautiful and brilliant Mrs.
-, who has been received with open
| arms by New York society"
1t Is not told why the dowager took up
| Mrs -; possibly, however, hint may