Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-10

ing UP all night He would not be COM
monplace at all events, and we might talk
of his orgies We might say; "A smart
fellow, Biffkins but he's killing himself
Yes-too true! Burning the candle at both
ends and all that sort of thing! I saw
him gulping down an absinthe frappe at
Delmanico's the other morning. AS far
gone as that! It's always the same story
with those glossy -ehaps-what!"
X
But IL Bifkins insists on going to bed
with the sparrows 1t certainly has a queer
look, hasn't it, now? Is he Ill, or what's
the matter with him? You say you found
him in bath robe at ten In the evening?
Well-well-well! He must be going to
pieces! Poor old Birkins
You see, Smith can do as he pleases. but
not Biffkins He's in the tin god class and
he's got to prance and curvet and take
all the high jumps prettily, or else the fin-
ger of scorn will follow him about every
where-even when he goes to bed
Any other man can retire when he pleases
can wear green tie or dine in a sweater
II he feels In the mood, but if Biffklns
does it 1t is pose He is a sensa tjonaI-
list If he acts naturally, and if he Guilt
Yates repression he's a dead one SO he
can take his choice
Not long ago an actress-aIthoueb some
said she WASH married millionaire. At
once the tin aureole sprouted Gossfp had
that she was having a gold bath tub
encrusted with diamonds built in her coun-
try house and that she wanted the british
crown jewels to set in her dogs collar
DO you know what / want?" She said
When questioned as TO these things Laps
ing into the easy vocabulary of the sex
letter, II want to be let alone. That's all
l want! See?"
And we have heard that she slammed the
door. II she had only realized that she
had stepped from the front row into near
heavenly choir and was invested with an
invisible tiara-that she wore all the tins
even when she was eating scrambled eggs
or trying on q new hat-she might have
had little amusement from the affair and
given out her photograph. peerinr f.oy,y
| over the top of the tub amid the reflected
radiance of the jewels with the dog in the
offing.
The tin gods after a while have not the
courage TO live in cities where the glare ~
the public eye follows them like a calcium
They pick out quiet country places "a,
away from railroad stations where thew
can go about all day in their shirt sleeves.
With vine leaves In their hair. or sft m ~ =.
end of the dock and paddle their feet in
the water, IL the spirit moves them. with
out any fear of being snapshotted
In the old days this constant espionage
of tin gods caused all men who had aehieve5
either note or notoriety TO build up q ner-
sonality, largely expressed in the facial ex
preston and manner OF dressing They
went in for long frock coats fluffy Ties
hair that curied up at the back of the neck
and SNUG, sanetimonious expression.
This We ascertain from the old photo
graphs and statues of our distinguished
men of the last century, the left hand al
ways worn thrust carelessly into the bosom
of the tightly buttoned coat. as though
some inward convnlsion were being quoted;
the legs encased in wrinkied trousers that
gave an accordion effect between the knee
and arlSle. suggesting that mere. ~