The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-05-05
NEWS WAYS OF MoD1sH FOLK.

some social novelty. The innova-
tion attracts attention for a while,
then becomes a matter of course.
Two years ago hosts ceased to ask
their guests long in advance. Three
or four days began to be thought
sufficient where formerly almost as
many weeks were considered indis-
pensable. Now invitations at short
notice are expected.
The most noticeable social novelty
of the present season has been the
short dinners. Bridge brought them
in. They survive now even when
they are not curtailed for the sake of
the game.
"The long dinner used to be very
much overdone," woman complain
ed the other day, "but it looks now
as if we run to the other extreme.
Dinners are so hurried that there is
tissa -s1oithas- -fot. food nor for couuer.
Sation.
II saw dinner served this winter
so quickly that the women left the
table exactly forty-fve minutes after
they had sat down in spite of the
eight courses. That celerity was all
right. There was a variety show
coming on after dinner and we got
started at about 10. 80. There was
more supper at IL and we got home
in good season.
DINNERS are hurried now when
there is nothing to follow. I saw
four men serve dinner for twelve per-
sous the other night and do it so
quickly there was scarcely time to
nibble at the courses, and there was
no chance to get started on any sub
iect. I don't believe we could have
been half an hour at the table. The
coffee was of course served in the
drawing room. That gave US almost
two weary hours, as it was too early
for anybody to go home"
There are other causes than bridge
for the popularity of the short dinner
today. Women who go out often
look upon dinners as the stiffest of
entertainments, because they must
sit still and confne themselves to
only two mems conversation. After
a while dinners grow very wearisome
to those persons accustomed to so
many of them and the shorter they
can be made the better for them.
Amiabillity is of course the pre-
vailing mood of the day. Cattishness
has gone out of fashion entirely. The
geniality ofthe day is not languishing
good nature, but hearty, gushy good
feeling, as if it were trying to hide
its falsity. Now it is not enough to
show that to ones friends, according
to this years experience.
"You must even throw down your
enemies in the loveliest way possi-
ble," said a woman who keeps up
with every social change. Every
pill is gilded nowadays. Last week
a woman I loathe invited me very
informally to dinner. Che knew per
fectly we'll 1 wouldn't come and only
asked me because I had her at my
house early in the winter.
"Of couse if I'd written as felt
about her, a few words, very cold
and curt, would have made up the
letter; but had to be in the style,
so 1 wrote her dear, gushy little
note, saying l was so terribly sorry,
but had another engagement. She
knew 1 didn't and so long as de-
clined the invitation and didn't go to
her, that was enough. She under
stood the meaning of it all just as
we'll as if had sworn at her."
Another phase of fashionable life
is more striking now at the end of the
social season than it ever was before.
This is the tendency to ignore morals,
or at least to affect to, in the enjoy
ment of persons social qualities.
"This new affectation," woman
of very straight principles was say
ing in tones of depreciation, ''was
shown very we'll by the remark of a
woman l met at luncheon the other
day.
"'I think she's lovely woman,
she began, referring to very much
discussed divorced woman. "And /
really am perfectly devoted to her.
Whether she is a good woman or not l
don't know, but she's sweet one.
Nov, the speaker was a mother
of irreproachable morals and manners.
The thought of feminine improperly
would have Mortified her; but she
wanted to be in the style and pretend
entire indifference to the morals of this
woman. Half of the women who
talk that way nowadays merely do it
to be in the fashion. They are as
puritanical at heart as most good
| American women. ~. Y. Snn.