The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1906-04-21
SCORES SMART SET.
ITS EXAMPLE coRRuPTlhe The
COUNTRY, DECLARES Oh. RETEHe

Alarming Decrease Of MarzEz1s
Among Men of Means, lie says. Il
Due 60 the Drinking Habits Of We
men of High Society.
1.-The alarming decrease in marriage
among men of means and social POSI-
tion Is because so many Of the woIlen
in their own circles are given to drhk.
cigarette smoking. gambling and to lin.
dred vices" declares the Rev. DIR. Midi
son c. Peters Of New York. Supple.
menting sermon delivered ut The
Church Of the Epiphany. which eausq1
widespread discussion. Dr. Peters sud
to representative of the Americana
Il have been into the cafes Of tbe
Aston ana me Waldorf. Sherry,s and
other fashionable hotels, and nine no
men out OF ten will order drinks Ut he
same kind that their escorts order mn
quite as many OF them.e | have watel
cd these women, and fiixe wondered
IL they realized what those ssIne men
thought Of them deep down In their
hearts.
"rhey think-mark you, am voleing
the sentiments of the man about town
when ] say it-they think these same
young women are all right fora time.
but they would not marry such women.
And this brings naturally to mind
the thought, Why are there In this city
today thousands of men In their thir-
ties and forties, men of means or Of
excellent salaries and incomes. who are
not married? And why are there SO
many instances of men marrying, US
society puts It, beneath themF
"The answer Is because so many of
the daughters of their own fashionable
set are given to drink. cigarette smok-
Ing, gambling (for that Is what bridge
whist has resolved itself into and To
kindred vices. 1t Is because men OF
the world and of society realize that
such women are not fit to become ths
mothers Of chlldren-not fit to preside
at their table and over their household.
''The cause of these conditions Is
largely due to the fact that the women
of society have nothing to do They
are deprived of the attention and So
elety of their husbands: they are with.
out children and housekeeping cares,
and they become mere pleasure seek
ers, and before they know It they are
brought to that state of mind where all
of their faculties are engaged In dis
covering modes of selfish enjoyment.
IF there We're more children In the
homes of the rich there would be less
dissipation. Think of it, On Fifth
avenue, from Washington square to
Ninety-fifth street, there were only
fourteen children born last year. On
Madison avenue, from Twenty third to-
Ninety-flfth street, there were only
fifty-four births during the past year. !.
These figures are eloquent. -
'sThe only remedy for tiesr n'nIs
grave conditions is for the women to
find an aim that Is worthy OF the deep
est and strongest In their natures. Any
serious purpose will save women from
frivolity.
I'VE find that these women seldom
read. They have no thirst for knowl-
edge. They seldom cultivate their
minds by study. Only the other day |
was going up in the elevator of one
Of the most fashionable hotels of the
city when heard young woman say
to another-and II was then o'clock
Il haven't done thing all day but
play bridge That Is only an example
Of what women do with their time.
THE conditions are all the more
grave when one considers that the en-
tire country is influenced by the doings
of members of the ultra fashionable
circle of New York. Their every move
ment Is heralded In the society col
umns, and their amusements are taken
as pattern by other women all over
the land.
when Mrs. Astor slums she has a
thousand followers, If Mrs. Fish plays
bridge the smaller fry will follow suit.
and If all of fashionable society drink
and smoke the entire country will feel
its vicious influence That is where
the most harm Is done"