The Washington herald., 1907-06-30
ETIQUETTE AT HOME

Millers?" Daisy, if you recall her. was
a charming girl as delightful a be- of
femininity as one ever finds in fiction.
The charm Of such person makes one
forget everything else; but she was
genius in her way and belonged to the
Marie BashNrtsef type. Everybody who
knows Daisy Miller loves her, and no one
can be very sorry that she died 50 young.
for life would have been difficult, and she
would have ultimately come to recognize
her limitations. and suffer when she did
recognize them. You will doubtless think
that IN dwelling upon Henry James fasci-
mating little heroine I am wandering from
the subject Of which you wrote but my
aim is to make you think Of her with ten
derness and pity, and TO think so Of all
girls who resemble her I'm character and
whose surroundings are similar.
u Is perfectly true that the American
young woman is a masterfU person; that
she cares little fer traditions and is law
unto herself but circumstances made
her and she is no more responsible for
| her masterfuncss and her lack Of rever-
enCc than a robin is responsible for his
red breast. In the Old World social laws
are fixed and lmmutabla 4 girl child. no
matter what her class is taught, from
the time she can understand, what viii be
expected OF her, hence. be she peasant or
noble woman, she enters the society IN
which she belongs fully equipped for the
duties II expects. Class distinctions IN
Europe are clearly defined. There is no
merging Of the high and low as in Amer
/ len. where the child born in a mining
camp to-day may tomorrow be an en-
! We'd hostess in a Fifth avenue palace.
/ Her mother, who was, perhaps. the camp
washwOman. would be obviously unable
/ 70 direct her daughter in the sphere In
which suddenly acquired wealth thrust
[ her. therefore. the Daisy 1lllers' The
shibboIeth Of all good Americans is. We
must get there" and the means Of arriv-
/ ing are not always considered, and the
daughter Of rich but untutored parents
dives into the social swim with the grim
/ determination 10 reach the Gibraltar OF
! her ambitions she does such things and
/ she says such things but she arrives
/ Occasionally she fails and enlsts SYM
/ p5thy. 0ftener size succeeds and wins
plaudits
/ The Arbiter Is an advocate for conyen-
| ton. but he is. too. a confessed admirer
/ Of American girls who surmount al
/ social obstacles and place themselves on
l the top round Cf sDciety's ladder. II
/ Daisy Miller had lived she would doubt
/ lessly have been a duchess and had the
/ world at her feet, but since she died she
! is only pathetic little character, but she
was honest and pure and true. and The
/ ArOitsr's earnest desire is that there
should be more Ike her.
#ff ra-H
cral weeks ago. asking son flr a list Of books for
SIMMER reading br' IN vagr letter published last
7 Sunday ylu -sv sou have been auay a long time.
( and SD I conclude that my letter has been lost.
mi5laH. Cr destroyed, az least has never reached
yCU. So ! ana going IN ba SD h1li 70 ask y0u
again if ysu Vil r0t max. ne ont a list q books
/ to read while I away. I like things aboH-
. secretly, especially English society but I want 10
I learn something. as sen tg amuse myself. /
hate historical novels DO y1u think Oulda Is
[ very h85s Yours sincerely. L. q.
Answer. The Arbiter I'm this column
/ deals with social matters and not litera-
ture. and. as frivolous as ne may seem.
be is welded To the classics, SD that the
list Of books be might make out would
probably not be TO your liking He would
advise. FOR Instance that you Tead no
book that is not at least five years Old
and that you read no book that is the fad
~ the moment II ueE Zoe amusing 10
chatter az an afternoon tea about the
popular novel, but I doubt If It Is worth
while i'm the end. Did you ever happen
20 read Ruskin's Sesame and Lilies2'-
if You have not. do so at your first oppor-
tunitv. In that delightful little essay Mr..
Il Ruskn saws something Ike this. remem-
Der. Eff You read this book YOU cannot
read that" This suggestion has always
seemed 10 me SO wise that I wish % pass
il on. Although il is quite outside "
any province to advise You, ! ann going e.
propose for your summer reading one of
Jane Austeu's novels. pride and Preju-
dice" as much Of Shakespeare as you can
digest. Jane Eyre which is "A wonder
fully human book Benson in his Teton
Letters calls IL "symbolicai.' perhaps
YOU will agree with him. There is
Swedish writer Selma LagerlOf. who has
been translated into English. by Pauline
Bancroft Fl3ch. whose books I would ad-
wise you TO read. Costa BerliHg' Is
/ especially worthy Of attention. No Ouida
- IS not bad