Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-04

.,
+ME other evening at dinner
n party given by smart MEM
In Der dof the American colony
~ here at the capital went In to
~ dinner with man who told
me-s4-aT Sicily was a most disappointing
country. YOU see," he explained, there
is absolutely nothing to do there. IN
reply to MY murmured suggestion that
sthere-eHght be something to look at ne
fepIied. Yes. but you can't look at a view
AL day" why not?" / inquired. we'll
bscause you can't was the reply. one
mist do things" Personally l could not
st the necessity. and told him that TO
my mind the ideal holiday consisted IN
doing nothing. "Oh. of course, II you
kfeei like that he replied, in crushing
fones. Sicily is just the place for you
obviously he looked upon me as waste
fuI person. whose life was misspent
orgy e idieness. Work is. indeed such
passion with people today that any one
who even mildly suggests idiing away a
few hours is looked upon with suspicion.
From the successful business man una
BILE to refrain from fresh efforts in spite
of his accumulated millions to the society
woman who boasts of having every mln-
ute of her time occupied everybody is
toil.ng and shaving as If life meant moth
ing more than the expenditure of SO mucn
vital energy per hour NOBODY slts
nowadays over the fire in the twiilght
watching the flames curling around the
logs or seeing pictures in the redhot Goals
IL would be considered most dreaoiui
waste of time with the motor car waiting
at the door to take one on 10 lecture on
the art of Ancient Babylonia or to
committee meeting of the Society for the
Elevation OF the Masses. Yet. II they
only knew It, the world would be really
none the worse off Ii half these people
did less and did il more intellfgently. AS
i is we are too busy to be of much use
TO our friends. In trouble II is true We
rush to each other. but we rush away just
as quickly. and in ordinary times we
don't go at all. We are all so everworked
that social amenities are limited to asking
each other What shall We do next?'
and. having done it. to repeat the formula
Too Busy to See Beauty.
Quite recently a French writer in a
magazine article told the story of Nine
Recamier. who. when she went to London
on e visit, had the horses taken out of
her carriage by enthusiastic admirers who
pulled the vehicle themselves. This
writer argues that today should this
beauty GO to the English capital no one
would turn IN the street to look at her.
The real reason for this Indifference is
again TO be found in our mad rush. and not
IN the fact that women are less Dtdutltui
now but that men are too busy to admire
them. In a vague. dim sort of way they
see beautiful women as they rush to
catch a train or whiz by In a motor.
but a charming woman, like beautiful
view cannot be absorbed in a moment.
and a moment is the utmost time that
overworked man can sacrifice at the
shrine of beauty In this strenuous de-
votion to work II is OF course inevitable
that all the charm and poetry of the
world should be missed. To be able to
appreciate such things requires leisure
and a mind unhaunted by the scepter OF
unceasing and In some cases. unneces-
sary, toll I did see, though. something
at a reception the other night that at
least made the women guests stare and
do a heap of turning around. This OBJ
served OF all observers was a. pretty
Young matron who is noted for her raven
black locks. This evening she aston
ished everybody by appearing with a
white streak of hair running backward
from her forehead. 1 had heard of hair
turning white in a night -.'om some awful
shock. and am afraid my manner when
I approached to shake hands with the
beauty was trihe inquisitive. for the
Immediately laughed and said: mo, MOTH
ing tragic happened; it's on-y the latest
coffure craze" l found out later that
a wave of artificial white locks had struck
the town of Paris. and in a little while We