The Washington herald., 1908-01-13
FROM WOMAN'S
POINT OF VIE W

Undesirable acquaintances are thorns in
the flesh which are permanently removed
by heroic means only. It is better to
make new acquaintances slowly, which is
precisely what many women neglect to
do. l know that undesirable persons are
thrust upon our notice by careless per-
sons. who introduce without forethought.
but the greater part OF acquaintances
which we ought 20 weed out is the result
of carelessness. pure and simple.
Rudeness is never excusable. so that
method of cutting short an acquaintance
ship is out Of the question. A neighbor's s
first call must be returned within speci-
fed time but a call can be so planned as
to find a woman away from home, and
make bit Of pasteboard do duty for an
unpleasant obligation. The second call
can be passed over with perfect politeness
II one chooses to close the incident. To
deliberately cut an acquaintance is a
piece Of rudeness whose folly is realized
too late sometimes. There are methods of
avoidance which tactfuI women can find
without trouble.
| Every woman is better for having a
small circle Of friends. To meet the de-
mands of even few requires time and
every addition to the circle means a bit
more shipped out of each twenty-four
/ hours The joys and sOrroWs of friends
one should share without a thought Of the
! discomfort entailed, anniversar ries should
/ be properly observed. and hospitality Of
! fered with some degree of frequency
| These are friends Of a lifetime. you know
and not the careless acquaintance of
travel and club life.
II is we'll for US that so many Of the
men and women We meet at summer re
sorts pass out OF our lives with the end
OF hot weather Many OF them are not
the kind Of persons we should have about
us the year through. When we are on
pleasure bent We ask nothing more than
the amusement of the hour We know
absolutely nothing about many of those
with whom We spend our holiday and
are saved very unpleasant consequences
Of our carelessness by the good fortune
that puts miles between us and our new
acquaintances. I have met few really
delightful families in haphazard fashion.
but the number Of those whose existence
l.
A brilliant womsn's club 70 whose func-
tions tickets we're easy 70 obtain lost
prestige-and money-by the measures Il
was forced 20 take 20 keep out a number
OF undesirable women. The directors are
contemplating a return u its original
methods. but there is considerable dread
over a possible repetition Of the unpleas-
antness. It IS a Well-knoWn fact that un-
desirable people are th4ek-sklnHed but
vindictive when the hide has really been
penetrated so the handling OF them is a
rather tickllsh business. There have been
family disruptiOns and club quaTreIs so
bitter as 10 leave a permanent scar. pre-
Ceeding directly from the mean disposi-
tion Of women who were no welcome ad-
ditions to any function and who were al
lowed to become acquainted with that
fact.
When a young woman takes up the pro-
fession Of journalism her first lesson deals
with the advantage Of a large acquaint-
ance. She Is told that each addition has
a money value. which is true. in a meas
ure because il opens another avenue OF
information. She must depend upon her
acquaintance for news. and her value 10
her paper is increased with her facilities
for obtaining information when il is need
ed I know Of no other class Of women
who are so dependent upon the public
certainly the home woman can be as par
ticular as she chooses, and she is often
the one who gets into serious trouble
through promiscuOus aCquaintances. Moth
ing but experience viii cure some q them
BETTY BRADEEN