New-York tribune., 1908-03-01
GILDED YOUTH.
What 1t Costs Them to LiUe Fash
ionabIy in London.
by Mrs. Humphry.

In case that came before the Bankruptcy
Court recently the debtor, young man IN the
early twenties, gave In his accounts an item OF
5000 which, ne said, the amount he had lost
owing to the compulsory sale of the furniture IN
his fat The original cost of the furniture in ques-
ton is left to the imagination. The truth Is tnat
our golden lads do themselves remarkably wen
(to use their expression) and thlnk lhaI hoIl-
ing in the world Is too good for them we are
always reading the papers illusions 10 the IuN-
y-v and extravaganza of women of the smart
world. Now and then we may come across SOME
reference to the elaboration Of self-inouIgelce III
which the Young men of wealthy class lux
uriate Two three years since we had ue
scrintjon Of the wardrobe Of New 1ork 'dude-
1t appeared in American paper and much OF II
had been communicated by the young man MN
self especially some information as to the prices
of the garments he affected Not long aIteE d
rs-sgranb went the round of the papers about
certain italian poet and the little comforts WIN
which he loved to surround himse1. 1hey "e'e
described as in no way inferior TO those OF the
Nv, york Young man. So * is not alone IN Eng
land that the dandy surrounds himset with ulo
highest products Of civilization ana makes d e0N
Of his body.
The luxury Of a woman of fashion paies almost
10 insCnlticance when compared with thar lor li1-
stance Of her brother in the GUARDS OF he 10 " |
family estates The young man who was teVuV -
the had in consequence Of "the bankrupt sai0 VI
,ie f,,rr,iture is case in point. He probably IaF-
ished between 5000 and $4,000 on the peLl7iilils
oF the rooms This IS not much beyond the usual
viii, Young men of the kird. Carpets alone maze
i large hole in & 900. Something very SPecldl III
Ill b.rvinea Is nroportionate in cost Each piece
of furniture is a gem in its way The traoeSneh
know the kind of customer they nave % oeht W.:
and that-for the present-thele - P1eH'S %
money They bring forth their richest ana fareS'
and not in vain. The high ambition OF the young
man ia to 'go one better than any other IeHoN
he knows in every detail Of his surroundings Inc
civilized world is ransacked in orcer 70 pro''d7
him with the latest refinement OF costly luAu'
ness IN such appointments as bed and oath' glass.
china ornaments, silver and dexterously shaded
lights His florists yearly bill would keep Two OF
three poor families -.
as to dress A single fact may throw some hsh-
~, the relative values Of the young mans ward
49, e,d that OF the smart woman. The valet OF
me suoh gilded youth having complained TO his
master that in his large and luxurious west Emo
fat there was proper ecconlmodanoh loI ms
clothes the resource Of renting a second fiat,
equally large for the housing Of the wardrooe was
suggested and at once adopted A small room IS
devoted 70 clothes brushes and certain Prepar4-
lions for the treatment Of shoe klo ana poot
leather 4 larger room is given TO the Doots anu
shoes themselves and their familiar trees ahc SO
, with the more important articles of dress Coun-
80, Io+es f7aya SPACIOUS quarters devoted to them.
they include riding gear. cricket and tennis suits,
sporting get-up and travelling KIT. Here are MS
portmanteau and Gladstone Dags~ah imposing
arrav A large wicker basket standing among them
SulIllnS
tives whom he has invited TO tea. and to whom ne
is showing his new ''diggings." oh hat?" he
saws That basket ought to know its way 10
France alone It goes every fortnight with my
washing English Iaundries ruin silk things We
tried 'en1. Tore them TO pieces and made the
sheets yellow in time"
silk sheets?'
"Oh. yesl No one ever has any other now
And you send this huge basketful once & fort
night?"
'.r:very week" he corrects us. "One is on It's
back now"
It is interesting to see the young men Of the day
at our smart restaurants each seated alone at one
OF the tables intent on doing himself thoroughly
we'll. His wnoie mind seems occupied With the
and its component parts He regards this as
a portion of his daily duty 10 himself
In a novel written by a the opening chap
ter shows US d ruined youth leaving London for
Monte Carlo He gives the guard five shillings 20
keep the rest OF the world out Of his first class
carriage and regards with satisfaction three small
hampers with which he has provisoned himself for
the journey. One contains his dinner for that
ming another his luncheon for next da3-, and the
third holds the wine that is to accompany these
meals and a contrivance by the help of which
he makes himself u cup of supeTlatveIy excellent
after-dinner coffee. He has left London TO escape
his creditors. They would be edited could they
see the contents OF his neat hampers.
Such is the golden youth of our day. he denies
himself nothing. and his expenditure upon the lux
uries Of existence far exceeds that of the most
travagant of the women OF the fashionable world
But we must not forget that the Duke Of Welliug-
ton. who had sympathy with dandyisIn.
said that the dandies fought well Waterloo"
Stocs in their particular way, they take much
pride In enduring such inevitable hardsnps as those
Of war. pioneerlng, big shooting IN cmu-
atng each other when at home in friendly rivalry
OF cxpenditure-The Queen.