The Washington herald., 1908-01-19

ing minds roOlisnt fOQliSh IN the extreme.
but It is more foolish not to conform to
the manners that cement society and are
its safeguard.
l. Question: want to ask you q very fool
ish question When a young man comes to see
me in The evening, isn't i proper for me 70 sii
alone with him in the draWing-ro0m after ny
mother has greeted himi / oHly sixteen bat
hope YOU viii say its proper Thanking you. | am
sincerely yOurs-J. g. B.
Answer hardly know what to make
of your question, and I fancy you must
be a rather curious girl 10 ask it, What
do you mean by sit ai0ne?" At these
sittings are the curtains 10 be drawn,
the doors closed, and papa and mamma
banshed to parts unknown? And why
sit alone? is your conversation so deep
as TO be above the heads Of the other
members Of your family. or Is the young
man you refer to your steady" with
whom you are Keeping company" or are
you ashamed OF mamma? Is the young
man growing sentimental and are you
afraid mamma win put a damper uDon
his sentiment? You see / am trying TO
think of every possible reason why a
young girl Of sixteen should want to "slt
alone" with a young man after mamma
has greeted him. Seriously. your ques-
ton shows bad taste and your evident de-
sire 20 "sit alone" with the young man
worse There are doubtless many oppor-
tunities for you to be alone with him
without your making it s,ddent that you
desire it. AS to the propriety or impro-
priety, your mother is the best Judge OF
that Your question reminds The Arbiter
OF a mlschievOus old general. "a citizen Of
the world. who crossed the water with an
English dowager of high rank. whose
chief pleasure it was to criticise Ameri-
can habits and customs. do you know
general she said on one occasion and
IN her most pronounced drawl, "I am told
that young girls I'm America actually re-
ceive men alone, and that the father and
mother are not expected TO appear
Quite true, duchess" was the response,
quite true Now, for instance when my
girls receive visitors / always knock at
the drawing-room door before going in. D"
The irony Of the response would not be
evident TO any one who DID not know the
general 70 be the strictest Of fathers
Now, really, would you want mamma 10
knock at the drawing-roOm door before
entering. should she find it necessary to
disturb you and the young man. or the
'feller." your query makes me- think
that he must be a "feller?'' To be Sc
rious again, if the young man is the
right kind Of a young man he will con-
slider II a great compliment for your
mother 70 devote few moments 10 his
entertainment and If mother is the right
kind Of a mother she will not waste
many, remembering the time when she
was young herself and liked 10 be "alone"
e.F Ia
things TO do.
s. 0uestiou-Iu the society in which ms Of
nCial position has placed me ! have ever noW and
then a French expression flung az my head. Now
my French Is very musty. and never having been
in France but having learned Johnny Crapaud s
language 40 college. l don't get az the meaning n
the idoms that pass current in the diplomatic cir
Gle. What does tout ie monde" mean when a
psrsu saws tout le monde does this and toni
le monde believes that. or tout ls monde Is
delighted with The play and 50 0nl NoE 't0ut le
monde means eli fhc world. and ali the world
does not do al that IT. is acrIsed q doing
Answer-"Tout le monde" is used in a
restricted sense by the fashionable. and
the expression is meant 10 include every
one who is any one and no others
6. Question-This Is my frst season and sm al
ready bored with society. I have had enough 0f d.
and am neither wall slower uoT g college Caduate.
Bat who can enjoy q alfeit ~ sweets: and that Is
what society is 10 NE. Il is 60 -. %. until feel
hse Crawling away 20 hide u some closet a. used %
hide from my g0Taruess when was little girl I am
going IN give son list Of my engagements for the
neXt twentJfGu hours then y0H viii see i my
complaint Is tist enc. To-meT0w morning az 9
90 Tor a long 'ide in The cosliry. across bitches
and over fences. It's no play ride ] can tell yon
that parts 5f take eysry morning. From this
cutting I retIm Just I'm time % b. rubbed down and
dress for breakfast 40 one a the legations where
I must speak French and German. as we'll a. ing
lsh, and laugh Spontaneously AZ everything that is
said. From 2 until 3 I have an engagement 20
fence: from 5 until I ] am pulled and haulsd
about By my dressmaker. AZ I start out with my
mother 20 make duty calls and attend the several
teas 70 which ] am invited there is not mo-
meut n rest on ms return before dressing f1r din
nef dance, and il is daylight Wtan / st home my
body as sore a. boil. ms spirits crushed ms TEN
per ruined. But I am like the starting I can't
get ont ] must live up 20 our position IN So
csy.' II J am not popular IL win BE- my "oun
fault I cant afford 70 offend the people u the
world i'm which I live all such expressions are
flung az ne when I threaten 70 elope with the first
man who asks mc 10 msrry him. or TO enter a
convent Which would you d0i-Blssle.
Answer-Dear child. YOU are axe a
young colt when first put in harness. not
broken All girls are bIasee their first
season. but The Arbiter has known some
OF the very worst cases, that. after q
season or two. became devoted society
women. Your lot just at present IS Ger
tainly not an enviable one. but rebel
Just a little, no one viii think the worse
OF you. and insist on little more leisure
and freedom. The best panacea for such
a state OF boredom is to feed the mind.
Read whenever you have an opportunity,
not society novels but the classics. those
that amuse and instruct at the same
time. Read the Taller" the "Specta-
tor" Thackery's Book Of Snobs" his
Sketches Of Life and Character" and
Carlyle's sarcastic comments, note what
they thought Of society and be comforted
In the meantime. don't elope with the
first man who asks you to marry him.
and don't enter a convent. for you would
probably repent either course In time.
"Fighting Bob" in Church.
From the Detroit Free Press