The Washington herald., 1908-02-02


debutante lUncheOns. debutante dances.
debutante teas. debutante dinners; and
when one looks over the lists one finds
that there were actually. with the eXcep-
ton Of the chaperOn. no one present but
the debutantes at the parties given for
them. And when they are about they oc-
cuBy the whole stage, older sisters, moth
ers, and aunts are reiegated 10 the back
ground, while the debutantes disport them
selves in the limelight Like Monte Girls
to, the debutante loudly proclaims, The
world IS mine and they proceed TO prove
their ownership by appropriatinG every
thing IN sight. That they improve as
time goes or can testify, for | have met
many charming women i'm America who
must have been at one time debutantes-
buds is, I believe. the slang name for
them / fancy one can get used to almost
everything, but I think il would be next
to impossible TO persuade the fashionable
world Of London, despite its fondness for
Americans 20 accept the debutante as
she exists here
There is much that is just In what our
English cousin says Of the debutantes
hut poor children. that they are forward
egotistical and often pert is no fault Of
theirs. 1t Is the fault primarily Of our
whole social system; secondly, and direct
ly. of their fond mammas. In England
the majority of those IN the fashionable
world can trace their ancestry back 10
the Norman conquest. their families nave
lived on the same estates for hundreds OF
years When q child is born it has ale
ready a long list OF friends and dcquainr-
ances vino. when il has reached man
Z H.L.
rally around it with offers of service.
There is no need for mamma 90 push' "a
well-Dorn girl in Eugl md, FOR the maiden
is only too welcome In the circle where
her mother has always figured every
member Of which knows the daughter be-
fore she begins Ia go out. Society i'm
England is founded on a rock II Is us
much "a part OF the state as the Magma
Charta, It's laws are fixed and iMmutJbe,
fashions change. but the laws underneath
them never change. and in the world of
fashion there IS great esprit dc corps,
undesirable people are kept out 10y the
members of this sacred circle. and those
who really belong" are forced 20 con-
form 10 its traditions and accept its
standards
In America social conditions are So Ut-
/ ter!y different as not tu be comparable
: TO those that exist iD the mother country.
Z In no city in the United States. except
perhaps some old towns in the New Eng
/ land and Middle States is there fixed
society The social queens uf to-day are
forgotten tomorrow. the belle of ta.s
/ season may be a typist or a social secre-
/ tary next season. Fortunes most favored
son. the leader of CotllioEs. the darling
of fair women. the most popular member
/ of his various clubs. may, a. few years
( hence be wanting a meal. This perhaps
/ sounds exaggerated, but The ATH.ter can
/ cite many such cases. He recalls a noted
/ one at this moment. that Of man OF
proud birth. superior education, with the
/ social side of his nature developed 20 the
/ utmost When he entered q room he iu-
v8riably brought gayety and sunshine.
and no one was ever privileged 10 talk
/ with him who did not become cheerful
Z and enlivened under his Influence. For
! Years this man dominated society ut the
Capital; not % know him was % be So
ci3lly unknown: his wise on a social pass
/ port was. sufficient 20 carry It's owner into
+ the very holy Of hOlies of society. For
more than a decade he led the germans.
dictated 20 social hostesses was run after
and fattered in q way that would turn
any ones head. But gradually ne lost
/ his social prestige; people began to find
I out that they could do without him,
/ younger and richer men pushed him TO
. the wall But society had become his
/ life. it was food, drink rdiment to him..
and when he finally lost his social posi-
/ ton he lost his grip on life also. His fair
weather friends deserted him. his money
was dissipatcd. people never spoke Of him
without prehxiug his name with poor
Old" until. in the last days Of his life he
was dependent upon the few friends left
him for the bare necessities OF existence
/ IF one doubts The Arbiters statement
regarding the Kaleidoscope character of
society here let him look over the rosters
of the different departments. on them he
Will find the names OF families that TWEEN
ty-hve years ago were the leaders Of the
most exclusive set in society. Then let
him scan the social columns of the news
papers OF the day. and he VIII read the
names OF the butchers the bakers, the
candestick-makcTs Of ii quarter of "a cen
turv back II / could only go 20 d card
reception at the White House" said a
woman (Who is now one OF the most
noted hOstesses at the Capital. and whose
house is rendezvous for the very smart
est set in society in President Arthur
administration. II would die perfectly
happy" The other day this same person
was heard 10 announce that she thought
q White House reception the most ter
rible bore in the world. There is such a
mixed crowd you know. J never think
Of going there except To a dinner or "a
musicale. and now the musicales are be
coming very mixed too.
These incidents are related 20 show the
changeableness Of society ar the Capital.
The vitagrIph hardly moves more rapid
ly A diplomat who served in Washing
ton from 1855 until 1892, on returning here
to visit some friends early in the season.
was ast0nished 20 find hardly "a face he
knew. The society I'm which he moved
had vanished as completely as though it
had been Il century, and not a matter of
few years. since he left. We overdo
Everything, as was said in this column
Hast week, and after taking an active
part in society for d few years our wom-
en- are generally willing To retire to the
background, and travel take up some
charity work. or, if they have lost or dis
sipated their fortunes. as is too often the
lease. accept some position that viii afford
them q livelihood Hence when girl is
10 be brought out her mother has no, or
few old friends TO call upon, and a new
Icampaign is necessary 10 secure social
footing. which is entered into with zest
and enthusiasm. An American girl Is eX-
pected to acquire in two or three years
what is the birthright of an English girl,
friends and social position. and that she
frequently does all and more than is eX-
pected Of her by an admring family is
greatly 30 her credit but it is a pity her
talent and energy should not be employed
for better purposes. Twenty years hence
she will herself probably admit that So
cial conquests are. after all, nothing but
Dead Sea fruit
As 10 her attitude, the debutante has
been the petted darling of her family
ever since she could toddle. She has
hean told and fatnll thn+ No nrirI In the