The Washington herald., 1908-03-08
BY THE ARBITER.

breath after one OF the most strenuous
seasons OF late years. but it will not long
remain quiescent, for Lent furnishes in
a different way as many diversions as
does the winter, and the society belle who
only a few days ago danced from mid
night until daylight six days out of the
seven has donned her saelscloth- and ashes
and evinces as much enthusiasm for the
daily service. early mass, plain sewing
for the poor, and reading to the afflicted
ones in the hispitals as she did for the
pastimes If Vanity Fair. But the Lenten
period will not be entirely taken UP with
devotional duties and works of charity.
There viii. TO be sure. be less feasting.
fewer dinners, and the social entertain
ments will have quite a different charac-
ter from those given during the season.
The suburban clubs will be more patron
tied than has been possible Of late be-
cause of other social demandss golf will
have its innings. tennis win be begun in
earnest, and bridge win as ever occupy
its ascendent position, and several tour
naments have already been arranged for.
Lent, too, IS a time when one can visit
ones friends az leisure. courses Of seri-
Gus, or. If not serious. profitable reading
can be INDUCED IN, and The society belle
can add TO her fascinatiOns by cultivat-
ing herself in especial lines. The intelli-
gent observer must admit. no matter how
reluctantly, that while the American
young woman Is the most wnsOme and
bewitching creature IN the world. she too
often lacks the sterling qualities, the prac-
ticai common sense that distinguish for
eign women. This IS true, however, OF
only one class the very rich. who have.
unfortunately. been brought up TO be-
lieve that nothing is necessary for the
obtaining OF happiness but wealth; that
il will purchase not only official and So
cial position, but admiration and affec-
ton OF course, this idea is born of the
crudest ignorance. No man or no wOm-
an was ever loved because OF mere
wealth and iavishness, and the vulgar
display, such as we have had recent eX
hibitions Of, serves only 20 infuriate the
proletariat and make converts To an
archy and TO awaken in the cultured and
wise amusement and contempt
Does the young woman in New York
whose unfortunate sister elOped with the
family coachman fancy for an instant
that, because she frankly boasts that she
spends $4,000 a year on her personal
wardrobe and insists that it would be
impossible 10 get along on a less sum.
friends? Such a declaration enrages the
poor man. incites pity in the student of
men, shocks the deeply religious, is well
come to the shop keepers who MI their
Golfers through such vanity, and graft
fies the cynic.
For his petted daughters debutante ball
Philadelphia papa expended S25o,OoO last
winter. This sounds incredible and would
be impossible in any country in the world
heaven be thanked. save the United
States. How could such an amount be
spent on a party for a little girl who
has only just quilted the nursery? the
uninitiated will ask. 1t does. of course
require time and ingenuity TO dispense
such sum for a mere part at first, but
the habit Of throwing money away is
easily acquired The debutante of the
$250.0O0 ball will doubtless expect her in
dulgent parent to give her a Sl000.00G
wedding. but where will she find a hUs-
band who can keep up this wastefulness2
These two instances. diss Morosinis s
statement that she annually expends
upon her wardrobe an amount sufficient
90 keep a small village IN decency and
comfort for the same time. or pay the
tuition OF a couple hundred young men
or women at some university or indus
trial school, and Miss Paurs debutante
hall. the cost of which would have bought
for her a small kingdom where she
could reign as despOt, are cited as evi-
dence Of the ignorance, the vapidity OF
the typical rich girls. and as a preface
to a plea that they will educate them
selves on other lines than how to waste
money, and so make themselves as
class less ridiculous 10 the world-at-large
as well as 20 their own eountrymen.
The most potent argument that can be
presented for the higher education Of
women can be deduced from the facts
above recOunted. College-bred women and
college-bred men. for that matter. are not
immune from doing stupid things, but
they do fewer stupid things than do their
sisters and brothers who have not had
their advantages. and whose characters,
Ike Topsy. "jest growed" without direc-
tion or discipline II is quite certain that
no educated woman would spend more
than a quarter Of million of dollars on
her yearly wardrobe or act as hostess at
a ball costing a half million. She would
not have time, IN the first place, and then
her sense Of humor would be too keenly
developed, for it would be funny if It
were not SO tragically sad for the on
locker to note such vulgar display
There is no way IN which girl. handi-
capped by enormous wealth and over
indulgent parents. can get more profit out
Of that period set apart for fasting and
prayer when social gayeties are at their
lowest. than by wise and discriminate
reading. II she is not trained TO this de-
lightful habit and begins lIstIessly at
first. appetite will come with indulgence
-1,o fa for it &c
not necessary TO study economic prob
lens. psychology. or metaphysics. but
simply TO learn to know life as it is. and
always has been, from the best writer's.
AL the great noYeiists have written on
the vulgar display Of wealth in such
way as to make that trait either ridicu-
lous or contemplate. and many have told
such heart-breaking tales of the suffer
ings of the poor that they cannot fail to
move the most callous spendthrift. Then
there is poetry that uplifts the soul, and
the Bible, which contains everything-wit,
wisdom. romance, history. Let any girl
no matter how. vapid. become really in
terested in books and she will eventually
come TO regard the mere spending OF
money for ribbons and frills a necessity,
not joy. But discriminate reading does
more for a girl than to teach her that
there are other things than the mere
prohigate use of money which give JOY to
life; it makes a plain girl beautiful.
dull girl bright. Only the other day
bevy Of young women were discussing
over their afternoon tea an absent friend.
II cannot divine what has come over
Jane Taylor" said the blond in the Law
ender frock. when she came out. two
seasons ago, she was the dullest girl
among the debutantes No one ever
thought OF asking her TO dance. except
for the sake Of politeness. and at lunch