The Washington herald., 1908-01-26
BY THE ARBITER.


fcrer. or such sufferers rather, for she
Is not alone IN her misery. Half the
girls in society are already weary and
Worn out from the seasons campaign;
those who have been out for several
years are afflicted with that welt-schmerz
that comes from safety. while the buds
are tired from the round oe pseudo pleas
ures they are forced TO indulge in and
bewiIdered by all that is expected Of
them
One little s.rl in the West End is down
with typhoid fever, the result of over
doing; another has been packed off to
Florida for a rest by her physician. ana
still another has taken the case in her
own hands and gone to bed, pretending
an Illness of the body when it is only a
jaded spirit from which she suffers. Now
this is all wrong and society that taxes
both the body and soul 20 such an extent
as 10 induce illness is in need of reform
But moderation is a difficult word for
American lips 10 spell There is no mid
die course in this country of ours, we
either overdo or underdo. and in the
4.trt ti-AlliAlt sDN-NtN Wa F.A- ~t'AN '.iit''
Il has become the custom To overdO
everything in the way Of entertaining.
From the beginning Of the season until
Lent there is absolutely no repose for
those in society. Both maids and ma
irons neglect to take the rest they need
for their health and well-being for fear
some gossip will say that they have lost
lack the courage To be counted as not
in the fashionable set, for the ultime
tule of the women of this class is 10 be
q social success. and their standard of
life is bounded by the walls that hem
in Vanity Fair.
"Oh, I'm $50 tired so tired that 7
would Ike To die" moaned a belle Of
this season on the evening of the last
Bachelors but 7 must 90 and put
on my glad rags for the ball" why
do YOU gOT' asked "a friend 90 whom she
was speaking. why not stay home and
have "a good rest2 You resemble the first
rose OF last summer, and YOU are going
off frightfully i'm your looks" Il know
it, replied her friend but If ] ann not
there some old eat or some diabolical
young kitten viii say 7 am passe ana
that 1 was not asked. Now. as a mat
ter Of fact, I have had three partners
offered 20 me, besides the man I am
going with, and ] must be there To go
through my PAGES and to show Mrs.
Grundy that I am NOT passe even if this
is my third season"
She went of course, exhibited her
scalps. and was much admired. but there
has been "a doctors runabout before her
door every day since. Some girls. strange
as it may seem, like to boast of how
they are worn and withered bv the de
mands Of society on them There is
nothing so good for your figure as dane
ing, said q debutaute at "a girls lunch
con last week Il have lost exactly
tweuty-one pounds since the season be
gan, and 7 am sure shall get off at
least thirty before Ash Wednesday. Just
look az my hips. aren't they fashionable
though and she waltzer around the
room for the benefit of the other guests.
Society is au association Of EQUALS.
bound together by common aims and in
terests. which meets for relaxation and
enjoyment FOR society" saith the text
is the happiness of Ife." ana when ir is
40 longer happiness, but an unerous
duty bugaboo. that is feared and
dreaded, then its object is defeated and
il is no longer the society that Thomson
apostrOphises.
Hail social lfe into thy pleasing bounds
Again ] come TO Tay the common stock.
AIF share Of service. and In glad return
l' taste thF comforts. thy protected joss
Alas, there are few comforts. few pro-
tected joys in the society of TODAY
which demands more than it is willing Ia
give. incites its members with unworthy
ambitions inspires unseemlv scrambles
for place and prestige. and has come Ia
be ''one polished horde. formed Of two
mighty tribes, the Bores and the Bored. %
There are those who will CRY "Cyuic.' %
and perhaps The ATbiter's language is
rather strong. for there is much that is
good, much that is interesting, much that
is elevating In society. but these elements
must be hunted out. and they are almost
as difficult TO find as was the honest man
of Diogenes: then it does bring out the
cyniCism in ones nature to read letter
like that from little "BlaSee" in last sun
days issue.
Why should a child's free soul be ar
rested in its development by being im-
prjs0ued in society? Why should it beat
its wings against the bars of stupid tradi-
rjons and conventions when it wants to
set ont" to come into its own? Fashion
able society is all very well for those who
have arrived" for those with social am
bltions, and for those who have nothing
else 10 do and no desire 10 do anything
e.sei bur even for these IT needs reform,
ing. There Is no pleasure IN safety; il
IS only when there IS a keen edge to the
appetite that anything Is really enjoyed.
The Eourmets understand this. and so.
ciety should be composed Of gOurmets
not of gormands
Instead of packing into one day a dozen
entertainments, they should be distributed
through a i1nger period of time. instead
0I having one or two Overcrowded recen-
tions during the season, the society host
esses would find II much more satisfac-
tory and enjoyable to remain at home one
day every week as long as they are in
town. Calling should be q pleasure. not
an lrks0me duty. And there are a thou
sand other things that could be improved
and modified 10 the advantage Of society
II is far from The Arbiter's intention to
Cavil His aim is to suggest certain re-
forms that would benefit society and add
to it's attractiveness. The mad rush char
acteristic of our fashionable season is
unknown in the older civilized centers
such as the capitals Of Europe, but the
well ordered social life there is due In
a great measure to what we lack in
class distinctions. Every one from En-
peror TO street sweeper has a recognized
social position and every one is accorded
all the distinction and consideration his
position warrants, hence there is no