New-York tribune., 1909-05-19
SUMNER INTIMACIES
CoIonists Divide Into CHques on
Short acquaintance.

A -bas. of III. eternal feminine which is
tremely hard for the masculine mind to grasp. ano
which also is beyond the comprehension Of many
a well balanced woman, is the way IN whlch the
members Of q summer colony divide up into little
cljuues and call each other by thelr ChrlsIall
names on short acquaintance After TWO mohIllS
oF the season have passed stranger arriving on
the outskirts of the several charmed circles wouo
t-,oe4na that thev were all related else had
gone 70 school with one another. so rapidly do the
sdear Mauds" or dear Ethels, or dear Mates
Av back and forth in even a casual conversation
and as the husbands arrive on the scene OF action
which is most frequently the clubhouse veranda
or the lawn they, too, unanimously greeted oy
-,iclnarnes as if they lifelong friends me
condolences exchanged in the first ardent nush' Oh
finding 2 kindred soul, willing to snare imaginary
grievances love affairs or accounts OF previous
eroo5 times are of most personal nature so per
ra1 +ba+ the narrator frequently oversteps the
bounds Of understanding is held sacred in the
desire 70 gain sympathy, for these shallo"' IN
questionable natures are always on the qul we IVl
~ oo,aeion 10 spread broadcast their experiences
and aIasr too frequently such experiences prlns III
other peope who. being in ignorance OF what Is
reng said about them. never have the rlght 10
defend themselves. Women Of TINS u1olsClp'iiiou
tsrnnerauenr invariably make themselves ooth Ine
heroine and the victim in every tale theS tell l.
any one is at fault It is always the other person
- ,f,e,- nersonslIv are the most innocent (or IN
,,-e5, raone in the world The number OF anec-
dotes they have hand varies with the FlVloIlesS
of their imagination, but they always may pe
counted on to have supply sufficient TO last
+,,-o,,eb the season and keep the willing listener
fascinated Half the enjoyment OF the sulLiille.
time 10 them is the prospect Of new '1rlehuS' anu
If they are TO go 10 new place as well so rnucn @
the better. for the field is new and olo 'sles may
be retcId and improved
The first evidences Of an overwhelming desire To
..ha friends comes with book lending, pattern
lending or in fact, loan OF any klnd thdt CAM
a wee BIT of obligation in its wake Al'ei q ~ ~
morning visits that overlap the luncheon houi @i
an order Each has compliment to trade ana
shortly the delights secrets begin A1leI se0t
,,os+ naturally comes the request to call me oS
my own name, o. fnd some cute htue hlcAN0Ne
that will Just be yours for me; Tor II seems a II
we had always known each other. beIOI0 ne
il is deemed silly to call the husband or prolnel
..te+er and another cute little name is evolved
Nor is this Stiffness and mistaken form OF iIleIl
ship confined might be expected 10 INC SVutle
girl tust out of school or to middle class soCe'S'
instead it is prevail 1t with all bur te olutiiN
conventional men and women, Of which there IS a
,c,,o,,s minority in the gayer sets of fashion
able life -
In acquiring so many intimates the wonoer 10
those who watch IS how each batch OF coIiIueiice'
an he kent separate and it surely happens sooner
or later that something is betrayed whlch uoes
irrenarsble harm, and perhaps may part real
friends who, having the ready sliI OF o"'
pouring their inmost thoughts, cannot go "ie "
the other and ask what it is that has come De
tween them while neither ever dreams that II Is
all due to the chatJerbox who has mixed her hlo-
res in some herculean attempt 10 outdo all 1oIirei
efforts It is always the incident that does not
really belong to the story that gives II snap anu
81 ice and borrowing from one TO add 10 anotheF
is a trick that even afJer-dinner speakers indulge
in TO achieve a witticisn. There has to be at the
end of the seaside or mountain sojourn weedlng
out of those who have not proved congehlal
throughout the idle month, and here is where the
social bee begins to buzz Those who nave
seemed the most attractive and sweet are oIten
thrown out because others not nearly as desraoIe
from sensible point of view have more prestge IN
their set To know them even slightly Is a feather
in the summer bonnet, and the delight OF actually
calling them Susan and Jane is thing that can
only be family imagined by the unlnitated- ana
often the naughty ones caught in the hattery
net and securely bound before they realize what
has happened.
With the men this familiarity IS usually begun
in fun; they are amused and retaliate, also Tor
fun eventually drifting along quite safely, lot uley
can always avoid a girl any time when tired OF
the game of friendship" If the same crowd re-
turns year after year and scrimuages occur
over the "she said and he said" parts of It, then
indeed has the millennium come to that part OF the
world, for Il is from these ardent intlmacles thal
the disruption of whole colonies comes.