The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-14
Mid-September Society In
 Birmingham And ElseUhere
American Society Parade In Clever EssayCeebres Met In Summer Wanderings Lee Engagement.
 Dance At Frars Club-Miss McAdory Hostess
BY MYRTLE MILES.

A book which has been read by many during the leisure season and has fur nished a fruitful topic of conversation is New York Society on Parade" criticism of modern New York society which is given point by the fact that 1t comes from the pen of one of its members, MT. Ralph Pulitzer. It Is a discriminating account of the smart world from its humorous and serious but never it's scandalous side and throws light upon social life in the metropolis by which it Is interesting the artifcialities and the more serious aspect of life in a smaller city. The author cleverly defines society before he attempts to describe 1t. Thus:
 "In European nations." he says, society is the formal intercourse be- aristocracy. With these articracies so- ciety is an intermittent condition ere ated by the temporary meeting of per sons of permanent rank-persons who possessed their rank before their as sociation made society and retain it after their separation for the time be- ing ends society. If every member of the upper class in Europe simultan- eously entered upon the life of a re- cluse for one year European society would for that year cease to exist. But at the years end when these men it- formal reunions and thus again formed society, they would all, or practically all, possess the same membership of their upper class and would each oc- cupy the identical relative position in their society as before their years iso- trophe overlook New York, hort indeed would be the roster of those families which could emerge with positions un- disputed and prestige unshaken, still standing like fashionable monoliths amid the rack and ruin For while Flu ropean society consists of a deep mill pond of assured position with froth of probationary parvenus New fork society consists of a whirlpool of ten tative novices with sediment of per manent members. The contrast be- tween the two species of society Is pre- cisely the contrast between the anna teur athlete who exercises for his amusement and the professional ath- lete who exercises for living. Thus in New York, beneath the frivolity and fiippancy with which society bedizens itself, like the paint and tights in which a chorus girl must work, society Is transacting deadly earnest business
 Altogether the book is most inter- esting and readable.
 From Atlanta comes news of the en- gagement of Miss Jeanette Swift, handsome young Georgia woman who Is well known in the society life of many southern cities. She visited Bir- mingham for a time several seasons ago and was quite raved over. The At lanta Georgian announced her engage ment yesterday thus:
 Mrs. Lena Swift Huntley has an- nounced the engagement of her daugh- ter. Jeanette Swift, to MT. Mitchell Campbell King, the wedding to take place in December.
 The announcement will be received with much interest, as both young peo- ple are popular in the social world and are well known in Atlanta and else- where. Miss Swift is one of Atlanta's lovely young women, and MT. King, native of Charleston, has lived heNe for six years, and has become identified with the business and social life of the city. Their engagement Is one of the first of delightful series for the au- tumn and their wedding will be one Of the brilliant social events of the sea son.