The Washington herald., 1912-08-11

Ticn. IL Is 100 sure OF itSeit TO Dt
obliged to do 50. Odd as II may sound
the tone OF Newport society is essen
TALLY democratic. II Is not snobbish ir
that there is no tendency to exclude the
newcomer IL he be what anywhere would
be considered a good. sensible sort
''clubbable.'' SO 10 speak
II is not that Newport in general has
by any means ideal views Of what con-
stitutes society. though II was q New
port man. now unfortunately not among
us, whom I heard give the best defini-
ton / know-that II is a system Of con-
trihutions; wit. beauty. good sense with
good manners. social qualities. money
wherewith to entertain, something. in
fact, agreeable to the community Of
which one forms a part
I think this definition Is basicly true OF
Newport society, and in whatever degree
II may fail therein. IL Is simply due to
TIE shortcomings OF our tine and nation
II is perfectly true that IL the author of
La Nouvelle Helo;se'' were to come here
and establish his hut he would in all
probability. find no Marechal de Luxem-
bourg to be his warm and sympathetic
friend, and there would certainly be no
Marechale OF that ilk nor any Countess
de Boufiers to show the noble, immense,
kindly. and abiding friendship which they
gave Rousseau because of his intellec-
tual qualities.
No Place for Genius.
But where nowadays are the social prin-
ciples / mention understood as they were
by the old French noblesse. among whom
there was pothing OF a certain narrow
snobbishness of a sort which seems a
part of us from the Atlantic ITO the Pa
cific? Were a Shakespeare even to make
his advent in New York the chances are
that he would not have social recogni-
ton much beyond the Century Club. How
much OF the literary world. of the artis-
tic world. OF the scientific world, does
the fashionable woman among us. wheth-
er In New York, Washington or Chicago,
gather in to her dinner table?
The attitude which prevents her doing
so Is common to the whole country, and,
Il must be said. is very different from
that which obtains abroad. II is the out
come Of ignorance. OF the material listic
spirit which has throttled so much of
the good in US. II is simply want of
sympathy for that for which literature
art. and science stand. II is not the
sort OF contribution that most of the
very rich want.
How different in general is the attitude
Of our society from that In Europe NAV
be illustrated by the remarks made. now
good many years since, at an evening
party In London to a member Of my fam
lily. by highly placed Briton. who had
seen much of New York Here" he
said. I'VE give you a slice through the
whole cake: in New York you give US
only the top surface" Once upon a time
IT was undoubtedly different. The great
upheaval, the civil war, came. and the
society of the first half of the
last century was buried in the eruption
much as was Pompeii. Remnants only
have remained. as have only also the
remnants OF the dignified home. Of the
period. The newer society is uncertain
OF Itself. The new hostess Is bound
overmuch by thought of what other peo-
pie may think. There is the want Of in
dependence. due TO newness. She Is afraid
to do that which seems perfectly natural
In London or Paris
Money Is Not All.
While the foregoing darker view In
true In the main. II is less true Of New
port than OF most places for the reason
day In Newport: 1t has to be allied in
4 certain degree at least with qualities.
Many come and try the place. stay two
Or three years. and pull out As cab
man driving a woman of my acauaint-
ance said, pointing to a house: IT don't
see why those people stay here: they
have been here two years and nobody
has called on them. I don't think they'll
come back next year" He was simply a
philosopher who had sized them up as
had the community
And. IN a way. there is much SIMPLICITY
,f life. The top hat. the frock coat, are
rot tolerated among men. II YOU see
hem you know the wearers are not Of |
Newport. The dress of men during the
lay is of the canvas shoe and flannel
'uit order. whatever the occasion !
is for the evening only. The
Did Reading Room Cknown generally as |
he club. which. as a building. would |
,e sneered at by the poorest college |
ftly typihes the attitude OF
Newport men; one of easy-going COM
oTt.