The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-05-28
Nv FRANCES sHAFFER.


Kentucky society folk were somewhat
shocked awhile ago.
T, seems that a woman socially promi-
nent in Louisville gave a, private race
rect at her country residence few
weeks ago, followed by dinner and
dance at a nearby country cluo-
And so far all was well.
Motion pictures were taken or the
whole entertainment, and as the young
men and women, some Of the elders,
too. danced and frolcked about in the
easy aband OF youth and the let
loose spirits of greater years. tell-tale
films were recording the gay little
scenes for use a bit later on. 1t was
a jolly affair. from start to finish, and
reports declare that they cut up" in
2 care-free manner.
At last the dance broke up. as all
weIl-regulated dances are bound to do.
And still, so far. all was well.
But a shocking sequel developed a
few days later, with which the light
hearted dancers had not reckoned at all.
As some of them passed a notion
picture theater they noticed the usual
sign to attract amusement seekers
usual in all but the wording. For the
first few words of that Haunting sign
aroused them from their peaceful rev.
the crowds in enticing words:
sensatIonany Advertised.
See Kentucky society turkey trot:
see the pictures of the race meet. Ten
cents" The name of the hostess was
plainly mentioned. so they knew very
we'll what to expect, but taking their
courage in their hands they Joined the
crowds eager TO learn how Kentucky
NJ hnvr rflH
itself when on pleasure intent
And then came a time when not all
was we'll
As they looked at themselves and the
Jolly dancers all, they missed the private
setting Gone for them the beauty OF
the race meet, lost the piquant charm
and abandon of the dancers as they
fitted about on the cold black and white
of the motion-picture screen. Yet the
films were all too faithful to the last
little trick of the gayest dancer.
They looked and went away. and as
the affair was noised about. some of the
high and mighty in Kentucky society
stormed and thereatened and declared
that the pictures must be stopped. In
course of time compromise was reach
ed by eliminating certain sections of the
films: then the show went merrily on,
and anyone with 10 cents to spare may
see the elect at the race meet and the
attending festivities.
At least that is the way the hap
pening reaches the public. And pretty
dish it makes to set before the interested!
Women Much Criticised.
But why repeat the story, since men
and women high in the social circles
everywhere else. ought to be granted
the simple right of entertainment. as
they are pleased TO define it? And IL
their jolly little ways of making fun
creep into the public prints and even
find their way to the popular theater,
isn't that very much their own AFFAIR?
To be sure it is, and one is not minded
to comment upon the entertainment. its
participants or the strange aftermath.
But the story and its sequel send the
mind drifting to some amazing shafts
of criticism directed womanward of late
because in a vast assemblage of women
of varying stations in life there were
some said to be quite pronounced in
their manner of dress, so pronounced
that they were accused of making On
out-and-out appeal through that, and
that alone.
And the thought that comes to mind
is of the narrowness-possibly the willing
narrowness-that would look at any class
or any gathering of women or Of men
and women and denounce them all be-
cause of the few extremists there.
Extremists Everywhere.
If one would find extremists in dress.
in entertainments, in the dance, in all
things else, one need not limit her vision,
for they are to be found where society
folk gather where the middle classes pre-
vail, then on to the farthest downward
reach of all.
And it is the broader-visioned folk who
take these things for granted. They may
not like the ''turkey-trot." the tango" or
any of the latest terpSichorean atrocities,
may not care at all for the most striking
novelties in dress, or the most bizarre en-
tertainments. But they know they are to
be found in all grades of society and in
all large gatherings, just for the looking.
II they are casting about for gowns to
make them gasp they know that as likely