The Washington times., 1915-03-28
.eJEkAN. ELIoT%
LETTER

~ mayhap. when girl was willing
to flirt and frivol from one year s
end to another. But now the debutantc
has her pretty finger in all sorts of i'm.
portant projects, social service lures
her from the tea dance and she even
delves deep into the mysteries of psy.
chology.
Right now group of girls composed
Of Julia and Alice whiting. Margaret
Draper, Beatrice clover. Emily Chase
Madge Stokes, the Mackay-Smith girls
and number of others, debutantes OF
this year or a few seasons back are de-
voting each Tuesday afternoon to this
fascinating study and meet regularly
at Cloversidc school.
Miss Timlow, one OF the principals of
the school, conducts the class. and I
might remark in passing that she is
the teacher of u scientific subject and
not the founder of q new cult, as some
misinformcd souls have been led to
believe.
Mrs. Ten Eyck Wendall was the NOV
ing spirit last year in organizing somo
of this group into a class for the study
OF ethics, and this season they organ
lied themselves to pursue the study Of
psychology.
And nearly every girl I know is inter-
ested in some sort of social service
work. Wherever two or three are gath
cred together. nowadays, the conversa-
ton turns on my class and my
children and only the other day l met
Frances Miller strolling down Pennsyl-
vania avenue with seventeen youriS-
sters, fresh from an inspection of the
f.... rictt fN
the real live Indians on exhibition at
Kann's toy department. 1t seems Frances
lakes the kiddics for a walk or to see
some object of interest every Saturday
afternoon.
Margaret Howard has two perfectly
good families that she runs" under
the auspices of the Associated Charl-
tics: kathryn Gwynn spends hours at
the hospital with some small boy who Is
laid UP, and they are but few of the
dozens of girls who are finding time to
do similar things
Along different lines. but even far
thcr removed from the butterfly idea is
the task that is occupying Sophy john
ston's attention these days. She has
studied stenography and typcWrting,
and is right now taking practical
course in banking and bookkeeping In
her fathers office.
Mrs. Montague. who is back in herl
jefferson place home, after long visit
in FL Paso, brings much interesting
news of her son-in-law and daughter,
Karl and Mary Mnncgarode. They are
established at Elephant Butte, n. NJ.
and since the destruction of their house
and all their belongings by fire early
In the year. have been Obliged to make
shift at hotel of sorts.
The tales of their struggles to obtain
some sort Of clothing until they could
send for things from FL Paso would be
ridiculous if they were not pitiful, and
Poor Mary whose sudden exit into the
snow on the night of the fire resulted
in a severe attack of grippe. had to
DO taken to Ell Paso to recuperatc. and
arrived wearing pair of high boots so
much too large for her that she had
to wear CATERS to keep them on.
They are expecting, however, in juno
to move into q cottage. whose present
occupants are to return to civilization
and already things are Frightening and
Mary and Karl are looking up. The
best proof is. 1 think, that Karl has
sent for his dress suit.
=
Was 1t spring fever or the spring |
fancy that in the young mon lightly |
turns to thoughts OF love" that entered |
into one Eddie Bacon last wcek7 I'll |
tell you the tale and let you decide for |
Yearning for exercise one day. he |
offered to help friend who was busily |
in vanishing his Canoe-by the |
way, the surcst sign of approaching |
spring is the sudden eruption of CANOES
along the river bank. During the opera
ton he warmed up and threw off his
sweater, to discover later that he had
tossed 1t upon the freshly varnished |
canoe and that there it was likely to
remain.
Another day in the same week, the
same young man. still ycarning for the
great out of doors, raked his yard and
piled the leaves on WheelbarroW.
he was inspired with the
hought that those leaves were insight
~ SO he applied a match and sauntercd
away. Great was his astonishmcnt to
discover later that the WhC elbarroW had
shared the fate of the leaves. [ wonder
-.
Isn't it a shame that the Hodges are
;oing away so soon? 1t has been but
/ few short months since they return
d to Washington from Panama, andY
has como to mean home to
hem so much have they been stationed
zero in the last twelve Years. How
vcr. their new post, Fort Tottcn, is
harming, and they are looking forward
O a visit from Mrs. Albert Acher, for
nerly Frances Hodges, who arrives
arly in May to stay several months, SO
heir summer bids fair 20 be most
greeable. Both General and Mrs.
lodges will be greatly missed here, and
Alma. too. for she is one of the most
popular of the younger girls.
The Washington Riding and Hunt
'lub will have their Farmers Dinner"
t the club one evening the last of this
Ycek, the dinner which they give each
ear to the farmers whose fields they
ramplc during the hunting season. The
ards arc all engraved except for the
late and will be sent out the moment
'olonel Thompson reaches town. The
olonel is always host at these feasts,
nd Farmers Dinner without him
would be closely akin to Hamlet with