Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-03-11
MY FIRST LESSON 1 SOCIAL
CUSTOMS
XXI.

NIl2AI LIb a.
At ten O'Clock the next morning l
sat primly waiting for my etiquette
teacher to arrive. In spite of all
that Evelyn had said, 1 was not yet
resigned to the lessons, nor to the
idea. But 1 should have to go through
with it, that was unavoidable.
"You must learn to quell a certain
spontaneity; it's almost a hoidenish
manner you have" was one of the first
pleasant things she told me. She had
never seen me show any enthusiasm, so
I was sure George had spoken of this
as a failing.
~ never was called hoidenish be-
fore" ! told her. She paid no at
t%ention.
'eYou must be careful that you do
not criticize women older than your
SELF" was another of her rules. [
knew that she meant Georges older
| friends, the women of his world.
Then she told me of books L must
read, that I must keep up on the new
ideas constantly put fo1th-but she
spoke Of only those which had to do
with polite society; with social prob
lens. Evidently she thought nothing
else counted. .Afterward she told me
it didn't, not for the wife of a rich
and socially prominent man. Society
was her fetish.
L tried to pay attention, to become
interested, but / failed utterly. Al
ways in the back of my mind was the
thought that George was ashamed of
me and that this woman knew it. I
hated her stilted ways and expressions,
1 hated her. After she left [ clenched
my hands while 1 knew it would do
no good to rebel, slow tears oozed be-
tween my eyelids. I should have to
go through with it; but 1 hated her
A Safety Valve.
"Oh, Evelyn, it~was awful! simply
awful" 1 declared in the afternoon.
Evelyn had come over to see how I
got salong with Mrs. Sexten, and to
fhave passed on anything which 1 had
learned.
Tn what way7" she asked.
"Tn every wayl She started in by
calling me a holden, told me I must not
be spontaneous. that it was bad form
to show my feelings; and a lot of such
stuff. Maybe I won't show my feel
ings when 1 got as old as she is!
I won't have any to show. She hasn't t,
I am sure"
Evelyn laughed merrily. Then said:
81 guess we are apt to show our
feelings too plainly, Helen. My
mother-in-law told me almost the same
thing. She said that ''the public
didn't care to be bored with gushing
girls"
Didn't it hurt you dreadfully to
really shocked.
"Yes-until I thought of how much
Hurts cared for me; and how anxious
he was that his people should like me
they never had a daughter-then 1
told her I would try tb be more
dignified. You see, I reasoned that as
Hurts had always been brought up with
those notions, perhaps he might be
ashamed of me if l was-well-like I
was at home.'
tDo you know, Evelyn, I have
thought gust the same about George.
But one thing puzzles me dreadfully.
Why did they marry us? Why did
they not marry a girl in their own set,
brought up just as their mothers would
bring them up, instead of going into
the country and marrying just the OPP
posite kind of a girl? I laughed and
talked and ioked a great deal more
then than I do now, yet George never
criticized me. 1 can't understand it,
I'll Provide a Man.
"Neither can l.. Perhaps they saw
we needed polishing off, and that's
why they married US. But never mind,
1 have bad news for you"
f'What is it Don't you dare tell
me hat you won't come to my partyl"
""That's just it. George has an en-
gagement." 1 blushed. It was the
first time l had ever lied about him.
"But you viii come9'' she pleaded.