The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1919-02-15
The Old Order
Changeth
0<1
BY JANE OSBORN

you are Il lady-or are entitled to call
Yourself one so long as yon don't do
any things that are unworthy of real
lady"
Aunt Caroline had never done any
OF those things in fact, she had work
ed at rather trying odds for the
last ten years In the uptown fiat where
she kept house for her own four
sons and daughters and her niece
Babette.
And they had all remained ladies-
she and her daughter and the niece,
aud the three boys had, so far as the
mother knew. remained perfect gen
tlemen'-in spite Of the three flights
up and the dingy, bare, painted walls
of the kitchen where Caroline's work
never seemed TO he done, and in spite
of the debts there had been to pay
after the husbands long Illness.
On the parlor table there was copy
of well-lnown book on so-called so
cial usage, and although the chapter
on candle parties and the advice the
writer Of the book gave on "how to
act when meeting the English royal
family" aud how to write TO the
archbishop of Canterbury had been Of
little real use to Caroline. she found
much Of 1t Immensely helpful to her
In her task.
The fact was that Caroline had. as
she said, seen very much better days
in the years when she and her cousin.
Babette's mother-for Babette was
not real nlece-had, for one brief
season mingled in society that never
found its way TO Caroline's poor lit
tie widows fiat.
Then came the marriages of Caro-
line and Babette's mother and the
death of both Babette's parents, the
death Of Caroline's husband, the bring
Ing up Of the five children in the ways
of gentlefolk. and then, year ago, Ba-
bette's engagement to Caroline's eldest
son--who. to be sure, was only sort
of third cousin.
The courtship was conducted along
lines that would have been approved
by even the author of that book on
social decorum on Caroline's parlor
table. The young people. reminded
that it was not well-bred TO go to the
theater unchaperoned, never went to
the movies on Saturday night with
out Caroline In tow, though poor caro-
line sometimes endured all kinds OF
torment fearing that she was n him
drance to their good time. And Caro-
line remembered that when Babettes
mother and she had been engaged they
had not permitted their lovers more
than the meagerest kisses. and those
on the cheek.
engagements are sometimes broken,
they had been told. and "real lady
would never cease regretting the fact
if she had ever allowed any more pas
sionate salute from man who did not
become her husband. SO Caroline
had told Babette and her son and,
though they had been engaged a year,
there was but one salute day, and
that very decorously upon the cheek.
When the first Christmas OF their
engagement came about Caroline had
reminded her children that "weIl-bred
engaged people did not give personal
PRESENT." The young man. besides
the engagement ring. should give moth
ing but flowers, books anG candy" Her
own husband had given her copy OF
Tennyson's poems on the Christmas
they were engaged, and the Tcnnyson
now reposed beneath the book on good
form on the parlor table
He had given her roses on all h0li-
days and candies every weekend.
There was no reason. Caroline said.
why her son should not do so much
for Babette. He could afford II, for
he was now getting a generous salary.
Babette didn't often protest. but she
was n practical hit Of a girl. and when
she might have been making a collec.
zion of useful household things given
her by her husband-to-be-as other
girls she knew did-she took small
pleasure in the little bunch of roses
that faded on her bureal after every
holiday nor in the candles that she
shared with her cousins every week,
nnG.
From her own slender earnings she
might have bought things that would
eventually have heIped feather the
nest, too. bur Caroline assured her
that would not have been in good
form The great authority especially
cau;iored young women against Civ
ing anything of a personal nature Ia
their fiGnces.
RoOks, desk accessories, accessories
of sl,ort--a riding crop or something
OF that sort--were the things suggest.
ed And as Caroline's eldest son
Stephen, had no desk save the office
one he toiled Mt eight hours day
and knew nc sports save rugglins
with the crowds on his daily trip ia
and from that office. Babette's choice
was limited to books.
He liked the Stevenson and the Kip
ling she had given him, but how much
sooner they could have heen married
II instead NJ those books she coul'i
nave given him something that would
do for the little flnt-chairs and IA,
bles, or rug. perhaps.
II was three weeks before Christ.
mas and Babelte and Stephen had
each secretly decided 10 linger afier
Office hours to make the Christmas pur.
chases. Unknown TO each other they
we're both part of the great throng
that swnrmed one Of the department