American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-02-07
The Old Order
Changeth
~
~ JANE DOE
~ JANE OSBORN

you may be only a poor typist.'
omug little Aunt Caroline had told her
niece Babette, 'but don't forget that
yOu arc q lady--or are entitled 10 call
yourself one 70 long as you don't do
any things that are unworthy Of d real
lady"
Aunt Caroline had never done any
Of those things in fact. she had work.
I'd at rather trying odds for the
last ten years in the uptown fat where
she kept house for her W four
sons and daughters and her niece
Babette.
And they had all remained ladies'
she and her daughter and the niece,
end the three boys had, 30 far as the
mother knew, remained perfect gen
tiemen"-in spite OF the three flights
up and the dingy. bare, painted walls
Of the kitchen where Caroline's work
never seemed to be done, and in spite
Of the debts there had been to pay
sitter tho husbands long Illness.
On the parlor table there was a copy
Of a weli-known book OF so-cailed so
ciai usage, and although the chapter
on caudle parties and the advice the
writer of the book gave OF "how to
act when meeting the English royal
family and how to write 10 the
archbishop Of Canterbury had been OF
little real use to Caroline. she found
much OF II 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 a real nIece-had, for one brief
season mingled In q society that never
found Its way TO Caro!lne's poor lit
tie widows fat.
Then came the marriages of Caro-
line and Bnbette's mother and the
death OF both Babette's parents, the
death OF Cnroline's husband, the bring
Ing up Of the Ave children In the ways
Of gcntlefoik. and then. a yenr ago Ba-
bette's engagement to Caroline's eldest
son-who, TO be sure, was only a 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 pnrlor
table. The young people. reminded
that It was not weil-brod to go to the
theater unchaperoned. never went to
the movies on q Saturday night with
out Caroline In tow, though poor caro-
line sometimes endured all kinds OF
torment fearing that she was n hin
drance TO their good time, And Caro-
line remembered that when Babette's
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 q real lady"
would never cease regrettlng the fact
II she had ever allowed any more pas
slonate salute from u man who did not
become her husband, : SO Caroline
had told Babette and her son and,
though they had been engaged o year,
there was but one salute a day, and
that very decorously upon the cheek.
When the first Christmas of their
engagement came about Caroline had
reminded her children that "weil-hret
engaged people did not give persona
presents" The young Il beside'
the engagement ring, should give moth
ing but flowers. books and candy" He
" husband had given her n copy o
T, nnyson's poems on the Christina
thy were engaged. aud the Tennyso
now reposed beneath the book on goo
form on the pnrlor table.
He had given her roses ON all hoi
days and candles every week-en,
There was no reason, Caroline sale
why her son should not do so niue
tor Babette. He could AFFORD II, Il
ae was now getting n generous salar'
Rabette didn't often protest, but st
was a practical bit of n girl, and whe
she might have been making q collie
ton OF useful household things give
her by her husband-to-be-as 9th,
girls she knew dld-she took sma
pleasure In the little bunch OF ros'
that faded on her bureau after evel
holiday nor In the candies that 81
shared with her cousins every wee
end,
From her own slender earnings 81
might have bought things that won
eventually have helped feather q
nest. too. but Caroline assured h
that would not have been In go'
form The great authority especial
cautioned young women against gl
ing anything Of a personal nature
their innces.
Books, desk accessories, aecessori
Of sport-a riding crop. or somethi
OF that sort-were the things sugge
Ell. And as Caroline's eldest sc
Stephen. had no desk save the on
one he toiled at eight hours a d,
and knew nc sports save struggli
with the crowds ON his daily trip
and from that ofice, Babette's choI
was limited to books.
He liked the Stevenson and the X
ling nhe had given him. but how mt
sonner they could have been MARI