The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-04-21

cal group of which they had formed
Il part. No group III the whole social
system is so enslaved by it's own, con-
vcntionS as this prosperous, rising,
suburban class. 1t is the determine
ton, to rise. of course, that does it. The
smaller group, just above, which has
reached what it considers the summit,
can afford to relax a. little; can even.
within rigorous limits, Of course, make
a feature Of its Indifference to what
other people think Of its. actions. j
But Celia and her friends and their
husbands, with "a summit III sight Just
ahNld, had to keep in the procession.
The number and variety. of their enter
! ia inments We're regimented with almost
military precision. They gave one
! another more OF less the same dinners
and lunches; they. followed one an
other. sheeplike, rinto, the same, ,recrea-
tons, the same CHARITIES. read the
same books. discussed the same ideas.
And. since. their lives. in a sharply
bounded suburban community, We're
Very visible to one another, they con-
formed pretty much to the same do,
nestle subscribed to the same
standards. J.,
/ Well, and Intimacy was distinctly
not good form among them. The no.
| tfOn sprang, perhaps, from novels about
the English aristocracy. Anyway, be
,, tween husbands and wives. the prope,
manner was one of rather hostile in
| difference. The sort of things they
were to say to each other when Others
were about were sharp little witt
cisms. so s
| And this attitude carried itself over
into their private life, All imposition
guaranteed by their servants, who
| We're hired from one house to another
and who formed almost as close so
ciety as they did. That husband
| and wife should have separate rooms
to dress and sleep in was a matter OF
! elementary decency.
The three-rOom fiat, of course, put an
end to all that in more senses thar
one. Their one bedroom was just al
alcove, really. separable by curtains
as yet, unproYided-frola their, liyins
room When they turned the key IL
the door at the head of the stairs
they. We're as secure against intrusion
as a pair of pioneer settlers on T;
prairie. And they reverted. in man!
respects to the simplicity Of the peas
ants. E
| But the astonishing discovery tina
they made was that this material i'm
| timacy Powered into spiritual I'm
| timacy that neither of them ha(
dreamed before. You couldn't .pretens
much at close quarters like that. YOu
couldn't nurse a grievance behind q
! politely intangible manner. or a noble,
!long-suffering dignity. There was III
| standard. not their own. that they
must be always acting with Difference
TO- And the, consequence was tina,
things got said out that they came
to know not only each others minds
sharp little quarrels. like the explosion
Of fire-crackers. during which the,
said and did things to each other whic!
would inexpressibly have shocked theil
respectable friends. Eut tue encount
ers left no after-effects; no virtuous
self-pitying sulks.
| They began. now that they ha,
stopped trying to live mp to anything
| to have real fun-a rather rowdy
| rough-and-tumble sort of fun, a gdot
! deal of it due perhaps to their extens
| i've patronage of the movies. This wa.
their theory Of it. anyway.
The movies. of course. weren't theil
only form of entertainment They tool
extraordinary street-car rides. IT.,
amazing, you know. how amusing ,
street-car ride can be to joviall!
minded. rather outrageously behaved
| pair. Struggled together on one of thu
back seats and guessing. in whispers
most grotesquely and injuriously some
times, about the condition and bushes.
of other passengers. 1t is possible to
work a variant on the game. too. b,
getting on separately. at different cor
ners, and then deliberately making eacl