Middletown transcript., 1919-02-22
The Old Order
Changeth
BY JANE OSBORN
By JANE OSBORN

"You may be only a poor typist,"
SNUG little Aunt Caroline had told her
niece Babette, 'but don't forget that
YOU are a lady-or are entitled to call
yours elf one so long as you don't 90
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 flat 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
and the three boys had, so far as the
mother knew, remained perfect gen.
tlemen"-in spite Of the three flights
up and1he 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
otter the husbands long illness.
On the parlOr table there was copy
OF a well-known book on so-called So
cial usage, and although the chapter
on caudle parties and the advice the
writer Of the book gave on 'how TO
act when meeting the English royal
family" and how to write to the
archbishop Of Canterbury had been OF
little real use to Caroline, she found
much of it 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 society that never
found it's 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, pa
bette's engagement to Caroline's eldest
son-who, to be sure, was only q sort
Of third cousin.
The courtship was conducted along
lines that would have been approved
by even the author Of that book or
social decorum on Caroline's parlOl
table. The young people, reminded
that 1t was not well-bred to 60 to tht
theater unchaperoned, never went t
the movies on a Saturday night with
out Caroline in tow, though poor caro-
line sometimes endured all kinds o.
torment fearing that she was hin
dra..ce to their good time. And Caro-
line remembered that when Babette'
mother and she had been engaged the.
had not permitted their lovers NOR
than the meagerest kisses, and thos
on the cheek.
Engagements are sometimes broken
they had been told, and real lady
would never cease regretting the fac
IL she had ever allowed any more pas
sionate salute from man who did no
become her husband. So Carolin
had told Babette and her son an,
though they had been engaged a yea
there was but one salute day, an
that very decorously upon the cheek.
When the first Christmas Of thei
engagement came about Caroline ha
reminded her children that "well-bre
engaged people did not give person;
presents The young man, beside
the engagement ring, should give not
ing but flowers, books and candy" Ht
own husband had given her copy
Tennyson's poems on the Christine
they were engaged, and the Tennyst
now proposed beneath the book on goo
form on the parlor table.
He had given her roses on all no
days and candies every week-en
There was no reason, Caroline sal
why her son should not do so mu'
for Babette. He could afford It, I
he was now getting generous salar
Babette didn't often protest, but s.
was a practical bit Of girl, and VIII
she might have been making cole
ton Of useful household things CIV
her by her husband-to-be-ds 9th
girls she knew did-she took SIN
pleasure in the little bunch OF ros
that faded on her bureau after eve
holiday nor in the candles that
shared with her cousins every wee
end.
From her own slender earnings 8
might have bought things that wo1
eventually have helped feather
nest; too, but Caroline assured
that would not have been In 60
form The great authority especia
cautioned young women against Z
ing anything Of personal nature
their f1Gnces.
Books, desk accessories, accessor
Of sport-a riding crop, or someth
of that sort-were the things sugkt