The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-02-07
The Old Order
Changeth gHs'
80
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 lady--or are entitled to call
yours one so long as you 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,
and 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 be done, and in spite
of the debts there had been to pay
otter the husbands long Illness.
On the parlor table there was a copy
Of 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 show 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 real niece-had, for one brief
season mingled in society that never
found its way to Caroline's poor lit
tie widows flat.
. Then came the marriages of Caro-
line and Babette's mother and the
death Of both Babettes parents, the
death Of Carolines 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 60 to the
theater unchaperoned, never went to
the movies on a Saturday night with
out Caroline in tow, though poor euro
line sometimes endured all kinds Of
torment fearing that she was a 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
II 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 "well-bred
engaged people did not give personal
presents" The young man, besides
the engagement ring, should give moth
ing but flowers, books and candy" Her
own husband had given her a copy of
Tennyson's poems on the Christmas
they were engaged, and the Tennyson
now reposed beneath the book on good
form on the parlor table.
He had given her roses on all holt
days and candies every weekend.
There was no reason, Caroline said,
why her son should not do so much
for Babette He could afford 1t, for
he was now getting a generous salary.
Babette didn't often protest, but she
was q practical bit of girl, and when
she might have been making a cOllec-
ton Of useful household things given
her by her observation-disclosures other
girls she knew did-she took small
pleasure in the little bunch of roses
that faded on her bureau after every
holiday nor in the candles that she
shared with her cousins every week
end.
From her own slender earnings she
might have bought things that would
eventually have helped feather the
nest, too, but Caroline assured her
that would not have been in good
form The great authority especially
cautioned young women against Civ.
ing anything Of a personal nature to
their fiGnces.
Cooks, desk accessories, accessories
Of sport-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 at eight hours day
and knew no sports save struggling
with the crowds on his daily trip t.
anc from that office, Babette's choice
was limited to books.
He liked the Stevenson and the Kip
ling she had given him, but how mucl
sooner they could have been married
IL instead of those books she could
have given him something that would
do for the little flat-chairs and ia
bles, or a rug, perhaps!
1t was three weeks before Christ
mas and Babette and Stephen ha,
each secretly decided to linger afte
Office hours to make the Christmas pur