The Washington herald., 1920-08-06

why do sgomen who are other
wise well bred and Neaservant Of the
amenities OF life, carry their private
feuds into genera societSf" asked
a woman the other day.
They do, you know" she went
en-, "and it's one of the Affections
of existence against which l al
ways rebel because it is so unneces-
sary and so brutslly selfish on the
part of those who are not willing
to deny themselves the pleasure of
indulging their petty spites. no mat
ter how much annoyance it causes
other people.
Personally, have gotten SO
tired of acting as a buffer between
ladies who are out for each others
false hair every time they meet that
X feel like retiring to some desert
solitude and doing the hermit act
the balance of my days. While as
for giving a hen luncheon, or an
afternoon at bridge, 1 am worn to
such FRAGILE trying to arrange my
guests so that they will not commit
murder upon the persons of their
next neighbors that I swear every
time j do IL that l will never sub
nit my nervous system to such a
strain again. AS a matter of fact
the difficulty of reconciling the ir-
reconcilible does keep me from do
ing lot of entertaining that
would do II 1 didn't have to worry
so over who could be asked to meet
whom without fighting.
There are about a dozen women
with whom 1 am on terms of more
or less intimacy, and all of whom
j like. for one reason or another
but they seem to have the same
effect on each other that a red flag
"has on mad bull. The minute
they meet they go for each other
hoof and horn. or else they sit Ut
In frozen silence that sends the
ConYival atmosphere down to zero
and nips my poor little party II
the bud
OF course. 1 know well enough
the reason for all of these ven.
dettas. Mrs. A dislikes Mrs. B be,
cause Mrs. BIS son doesn't pay heA
daughter any attention. Mrs. {
mates Mrs. d because Mrs. D didn't
invite her to a big reception.
Mrs. E. can't abide Mrs F.. be
cause one of them lis a Christian
Scientist and the other a Pres
oyterian and the wife of a doctor.
Mrs G. and Mrs. II. fell out ovel
the Red Cross work. and Mrs.
and Mrs J are at daggers draw
since the time they both ran fol
president of the Browning Club.
And so IT goes, and I'll say that
settling the comfy of nations is nj
more delicate nor diplomatic a iol
than placing. these women so the,
Will not rub elbows with theil
dearest enemies.
Now. l have no objections tc
my friends disliking each other i
they want to. and get any pleasure
out Of 1t. 1 believe that the psy.
biologists have discovered tha
hate is a stimulating emotion thai
is almost as enjoyable as love as q
sensation. and does US good to feel
So my women pals are welcome Il
go to il, for all of me, but 1 insist
that I shouldn't be made the victim
Of IL anu have my parties ruined
by it, and that when they indulge
in their feud orgies they should DE-
so in private.
1T seems to me that no matter
how much A woman dislikes an
other woman she should be enough
of lady to Jury the hatchet wher
Sne meets neT IN dnOtneT woman
house. and that the most elementa
good breeding should make hel
camoufiage her feelings and act as
if she found her fellow guest con-
genial. Certainly she owes thai
10 her hostess. Even savages re-
sDeCt the bread and salt that much,
but ! often have my woman friends
say to me when I ask them tc
luncheon, oh, don't put me next
10 Mrs. So-and-so, l can't bear
her"
Nor is this all The favorite in
door sport of half my wOmer
friends is abusing the other half
which puts me in a painful and en-
barrasSinC position. I don't want
to be in an eternal argument with
the traduCers, yet If l am not,
feel myself a traitor.
To sit silent and hear a friend
accused of faults she does not pos
sess, or derided for little peCuliari-
ties she may have but which are nc
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