The New York herald., 1922-06-18

:
American society,"" In and
out Of novels-which. as you prob
ably know. is an extremely dificuit
subject and any person now at
tempting to discuss it il obliged to
stop and rest his mind with lighter
topic. such. say. as the economic
state Of Europe But if you have
patence you are going to find out
why this is; also why society is the
despair of many an author, as book
material. and for those striving for
tocial position.
Mr.. Chambers Is the last person In
the world to have any intellectual
az to grind. and he isn't much given
to talk because a man cannot talk
and write at the same time. And
since 1893 he has produced over
fifty books. So it was pure generos-
fty and kindness Of heart that
prompted him to solve the mystery
OF society"
And as that Is so, 1t would not be
fair for Mr.. Chambers to lose any
friends through these remarks. So
I wish to take aside all authors Of
our society novels: all beautiful So
ciety women: all slender cotillon
leaders. and the fairest debutantes,
and tell them not to mind. Mr..
Chambers was not talking for you:
but for the editor of this paper.
Now. should you chance to be an
ordinary, respectable commuter.
fearing God and paying your gro
cery bills, you have probably had
moments of concern when reading
the so-called society novel. For
sometimes. when following the hero
through grand party. you've prob
ably thought he'd made a mistake
and got into a freman's ball. Or.
That this same hero has gone a-tea-
dancing. with his favorite scrub
woman The reason, Mr. Chambers
says. for these strange manners
and customs. and folk dressed to
represent ladies and gentlemen. is
because many Of our authors who sit
down to write OF society" really
haven't the faintest idea how a well
bred person should behave.
I regret just as much as you do
that cannot quote just exactly
what he said. because his way OF
putting things has an irresistible
charm. But as Mark Twain thought
this style OF writing an interview su-
perior to all others. recommend IL
to you. Now, if there be any fire.
men among you, do not be offended
about your ball. For. in Mr. Cham
bers's opinion. firemen are just as
much society people as any one
else. If you are going to consider So
ciety in the European sense. And il
you are taking II In the American
sense. why, there isn't any such
thing.
New York. he says. has many cir
seies. which taken together just in
speaking of them. for actually they
never meet. make up what might be
termed society" People meet. dine,
attend opera and theaters and dances.
horse shows: Childs' restaurants. the
movies and parade upon Fourteenth
street. depending, of course. upon
whether one belong 10 the upper or
the lower circle The way to get
into society. such as it is. is not. as
some think, BY having either what's
called blood" or money. For. Mr.
Chambers says, that presenting a
twig off the family tree as a sort of
sacred molly. ringside seat in fash
ionable circles. Is entirely out OF
date.
People meet each other to be
amused And any one who is genial.
clever and amusing to the circle in
which he happens to cast his social
Sartunes will get on and probably
become a favorite- And Mr. Cham
bers intimates that II is far more
szficuit to find a person with these
three qualifications than it is to find
one with as many millions of sollars.