Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-01
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Let's see what Is 1t one must do t
appear Sophisticated, since sophiStica.
ton seems to be the need of the hour?
Everywhere those of us who were
brought up by what are called Vic.
torian standards are beginning to fee
the urge for personal reform If we are
to keep up with the times in which We
live.
To be worldly wise seems to be thc
be-all and end-all. And we possess ar
intense laundering to be regarded as eX'
perierced in or pertaining to the more
artificial phases of life.
We would be sophisticated, the state
of being involved or subtle. We don't
know exactly what We would find our
selves involved in. as the dictionary is
silent On that phase of the matter.
This sophistication for which we pine
is bluntly defined as the state OF being
without directnesS, simplicity or natu-
ralneSS."
Directness, simplicity, naturalness-
these are to be Stunned as people once
fed from the devil with horns, tail ano
menacing pitchfork.
Artif1ciality is the keynote. Let us
be indirect. complex and artificial, and
no doubt we shall be regarded by all
the gay ones as extremely sophisticated
Let us forget that last harsh dictionary
phrase:
Something adulterated.'
Dictionaries are SO crude!
X X X
AS far as we have been able to dis
cover. the aspirant for honorS in this
regard must do at least 10 things, and
do them with apiomb, else he might as
we'll not do them at all. If you are a
woman, to smoke a cigarette with sly
look at the door to see If any one Is
noticing YOU is to fail miSerably in the
high art of sophistication.
Here is what one must do to be So
phisticated:
I. Drink.
H. Smoke.
III. Play bridge.
Nv. Dance.
v. Flirt with your friends wife.
VI Read naughty stories.
VII. Give parties"
VIII. Be daring in conversation.
TX. Be as noisy as possible.
X. Stay up as late as possible.
We present this list with pardon
able pride. It is the result of an inten-
and partly because we had been made
to feel somewhat "out of it," as the
result of our old-fashioned ideas as to
how gentlemen and gentleWomen
should act.
AS far as we know, this is the first
time in the worlds history that so
complete and honest survey has been
made in this interesting field. Others
have presented aspects only. We pre-
sent the whole thing. 1t is true that
more than 10 cardinal requirements
might be put forth, but the remainder
are, after all, only "follow-ups" on
those given here.
Any one who earnestly applies him.
self or herself to the acquisition of
these sterling talents, and gets to the
point where he stops thinking about
them, but does them earnestly and
conscientiouSly, as sort OF second
nature, will be admitted without fur
Their question to the illustriouS body of
those merry ones whose word Is law
and whose antics are the delight Of the
civilized world
X X X X
Let no one think for an instant that
these observations are SANDER upon
the United States, in general, or upon
the city Of Washington, D. c., in par
ticular. These basic requirements of
sophistication are of worldwide appli-
cation and extent They are one and
indivisible everywhere. Our study has
extended from the great Middle West to
the Atlantic, in this country, and
through various European nations by
the well known book route. One who