The Bismarck tribune., 1929-02-09

Glass;" and the designation Inc
expresses its social infallibility. With
the years It gathered unto itself more
prestige. Its rival. Mrs. Walsh's
" Friday Evening Dancing Class" is
really not a rival at all to Mrs. VIII.
liams'.
Her Cruel Blue Pencil
.The" dancing class meets in the
white and gold ballroom Of the Letter
home. but 1t u Mrs. Williams who
edits its membership with the pa.
trtcian ana sometimes cruel blue pen
eli. TO be one Of the ten or twelve
debs OF the year. chosen from = crop
that Il way over = hundred. II to be
made happy and conspicuous with
social accolade.
But not ali Of the residentials are
widowed ladies with grandchildren.
some are much younger: . few arc
much merrier. And one. 1t least. IL
much more regal than her own mother.
About thirty years ago Mrs. Tom
Walsh. wife of the lucky. plucky
miner. would have been tickled to
death to have received . sheaf OF
invitations each morning. and she
would have hurried from place to
place to accept them Ill. But today
her daughter. Evelyn. wife OF Ned
Mclean. newspaper publisher. nnds
II more amusing to. assume the pre-
rogatives Of royalty and decline to
60 out.
When she does break this rule she
spends most of her time at the party
telling the guests how she happened
to come, and apologixtng for being
q fellow guest. But, In most cases.
she stays home and II the heroine
Of q saga which has for its theme
the legend: "oh. the McLeans never
20 to parties: they just give them.
but they won't 60 out"
Once in q while there rises on the
banks Of tho Potomac social radical
who dares to put the old formulae Of
etiquette above the dicta OF Mrs. NC
Lean, even II she does own Friend.
shib, q luxurious estate. and even Il
her self made social rules are sacred
on Pennsylvania avenue.
Such social independent asserted
herself last spring. to the amaxement
Of the sycophants who had bargained
with golden words Of flattery for
golden plates Of food at Mclean
dinner.
IL an sick and tired" this brave
woman declared to Mrs. Mclean, Of
going to your house whenever ! am
bidden, and Of having you decline all
my invitations. ! love your caviar.
but unless you win come over to my
house and eat baked beans With me.
IN not 60 to your house. And your
caviar is 20 good"
Whereupon Mrs. Mclean vowed
that she'd simply adore TO partAke Of
the lowly bean with one Of Washing.
tons women. The date was Get: but
before Il rolled around Mira. Mclean.
with soft words Of regret, was on for
the southland, and the beans have
grown cold with waiting.
She probably feels that she can b
. reluctant guest since she u iav.
ish hostess. Perhaps she has inherit
ed from her father those gestures Of
fljnging money across the table and
furnishing forth tGast Of Lucullus.
In 1912. Il : reception to the RUS
sian asnbAssador. she. quito literally.
dashed her guests by wearing the
famed Hone diamond.
Another dlns. with the caprice that
Il backed up BY Z hank account. she
fancied yellow lilies for . party. She
sent to England Tor i've thousand OF
them. Two men went down to New
York to fetch the fragrant cargo from
the Ludtania, ana maybe the nswsies
were right when they shouted that
the posies had cost g apiece.
Grading the Elits. :
The McIAans' erandsst party IL
On New Years eve. i u held
IN town, With two orchNGtras.
orchida. and superb social sift.
ing. 15s. 1cLean bids q tho dinnar
shout 10 of those .Waahinetonians
who. ahe b0lievoa, have climbed high.
ct On the social lAddar. Those an the
topm0ek round IL dawn a& one table
ana - safved from gold plates.
Thee ! lit&1e l6war n the uncomfoft.
ahlo aecont Glt 44 anoth1r tahle ana
81 - aame fooA. but nrom eilver
dinner oDfvleo.
After Tho 0nger bowls have boon
paasod. stil another group. : hundred
Or -. who's resting placo = still
lower on the social olopo. come n for
Democratic dancing. AZ the stroke g
twelve costly electric banner naahaa