New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1929-02-19
DEb'S MOTHER HAS
RESPONSIBLE JOB
Little Known Member Of Family
Real Power Behind the Sctn6

Washington. Feb. ~ R4-Much
has been written about the Wash
iEgton debutante, but little has been
heard of her mother. the real power
behind the throne.
The mother Of Washington
deb" Is combination Of maid. Sec
rotary and Asentinel. She stands
between daughter and the toll which
late hours and strenuous round OF
gaiety would exact, were there not
some one to stand guard over bright
eyes, fresh compaexions and unflag-
glng animation.
The duty OF Washington moth
er is to protect and advance her
daughter. The social hostess OF a
big Washington hotel where much
OF the seasons gaiety centers, says
to mothers about to launch their
daughters on the social seas:
This is your business. 1t will de-
pend on you whether your daugh-
ter has a good time. Don't expec:
to enjoy the season yourself. You
will have to sacrifice yourself"
Most of the mothers willingly DO
SO. Slim little daughter, having
danced the soles off her slippers
until four O'Clock In the morning.
curls UP under the eiderdown and
sleeps until noon. Mother stands
guard over the door and the tele-
phone to see that the precious
bea uty sleep IL not disturbed.
Daughters day begins at noon
with luncheon. Then follow In
fast and furious while, tea dances.
dinners and perhaps several par
ties or balls in an evening. A girl
Is not considered q social success
unless every day and evening IL full.
As a result. her father Is usually
out several thousand dollars nj
daughter, as one Washington mother
expresses it, Is - wreck"
It costa from $500 to $1,000 to
give daughter the proper kind Of a
coming-out party. Then. there are
the seasons expense OF dress which
include many different gowns and
evening wraps, dozens OF shoes,
slippers. stockings. gloves and other
accessories. Some resourceful moth
ers of modest means wave q fairy
wand over daughters wardrobe
with cunning package Of dye. In
this way. one gown can bloom In
varying hues for several parties. No
small item of the expense are the
tickets for big balls which run from
$40 to SIS couple. 1t IL the
Washington custom for the debu-
tantes to furnish tickets for their
young man escorts.
Times have changed since was
4 girl" sighed one mother. Then
1t was the men who sought the
company OF the girl. Now It's re-
versed. But men are 30 scarce
here"
No ball IL considered 4 success
unless there IL q ''cut-in line" which
means extra men. At the opening
sdebutante ball at the Willard hotel,
= special delegation Of young men
was invited with the distinct under
standing that they were to "cut-in"
on dances. While some young men
send flowers. by far the greatest
quantities are sent by the debs to
each other.
In spite OF the scarcity OF men
sometimes a girl dazzles the rest
OF the debs by announcing her en-
gagement within a few weeks Of her
debut. So keen is the rivalry among
prospective debuantes for desirable
dates and places for their debuts
that already some OF them are maxi
ing arrangements for their next sea-
sons parties, The mother OF one
young girl has arranged with
leading hotel for their largest ball
room late in next December and has
decided that her daughters coming
out dress will be OF white velvet.