14
THE COURIER
CHARACTER SKETCHES.
NO. 8.
w-JJ have considered in these columns the nervous girl, and the
111 'r' w nas an insilt'ablo longing for masculine society, and
we have, in passing, glanced at other girls; but we have not
as yet, discussed the vapid girl with a f rappo brain who is continually
talking about "society when sho ought to be trying to piece out her
most imperfect education with some plain bits of information, or else
doing her share of the family sewing, or washing dishes in the
kitchen.
My model for this class is a very pretty girl I knew a few years ago
in a southern city about twice the size of Lincoln. Coukiek readers
who follow me to the end of this sketch may conjecture that the
absence of proper material at home furnishes at least one good reason
why I have gone to another city for a typical representative of a
much too numerous class.
If there is any one word more offensive than another to cultured
people it is "society as it is used in a sickeningly patronizing way by
extremely callow jouths and immature young women. Society to
these frizzled brain persons means, not fellowship in a broad and
elevated circle or community, but has to do only with "our 6et,' and
its altogether frivolous and inconsequential comings and goings.
The ,jirl who receives "gentleman callers,' goes to the theatre and
an occasional party, belongs to a "club' or two, and chatters non
sense with much regularity, has all the qualifications for "society."
She is wholly devoted to it, and she cannot see beyond the borders
of her own set; albeit she has a most lofty contempt for thoso
wretched persons who" are not in "society; who must perforce, find
their pleasure in study, or in literary or musical pursuits; who are
not educated up to the point where they can understand and appre
ciate the idle gossip of a set of silly men and women, or enjoy its
puerile entertainments. The men of "our set"' are, if anything, worse
than the women. A woman who is daft on five o'clock teas and
"parties" arid "society" is bad enough; but a grown man in this
land of pure and bracing air whose sole interests are in the ball room
and the absurd doings of his particular section of "society, has a
very slight reason for existence. He v ould do well to take a nap
and forget to wakeup. It is hardly to be wondered at that healthy
men and women with intellects above the level of bon-honsand after
dinner coffee cups experience a feeling a nausea when they hear
the inane babbling of these younglings about "society," and it is not
strange that this word as now used has fallen into disfavor among
people to whom society means something altogether different from
"our set" and its nonsense.
The young lady under consideration, was. as I have already re
marked, pretty, and on first acquaintance she sometimes made a very
favorable impression. Two or three meetings disclosed her shallow
ness. The most commonplace question outside of her petty "society"
interests would sound the bottom of her intelligence.- She seldom
talked of anything save "society." and she gave to this subject an
importance that was most amusing. What, to her, were the latest
tidings from Europe as to the probability of a continental war, or
information as to the probable majority in congress on the silver bill
or the tariff, or the price of wheat, or the progress of social science,
or any kindred subject, beside the all absorbing question as to what
Minnie's new dress was trimmed wilh, or who took Jenny to the
theatre, or the date of the next reception! She never opened a
newspaper except to turn to the "society"column, and I do not think
she could have told whether the president of the United States was
a democrat or a republican, or whether the next day would be the
tenth or the twentieth of the month, except as she happened to know
from some card of invitation or some incident in the social calendar.
Shu marked off time by the parties she attended, and the weather
was fair or gloomy according as she had a "good" or a "slow" time.
Once in a great while she looked into a look because in some
manner some member of "our set" had happened to tumble into the
pages or a current literary freak, and then talked about his adven
ture. That is the reason I occasionally saw a carefully displaced
volume of Jerome or Kipling or Ries, with the leaves appropriately
turned down, on her parlor table.
the family purse was slender, allowing no servants, she willing
toiled in the kitchen while Mary sat with folded hands in the parlor
talking to an effigy of a man, or doing nothing. Mary never ruffled
her beauty by worrying over her mother's ceaseless labor.
A great many men called on her, some of them butterflies in the
swadding clothes of chappiedom; a few were men of intelligence and
position in the world, who were attracted by her beauty. These
latter would listen to her rattling on about "society" and its fripper
ies with a pleased expression on their faces.. They called an in
genue. She was a favorite, because she happened to be pretty.
She usually arose between 10 and 11 a. m.. and by two o'clock sho
was ready to begin her devotions before the shrine of her divinity
"society." She had absolutely nothing else to do. Sho was in for
anything if any of "our set' had anything to do with it.
I do not know whether she has married. If sho has she must
have become a tiresome, giddy matron, and if sho is still single 1 am
afraid she is on the' threshold of a garrulous spinsterhood. Tevjt.
THE TEA CUP AND SOCIETY.
Since the edict of fashion has decreed that the five o'clock tea,
should become and continue an important and fashionable function
Americans have given the preparation of this slightly stimulating
beverage more attention than in former years, although it has play
ed an important part in the history or the nation almost since its
birth.
For years it was considered a simple matter to prepare a pot of
tea, but, as the woman of America has borrowed extensively from
all other countries and placed every land and clime under contribu
tion to furnish and decorate her table, she has grown wise in the
prep'aration of this delicious beverage.
The Russian likes his tea as black as ink and insists upon having
it strongly flavored with the juice of the lemon. Until recently
Russia has been justly considered the greatest tea drinking nation,,
but although the plant is Asiatic in origin and ever will remain so
in cultivation, its use has spread until it isnow a popular beverage
.in every civilized land. Many celebrated philosophers, statesman,
poets and authors have been addicted to its use to an intemperate
degree. Dr. Johnson drank it all times and insisted upon having it
served so strong that it impaired his digestion and ruined his health.
It is now a ration, regularly served in the English army and navy.
The African explorer, the Australian miner and the Indian tourist,,
travels with a quantity of tea and the necessary apparatus for pre
paring it.
The Chinese have always been experts in the preparation of tea,
but strange as it may seem are not given to drinking it in large
quantities. When a Chinese lady wishes to prepare a cup of tea for
an afternoon caller, she takes a pinch of the dried leaves, puts them
in a dainty jorcelain cup and covers them with boiling water. This
cup is then carefully covered with an extra saucer, made for that
purpose, and the drink allowed to stand until the flavor of the leaves
is extracted, while it is partaken of in dainty little sips, always,
without milk or sugar. Every merchant or professional man in
China, whether he be a native, European or American, invites his
customer or caller to partake of a cup of tea on arrival.
To the daughters of the flowery kingdom belongs the palm for
brewing the cheering cup, however. These gentle Oriental dames
attend tea making schools and employ the services of instructors
much in the same way that their western sisters attend cooking
schools and the lectures of celebrated chefs. The Japanese nobility
are not only fond of tea. but make its service a matter of great im
portance and a traveler in the Island kingdom sometimes sees tea
services worth fabulous sums, many of them being of pure gold,
studded with precious stones. One of the early rulers of Japan
sought to check this extraxagance by prohibiting the manufacture
of a tea service above a certain value. But as this only started the
court nobles to importing the most expensive wares of China and
Corea, the law was soon repealed.
Sure, efficient, easy HOOD'S PILLS. They should be in cvery
travellcrs grip and every family medicine chest. 2.1c a box.
This girl's mother was almost as foolish as her daughter. She
thoujrht Man" was destined for a brilliant social career, and though
Famous have the iinest millinery store in the west and goods at
prices to suit you.
..
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