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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (April 27, 1895)
iKHiir !MIMB The fin de siecle society man is dis cussed by "A Former Society Girl" in u 1 K! yfllfl communication to the New York Herald, I lftk JW She says: "Ever sinco the engagement of one of our heiresses to a French nobleman was announced endless criti- vV -J5 cism both for and against these inter national marriages have appeared in the press. One able article, which argued that tho New York society girl did not meet the self made stalwart American man in society, but was entirely surrounded by men of social prominence, who were naturally not bo attractive to her as the man of the same typo who was 'a finished product of the Old World courtliness,' has been refuted by the counter argument of a society woman whose pen has given the world many little stories. This woman says that, with few excep tions, these great social events, on a single one of which thousands of dollars are spent, are all paid for by the hard working business man, the husband and father of the society belle; also that Amer ican girls meet constantly the rising men of the age; wbile in a pharagraph later on she says that the sons of toil are unablo to accept invitations save for Friday and Saturday evenings, and that hostesses have had trouble to till their places at entertainments given on other nights. "lias not our loyal friend contradicted herself and refuted her own argument? What becomes of the society girl the other live nights of the week? From this standpoint, during five sevenths of her time she is surrounded by the dandies of society. Juring the last season tho same complaint has come from everywhere. Tho male element of society is largely made up of boys, and older men will not fight for a place against such striplings. The New York man has begun to be a beau at any age from seventeen to twenty during the last ten years, and five years of teas, dinners, balls, &c, rind him surfeited, and he retires to the quieter, moro satisymg life with a few intimates, some special line of study for the spare hour, and stricter attention to business. This man is certainly a more attractive companion than he who finds pleasure forever in a life made of 'seasons.' "And can the average man find any attraction jn the average society girl? Hardly, for she, in her turn, has been trained to regard society as the one and only thing to be desired, small alk tho only conversation. Thus, many a tender, true heart, combined with common sense and ability, is hidden under a mask of flippancy worn with such natural grace that only the keen observer will detect the real nature beneath. Sometimes the habit of worldliness, at first only assumed, becomes the real nature, conquering all the sound worth of the woman, while many high principled women, after two seasons, drop out to take up the burden of life. And it is these girls, met at the home of a friend, accidentally encountered on some Journey, who attract and are married by tho self-made, stal wart American. The worthy, fine men do not fascinate the average women as do the young men who are sowing their wild oats. This is ancient history, but the fact that business or professional men do not find time or inclination to be constant votaries of society is present truth. The late hours, the late suppers, dull the brain for the problems to be met the next day, and therefore society cannot Smith's neckwear is correct. 1137 O street. boast among its real members tho brainy men of this country. Society is necessary; far be it from me to run it down. We all neod it, men and women, but if there were tho same indopendenco of action and freedom from attempt to copy foroign, especially English, customs that there was in our forefather's time, life would bo moro real, more profitable and moro healthy, morally and physically, in this country.,' William Dean Howells has written Bomo verses on society. Ho treats tho subject seriously I. I looked and saw a splendid pageantry Of beautiful women and of lordly men. Taking their pleasure in a flowery plain. Where poppies and tho red anemone, And many another leaf of cramoiBy Flickered about their feet, and gave their stain To heels of iron or satin, and the grain Of silk-n garments floating far and free, ABin tho dance they wove themselves, or strayed By twos together, or lightly smiled and bowed. Or courtcsied to each other, or else played At games of mirth and pastime, unafraid In their delight, and all so high and proud. They seemed scarce of the earth whereon they trod. II. I looked again and saw that flowery space Stirring, as if alive, beneath the tread That rested now upon an old man's head. And now upon a baby's gasping face, Or mothor's bosom, or tho rounding grace Of a girl's throat, and what had seemed th.i red Of flowers was blood, in gouts and gushes ahed From hearts that broke under that frolic pace. And now and then from out the dreadful floor An arm or brow was lifted from the rest, As if to strike in madness, or implore For mercy, and anon some suffering breast Heaved from tho mass and sank, and as before The revelers abovo them thronged and pressed. Some beautiful old dances wero revived at the Twelfth night entertainment given in New York Thursday under the management of Mrs. Henry Clews, Mrs. Berryman and other woll known society leaders, on behalf of the Free Home for Incurables. A feature of this festival was the many old time dances in antique costumes and settings. Saraband, Canarie and Eergomasque dances wero given for the firat time in many years. The Saraband is a stately dance once popular in Spain, France and England. Fuertes in his history of Spanish music, published in Madrid in 1859, says that the dance was invented in the middle of the Sixteenth century by a dancer called Sarabanda, a native of Seville. It was introduced at tho French court in 1553, when Richelieu, wearing green velvet, knee breeches and with bells on his feot danced it in a ballet before Anne of Austria. In England it was soon transformed into an ordinary country dance, to be danced "longways for as tnaDy as will," like the Sir Roger de Coverly. Bach and also Handel, in his opera of "Almira,'" composed Sarabands with a strangely accentuated and majestic rhythm. Bergamasca, or Bergomasque, is an Italian dance, deriving its name from the well known city of Bergamo, the birthplace of Tasso, Donizetti and other eminent Italians. It is danced by two er&ons in masks. Mendelssohn has the dance in his setting of "Midsummer Night's Dream." The Canarie is an antiquated dance, deriving its name from the Canary Islands, whence it is said to have been introduced into Europe. It was greatly in vogue during the time of Louis XIV and is a species of Jig, the distinct pecularity of which :s that the first note of the bar is nearly always dotted. Tan shoes at Webster & Rogers. Ice cream and ices for parties at Sisler's.133 South Twelfth street. Dunlop hats at Smith's 1 137 O st-reet Telephone G3U. Have your watch repaired at Fleming's 1224 O street. Gasoline stoves at Frank Lahr's. L