President Cleveland and "Society."
By Editor
AT the nation's capital, "society" is all agog: "society" is terribly shocked; "society" feels rebellious; "society" has actually resolved to keep away from the White House! And what is it all about? Oh, the times! Oh, the manners! Oh, wonderful to tell! President Cleveland eats his breakfast at eight o'clock in the morning, instead of lying abed till ten or eleven, and breakfasting at noon, as "society" does. But worse, far worse than this—most terribly shocking—he works with his coat off! yes, actually works in his shirt sleeves!! And "society" is almost in convulsions. He is charged with the unpardonable crime of thus showing his "contempt" for "society." "Society" says that "Mr. Arthur's administration was a continual delight to society people. With his courtly manners, his æsthetic tastes, and the bevy of charming ladies in the fragrant parlors, the White House grew to be a sort of Windsor Castle, to be admitted to which all society people felt honored." But President Cleveland has no "courtly manners"—in his private office he works in his shirt sleeves. He has no æsthetic tastes—he eats his breakfast at eight o'clock. The White House isn't a "Windsor Castle" any more—the president is a plain American and cannot ape English royalty. And because of all this accumulated series of "shocking" sins of the president, "society" is in the last throes of dissolution. Poor "society!"