Making Her Debut

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 100, 2 May 1885, Page 5

Making Her Debut

" How do you fool?" The question was put by a fond mamma to her debutante daughter as they entered the hall, and I carried the reply in my mind only until I could get into an ante room to write it down, so well did it reveal the sad artificiality which fashion imposes

on a mere child. "Oh, I'm awfully afraid I'm not looking my best," said the young creature, "and I'm so nervous that I shake like an overbred terrier. lam going to be awkward — I know I am, and I shall make a failure." That sense of self-exhibition in a child that ought to have been a careless merry maker! Doubtless, sho had been in strict training for the event, like a pugilist for a light Hard lessons in dancing and deport ment, arduous drilling in the art of small talk, much practice of facial expression be fore her mirror and tedious experiences with adreasmakerhad brought herintoacondition for what— so she had been led to believe was a most serious feat . Do you supped that lam exaggerating ? W hy , I personally know of a case in which a delicate girl, having been trained down too fine, and therefore liable to be worn instead of fresh in appearance, was sent to a Turkish bath on the afternoon of the debut, where 9he w^ steamed, sprayed and rubbed, after which she was put to bed at home fota sleep of two hours, with the result that she finally showed herself in a state of revivification re*em bling the bright-eyed anji rosy -cheeked health of *mflkmaicfc>— * k ßoatoa Hw«l& M