stances
smoke herself; but she should not make a display of intolerance, or she,
too, had better take the first train back home, since she is likely to
find New York very, very lonely.

=HOW TOTAL STRANGERS ACQUIRE SOCIAL STANDING=

When new people move into a community, bringing letters of introduction to
prominent citizens, they arrive with an already made position, which ranks
in direct proportion to the standing of those who wrote the introductions.
Since, however, no one but "persons of position" are eligible to letters
of importance, there would be no question of acquiring position--which
they have--but merely of adding to their acquaintance.

As said in another chapter, people of position are people of position the
world over, and all the cities strung around the whole globe are like so
many chapter-houses of a brotherhood, to which letters of introduction
open the doors.

However, this is off the subject, which is to advise those who have no
position, or letters, how to acquire the former. It is a long and slow
road to travel, particularly long and slow for a man and his wife in a big
city. In New York people could live in the same house for generations, and
do, and not have their next door neighbor know them even by sight. But no
other city, except London, is as unaware as that. When people move to a
new city, or town, it is usually because of business. The husband at least
makes business acquaintances, but the wife is left alone. The only thing
for her to do is to join the church of her denomination, and become
interested in some activity; not only as an opening wedge to
acquaintanceships and possibly intimate friendships, but as an occupation
and a respite from loneliness. Her social position is gained usually at a
snail's pace--nor should she do anything to hurry it. If she is a real
person, if she has qualities of mind and heart, if she has charming
manners, sooner or later a certain position will come, and in proportion
to her eligibility.

One of the ladies with whom she works in church, having gradually learned
to like her, asks her to her house. Nothing may ever come of this, but
another one also inviting her, may bring an introduction to a third, who
takes a fancy to her. This third lady also invites her where she meets an
acquaintance she has already made on one of the two former occasions, and
this acquaintance in turn invites her. By the time she has met the same
people several times, they gr