The Immortal 400

The foundations of society threaten to be broken up. A bitter quarrel has occurred between two leaders of tlie 400 people who compose the only fashionable society of New York. It threatens to split the set. The quarrel is over the coming center nial quadrille. There are heartburnings, there are sleepless nights. There is whitening hair, there is nervous pro8tration. One great leader has informed the other that "such language f rom you to me, sir, cannot be tolerated." There is a story, probably not true, that the founder of the noble f amily of one of the leaders was a waif picked up f rom a shipwreck. The devout Long Islanders, seeing in the child tlius eaved a direct manifeetation of divine Providenoe, named him Preserved Pish, and f rom him tbe noble family is descended. Bot if now the mighty 400 split in two, some unworthy misereante whose own fathers, instead of their grandfathers, were in trade, may slip hito üret society unaw&res. The government at Washington would then no longer lire, as Garfield said, though possibly God might Btill reign by special favor of some of the 400. It was said some time ago that the 400 were f uil, and there were no vacancias and no more would be admitted. Sinoe then, bowever, Mrs. Cleveland has been permitted to squeeza in. The verdict was, " We'll admit her, though she is rawther ptovincial in dressand inanncr."