THE SOCIAL LADDER

                             _Drawings by_
                          CHARLES DANA GIBSON

                            [Illustration]

                       _New York_: R. H. RUSSELL
                          _London_: JOHN LANE
                                 1902

This is the seventh book in the regular series of Mr. Gibson’s published
                       drawings, consisting of:

                 DRAWINGS BY C. D. GIBSON      No. 1
                 PICTURES OF PEOPLE            No. 2
                 SKETCHES AND CARTOONS         No. 3
                 THE EDUCATION OF MR. PIPP     No. 4
                 AMERICANS                     No. 5
                 A WIDOW AND HER FRIENDS       No. 6
                 THE SOCIAL LADDER             No. 7

 Each book contains eighty-four of Mr. Gibson’s best cartoons, and all
are uniform in size, shape and binding. Thanks are due Messrs. Mitchell
& Miller for their co-operation in making this volume as representative
                       and complete as possible.

                    Copyright by Mitchell & Miller
               COPYRIGHT, 1902, BY ROBERT HOWARD RUSSELL

This book is published in Great Britain by especial arrangement with Mr.
James Henderson, the proprietor of the English copyright of some of the
                               drawings.

        Printed in the United States of America, in July, 1902
                      Entered at Stationers’ Hall

[Illustration]

[Illustration: THE SOCIAL LADDER]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: STUDIES IN EXPRESSION.

AN IMITATION OF THE LADY OF THE HOUSE.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: MRS. STEELE POOLE’S HOUSEWARMING.

_She_: “YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS TO LOVE.”

“I DON’T, EH? HAVEN’T I BEEN TO EVERY PLAY, READ EVERY POPULAR NOVEL IN
THE LAST SIX MONTHS, GOT INTO DEBT HOPELESSLY, HAD MY APPENDIX REMOVED,
AND ALL FOR YOUR SAKE?”]

[Illustration: MR. MEEKER DOESN’T OBJECT SO MUCH TO HIS WIFE’S
ENTERTAINMENTS AS HE DOES TO THE WAY SHE USES HIS ROOM FOR THE
GENTLEMEN’S THINGS.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: HIS REVENGE.

_Time: Any morning at 4:15._

MR. MEEKER, HAVING BEEN KEPT UP LATE FOR THE LAST TWENTY YEARS AND
REBUKED FOR HIS LACK OF INTEREST, DEVELOPS A SUDDEN ENTHUSIASM. MRS.
MEEKER AND THE GIRLS NOW DO THE WAITING.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: STUDIES IN EXPRESSION.

AT A DRAMATIC AGENCY.]

[Illustration: THE SONG OF THE DÉBUTANTE.

“MOTHER, DEAR MOTHER, COME HOME WITH ME NOW.”]

[Illustration: THE TROUBLES OF THE RICH.

AT THE LAST MOMENT, SEVERAL WHO WERE INVITED SEND THEIR REGRETS.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: THE STORY OF HIS LIFE.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: THE HEIRESS.

    SHE CANNOT TALK, SHE CANNOT SING,
      SHE LOOKS A FRIGHT; BUT FOLKS AVER
    TEN MILLIONS HAVE BEEN SET APART
      TO TALK AND SING AND LOOK FOR HER.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: MR. GRUBBS WALKS IN HIS SLEEP AND APPEARS FOR THE FIRST
AND ONLY TIME AT AN ENTERTAINMENT IN HIS OWN HOUSE.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: WHY NOT

HAVE PLATE GLASS FRONTS TO THE OPERA BOXES? THE OCCUPANTS COULD STILL BE
SEEN, BUT NOT HEARD.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: THE NEXT MORNING

_Mrs. Innittor Dedd’s maid reads_: “AMONG THOSE PRESENT WAS MRS.
INNITTOR DEDD, WHOSE LOVELY FACE AND SPLENDID FIGURE WERE ENHANCED BY A
TIARA OF DIAMONDS AND THREE ROPES OF PEARLS. SHE WORE HER FAMOUS RUBIES
AND WAS EVEN MORE REGAL THAN AT THE BULLYON’S BALL THE NIGHT BEFORE,”
ETC., ETC.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: ADVICE TO A HOSTESS.

KEEP YOUR ENTERTAINMENT WITHIN THE MENTAL GRASP OF YOUR GUESTS.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: MODERN CELEBRITIES.

AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE AUTHOR OF “THE BARRENNESS OF
UNKISSED KISSES” AND A FAMOUS DRAMATIST.]

[Illustration: WASTED ENERGY.

_Professor Bung_: A BEAUTY? WELL, PERHAPS SHE IS.

_Mr. Rattles_: WHY, MAN, HAVEN’T YOU NOTICED THE DIVINE WAY SHE SMILES?

“OH, I’M NOT ALTOGETHER UNOBSERVANT. I HAVE MADE A CALCULATION, IN FACT,
THAT THE ENERGY EXPENDED ON HER SMILES, IF SCIENTIFICALLY APPLIED, WOULD
RUN AN AUTOMOBILE.”]

[Illustration: STUDIES IN EXPRESSION.

SHOWING THAT A MAN MAY BE A HERO IN HIS OWN HOUSE.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: PARASITES.

BASKING IN THE GOLDEN SUNSHINE.]

[Illustration: OF COURSE THERE ARE MERMAIDS.]

[Illustration: PLENTY OF GOOD FISH IN THE SEA.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: HIS CHRISTMAS GIFT.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: A SUGGESTION.

FOR ILL-ASSORTED PAIRS.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: MRS. KATCHAM PRIDES HERSELF ON ALWAYS HAVING THE LATEST
CELEBRITY AT HER HOUSE. TO-NIGHT IT IS NO LESS A PERSONAGE THAN
“GOUGER.”]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: STUDIES IN EXPRESSION.

WHILE UNCLE JOE HAS HIS TIE FIXED.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: A CROOKED TALE.

    THERE WAS A CROOKED MAN,
      WHO MADE A CROOKED DEAL,
    AND GOT A CROOKED FORTUNE
      BY A VERY CROOKED STEAL;
    HE HAD A CROOKED WIFE,
      WITH A VERY CROOKED NAME,
    AND NOW THEY LIVE APART
      IN VERY CROOKED FAME.]

[Illustration: _He_: YOU PROMISED TO BE MY PUPIL AND LEARN TO LOVE ME.

“BUT IT MAKES SUCH A DIFFERENCE WHEN YOUR HEART ISN’T IN YOUR WORK.”]

[Illustration: THE AMBITIOUS MOTHER AND THE OBLIGING CLERGYMAN.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: FROZEN.]

[Illustration: WHERE IGNORANCE, ETC.

“WHERE DID YOU GO ON YOUR WEDDING TRIP?”

“THAT’S WHAT I’VE BEEN WONDERING.”]

[Illustration: STUDIES IN EXPRESSION.

WHILE A SPANISH-AMERICAN HERO DESCRIBES THE HORRORS OF WAR.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: THE MERRY-GO-ROUND.]

[Illustration: THE BROKER RINGS UP HIS GIRL.

“HELLO! HELLO! BIG STRIKE IN CONSOLIDATED CATAMOUNT--CAN MARRY--WANT
THREE DAYS’ OPTION HAND AND HEART.”

_She_: WILL GIVE REFUSAL.]

[Illustration: ANOTHER MOTH.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: THE ENTHUSIAST WHO INSISTS UPON SHOWING YOU HIS ESTATE.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: STUDY IN EXPRESSION.

WHILE THE HOSTESS WHISPERS TO JONES, “REMEMBER, NOW, WE ARE COUNTING ON
YOU TO MAKE US LAUGH.”]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: ONE OF THE DISADVANTAGES OF BEING IN LOVE WITH AN
ATHLETIC GIRL.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: PILLSBURY DOES NOT CARE FOR SOCIETY, BUT HIS WIFE WILL
NOT GO WITHOUT HIM.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: WHY SOME CHILDREN DIDN’T GET THEIR PRESENTS.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: ALAS! THE VOICE OF HIS FIANCÉE.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: STUDIES IN EXPRESSION.

THE AUTHOR AND THE SOUBRETTE.]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: THE HALF ORPHAN.

“MAMMA WILL BE DOWN IN A MINUTE.”]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: “UNLUCKY AT CARDS, LUCKY IN LOVE.”]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: WHEN A MAN’S IN LOVE.]