Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-11-04
Ladies'.

One of the most popular of American
vulgarisms is the ridiculous use of the
words LADY" and gentleman" These un-
fortunate words are made to do such in
discriminate service that they have lost all
their individuality and no longer mean
anything. The fine old Sanon woman ),
and "man"are too plain and homely to suit
corrupt modern tastes, and the vulgar no.
tion that ''lady" is something finer and
better than 'woman, has spread through
almost all classes of society, producing the
most absurd results. Women no longer
exist, and even men are becoming scarce
The Court of Quarter Sessions is filed,
daily, with 'ladies'' who have assembled
to hear how one ''lady" gave another
''lady" a black eye for saying she was "no
lady," because she merely kicked the other
''lady's" boy Patrick down stairs. The
lady" who presides over the fish stall in
the market refers you to the "lady" oppo-
site for fine assortment of greens. The
revised editions of the poets will soon be
coming out with such modern amendments
as these:
"Frailty thy name is lady,
Oh, lady, in our hours of ease
Uncertain, coy and hard to please"
Il dare do all that doth become gentleman"
Bone of my bone. flesh of my flesh
Before me : Lady is her name."
And as the vulgarlsm spreads it NAV at
ias9 ioicO inS way luto Tue SraVeSC prose,
and we shall have the awkward lover COM
PEELED to confess that he ''takes this lady to
be his welded lady," while in the funeral
service we shall be reminded of the ssgen.
tleman that is born of lady" The neat,
trim, refined young women who preside at
the counters of our stores are beginning to
fade away into "sales-ladies !" and it will
not be long before ''washer-ladies" do up
our linen for u.s. while "flre-gentlemen''
eXtinguish our confiagrations, and work
gentlemen" build our houses and railroads.
There is deadly affectation i'm all this,
and yet it is astonishing to observe how
widespread is the vulgarism. 1t is to be
seen among the circles of fashion,
able life, where ignorantly educated
any reference to their honorable dis
tinction of womanhood, and regard
an alluston to male acquaintance as
man" as shocking breach of propriety
When an individual becomes ashamed of
being a "woman," and fancies that she
achieves some sort of social elevation by
becoming ''lady" instead, it may be ac-
cepted as proof positive that she is either
very ignorant or very weak-headed. or very
destitute OF right womanly qualities and
principles; and the same rule applies to
the other sex. There is no reason why a
young woman who earns her own living
honestly should not be in all respects the
equal or the superior of one who has been
reared in ease, aff1uence and luxury. A
saleswoman, for instance, may possess all
that modesty, refinement, intelligence and
gentleness which constitute true wo.
manhood. If she does possess them,
they will be recognized by every
one of either sex who has the capacity for
appreciating them. and she will be honored
and esteemed accordingly. But we should
be apt to feel little suspicious of ''sales-
lady," We should be on the lookout for
affectation, conceit and general Stiffness
and we would rarely be disappointed.
Women who glory in their womanhood are
sure to be held in honor by all manly men,
but woman whose ambition is to be called
"a lady," because she imagines that it
makes her something higher and better
and of more consequence in society, will
win contempt where she courts respect,
and well deserved ridicule where she most
deserves to be held in esteem. Let us have
more true men and women in American
society, and fewer counterfeit ladies and
gentlemen, and society at large will be
greatly benefited thereby.