Smyrna times., 1871-04-12
Misplaced Confidence.

When the gray-beards shake their heads
wisely and deplore the freedom and unrc
strained intercourse between the sexes which
forms so striking feature of American life
the only reply ever made is that III this way
men and women come to know each other,
and to find safety in intelligence instead Of
isolation. But every day we see instances of
fatuity in men and women which would
almost seem to indicate that there is no
thoroughly trustworthy system of defense
against social dangers but the closed Larecm
and the fetter-locks OF Cluny. The most |
select circles of Arkansas aud Tennessee are |
now violently agitated by the exploits Of one !
Hardwlcke, who seems to have drlited about
the West for the last decade marrying all the
single women who came within the sphere OF
his acquaintance. And acquaintance in this
case has a very wide Specification. This
HOOSier LOtharo had the prompt and practi-
cal habit of sitting down beside eligibe-ook
ing women in railway trains, informing them
he was distant relative, going home with
! them, and marrying them with the greatest
expedition. If they had any money he gene
rally managed to get it into his own hands in
few weeks, and then lett his wife in that
mixed state OF responsibility aud helplesSnsss
called in the Western language grass widow
| hood. lie seems everywhere to have met
with the treatment guaranteed by anxious ad
vertisers to thieves making restitution, kindly
received and no questions asked. lie married
maidens and widows with impartial alacrity,
and his clumsy fctions satisfied both alike.
The rural innocence Of Iowa, the trusting
plantre$ses of Arkansas, and the wideawake
beauties of Chicago and st. Louis walked with
the same trusting step into his open snare.
He had apparently but the one full and salts
factory credential he was total stranger and
, talked marriage. His antecedentS were ire
proachable, and his intentions perfectly honor
able. 1t seems impossible that in an age of
: journalism any one should be found SO un-
5 sophisticated as to accept a wandering adven
Y turers account of himself as satisfactory, OF
: that in this day of woman enfranchisement 1
mere willingness to get married should be
taken as an aIl-sutficent proof of worth. Blu
e the exploits of this matrimonial vagabond were
a founded exclusively upon this basis: no ont
i knew anything about him, and he away
promptly proposed marriage.
n 1t IS this facility OF approach which SO amaze
foreigners In their observations OF this country
l. Nowhere else in the world is a stranger ad
C mitted to the domestic circle of decent peopl
without some knowledge of his position an
10 character. The strictest inqusiton is mad
n into his standing at home before he is give
ID any of the privileges Of intimacy; and, in
matter SO important as marriage the law come
N III to and the caution Of individuals, and I
ly establish every circumstance of his birth, rC
is Sidence, and social relations. An instance o.
at currred recently in Paris, where young mar
We who had committed the indscrction of beu
born ia America, could not be married at ii
he Mayors office because he had no proofs of Il
1tl death OF his grandfather. So profound is tt
eS astonlshment OF travellers over our neglect
Ca these salutary precautions that they cease
ry discriminate between degrees of impropriet
I'D aud indulge In the widest vagaries Of recolle
he ton when they get home. Mr. Maurice San
OF in his romance Of Mss Mary makes his her
RI inc, young New York belle, pick up gent
I'D man whose appearance pleases her on terr
ms boat, and drive him over to HOboken for
rol DAY in the woods; on coming back finding S
nd has forgotten her latch-key, she takes him
a fashionable hotel, engages tw) apartmen
'ba and the two hail fellows pass the night in {
9TH joining rooms, in that fearless innocence viii
lry is characteristic Of American manners u
ian morals. This is so absurd and fantastic Il
er- it needs no criticism or comment. Yet
old Sand affirmS that all these things happen ia
,tul in New YOrk-and he passed several mont
The here, well received and Hospitality entertain
ing in society. The extravagancies of Flel
out teuetonst are perhaps not worthy Of eSpeC
notice but what shall We say of Mrs. StoN
Will who introduces to us a young lady of &C
low position who makes an acquaintance in a sire
'nIy Car and gives him her card at her own do
the step? There is no one more accurate in
ern. observations, or more conscientious in
,aid statements, than the author of cold It,
in Folks and when she draws a picture
by contemporary manners like this it is not enOl
lnds to denOunce it as an absurdity, or a libel
owl is sketch of the manners and customs c
lun- certain grade of social culture among US
ege. course, it is not the highest and best, for
:, is as near perfection in its union Of ease
mil decorum as anything that ever existed
ty 1t even the most fashionable for in that ci
the the necessities of the hour are more and n
lted recognized by continual approach to the
1t straints of Continental society. But it can
lted be denied that there is wide area OF not
J. well defined social territory, where the free,
estl- of a simpler state of development has survi
l di. changing into Objectionable license with
AIDED progress OF wealth and luxury. The pc
} the who send voluminous accounts of their re-
hca tlOnS and weddingt to the socalled society par
ople who, having obtained wealth, are engaged
mple deadly struggle for recognition, the yC
well ladies' who give balls In their own names
, the the lads who call themselves society men,
aud but vague and confused ideas of the social
and gencies that make the life of great city
quit different matter from the unconventional
ween tence OF rural village. 1t is not from
king authorities that the new code Of minor ETH
se by to come. The better sort have already lea
the lesson that comes by instinct to sue
war possess true refinement. The rest mus
urses brayed for while in the mortar of exnerif
would They must marry few more harhar-co,
ence- lose few more spoons at the hands of ole
) and guests, suffer few more horrors of shame
scandal in the bosoms of their own fam
before they conclude that the older civ
tions knew something of human nature
TIE, and that the asphatum of capitals is
proper arena for the display Of pastoral
plicity and confidence e-N y Tribune
rench
sym. THE OCCUPATIONS OF CONGREssMEN.
case cording to a census of the new Hours of
hisre resentatives by the usually we'll informed
Wind. respondent of the New York Journal of
must mlerce, the body contains l3l lawyers, "a
lot to chants, 25 farmers and planters ii iourna
with 5 manufacturers, general business 6 ban
;m in 3physicians, clergymen, teacher, 4 lur
recep- men and railroad managers. 1t is sin
have fact, according to the same authority, tina