New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-06-16


! intelligence earn their own reward; of a
government founded on right of brave,
warm American hearts.
Yes, ours is a glori0us country, shamed
| only by its frivolous sons and daughters.
For the boy Of the period is not one whit
behind his sister in the vices and follies OF
! the age.
A eonceited eoxconb, fit only to lounge
/ away his mornings in ladies' bOudolrs, in
the evenings fill opera boxes, and Ogling
| every girl within ten feet of him out of
| countenance. Without brains enough to
master Blackstone, or the science of medi-
cine, or theology, we find him Usurping
wOman's position behind the counter, meas
uring tapes and ribbons, or selling buttons
| and hair pins
Enterprising, ambitious youth He is
! quite as fastidiOus in regard to his personal
| appearance as his sister. His boots must
! be polished TO the highest degree Of bright
ness; his coat perfect fit his hair parted
! in the middle, with just dainty little wave,
! adding new beauty to his nozzle brow: a
! silk plug on one ear, iaunty cane in his
/ hand, i've cent cigar in his mouth, his
mOustache waXed and stPOked until he re.
minds one of ''puss in boots, he sWaggers
| forth to let the world behold his highness.
| Does he stop here before foppishness has
| degenerated into wickedness
! No! Night after night he reels home
| from some scene of debauchery, reeking
with foul fumes of liquor, degraded to a
level with the brutes, rushing headlOng to
an ignOble death, dishOnOred grave.
ExpOstulatiOn is in vain; he was not
drunk; no indeed only little elevated-a
rush of blood to the head.
Has he fallen so low Can he meet his
Maker with this sin resting on his soul
Can he forget that mother kneeling at his
bedside and praying, oh SO fervently, that
her boy might not be among the fallenl
Hear his reply: Religion is only gotten
up for the amusement of old women he is
going to SOW his wild oats in spite Of all
that nonsense. His mOther-well, yes the
old lady was rather fond of him, but who
could help that, and he glanced With self
complacency on his trim figure. Conceit is
one of his characteristics to be considered
that contemplate thing, a male flirt, is the
height of his ambition. To vow eternal f.
deity to every maiden he may converse
with for five minutes is his privilege.
'Girls, you know, can only talk non
sense. A little smattering of French, a
great deal of poetry, is all that is necessary,
and weally you can entertain the deah crea-
taws for hours"
To hear him descant one would think him
a blGSe man of the world, or "grand sci
gneur," who had only to throw down the
handkerchief and thousands would run to
pick it up.
Natures nobleman, combining in his
character all the poetry of chivalry and
true manhood, has passed away with old
things, and in his place we find an empty
headed fop, who cares only for his own
comfort; the best seat in the cars, the
warmest place by the fire, the easiest la
Dor, are all mOnOpolized by him.
In travelling he more clearly manifests his
selfish prOclivities; one seat for his cap and
overcoat, another for his ApOllo-like form,
and he is snugly prepared for a journey.
If an old man, bending beneath the
weight of years, enters, his lOTdship finds
the scenery outside the car window very
interesting. He paid for seat he is going
to keep it. Yes, but he did not pay for two
seats.
These are the class who settle down into
narrOw-minded men, grumbling if asked to
share their seat in their omnibus, frOwning
and making a great fuss over the least in
convenience.
This is the boy of the nineteenth century
whom we daily meet, disgusting US with
his insipidity and want of common sense,
until we are almost ready to believe him a
choice specimen in proof of the Darwinian
theory. He will with the utmost sang fIoid,
sneer at the frivolty of woman, at her inOr-
dinOte love Of display, her ignorance of the
practical duties of life.
Let him who is without sin cast the first
stOne;' let him first give up bis social game
of cards, his wines, cigars and fast horses.
Then he may rail to his hearts content at
the failings of the ''girl of the period"
Whose fault is it that the girls of our land
lead only butterfly existence!
Has it not always been instilled, with
their earliest ideas, that the chief aim in
life should be to please, to win admiration. |
And what man is there who will not pass a
Minerva in shabby clothes to lavish his at
tention on a fashionabY dressed belle who
is capable only Of pretty nothings! Not |
one! They say to her: You are only a |
woman, too frail to cope with the stern re-
alities Of life; beautify yourself. Think |
not of the morrow. Behold the lilies of |
the valley: they toll not, neither do they !
spin" Think you not her brother will fol |
low her example Give her something |
nobler to live for than the mere tawdries of |
fashion, to be considered the most graceful |
dancer, the most heartless firt of her set, |
aud you will find marked improvement in /
his character. Does not our highest inter-
ests warn US to this course VIII they not |
he the men and women of the next genera
tiOn-Our feture lawyers, orators, states
men and judges
But our girls and boys are not past re- |
demptiOn. Beneath the mask of self and |
friyolity are true hearts beating with gener-
GUS impulses Mark the graves covering
our bleak Northern hills scattered over
sunny Southern valleys, our girls nursing
the wounded, kneeling by the bedside of
the dying, praying for the soul battling
with the death angel Can you now sneer
at them
Remember your own youth, when life
seemed only beautiful dream, tinted with
the golden rays Of hope. Remember this
ere you censuTe 100 harshly.
Our yOuth-what sweet memories those
words call up, lingering on the ear with a
loving cadence, reaching far down into the
heart, stirring with high and holy love,
which Gibbs and flows until it surges to our
very lips in fervent God bless our girls
and boys"