The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1872-06-13
a CHAT ON TITLES.

CHAT ON TITLES.
Ep1rol Journal Without any special
regard for Mrs. Gruudy and her ohaste
opinions, I want to spend few minutes
buz.ing with ysu over this matter of titles.
1t might appear paradoxical to IN Euro.
poan that in this country, where titles are
not hereditary and but rarely legally con-
ferre~, and whore ve affect so much repub-
lican antipathy to all these etfets attach
mentsof royalty and aristocracy, there
should actually be genuine sentiment in
favor Of titles :; indeed, at times, positive
yearnlng after them.
This exorescence Of Yankee politeness
exists In two forms: one, the grosser and
more vulgar, often budding into absurdity,
is the brevetting 80 common in rural pre-
cinots, IS major, captain or Doctor, the claim
not unfrequently resting upon some for
gotten joke Of earlier years. The second
form embraces those like Madame, Mr..
and the legal titles or degrees, which 50
generally pertain to the courtesies Of high
or life that perhaps We wrong them by in
Guiding them under the epithet ex.res-
eenee. 1t Is chiefly regarding these latter
that I desire to speak here.
The sensitiveness that prevails in refined
society, on the subject Of titles, is proba-
bly, quite unknown to the multitude who
hail the venerable physician az "Mister,"
instead Of using his hard.earned and legit-
innate title Of sDoctor."
AS rule, age or the attainment Of sue
cess in any lofty walk in life, increases
this eensitiveness to high degree of
acuteness. 1 we'll remember the marked
displessure Of an old lady of fine intellec-
tual powers, and the choicest New England
blood III her veins, at receiving note ad-
dressed to her as Mrs. instead OF Madame
Blank. She had an innate feeling that her
age and rank entitled her to little extra
distinction, and, as knew her, she de-.
served al the satisfaction that one might
expect from ouch an "empty honor
1t is sure that in this busy age We neg
lect too much the more subtitle courtesies
Of social intercourse.
In the scheme of the universe, courtesy
possesses real artistic value, even if pol
tito man eschews it as not venal. The fl
ial respect so commonly seen in the ad-
dress Of children to parents in our south
ern States is certainly far preferable to
the coarse "Old Man. and "Old Woman"
or the slangy "Goveruor." so freely used
in the north.
In epistolary correspondence, especially
with our less familiar acqusin lance, or our
superiors in age, culture or rank, too
much care can not be observed to regard
the minute Of politeness. I once saved
friend from the rather rude blunder of adj
dressing an aged and highly esteemed
maiden lady in letter a. "Dear Miss,''
instead Of ''Dear Madame" which title
quite conceals the real or hypothetic pop
ular inappreciation Of the unmarried who
survive to years when ''the grass
hopper shall be burden" and they
shall DO afraid Of that which is high"
Doubtless the distinction may seem an ab-
surdity to come, but it is q fact that these
triaes are keenly felt by many. How we'll
We Understood these things during the war
when our official communications, reports,
etc., were all most carefully prepared with
direct view to the Precipitation Of the
powers that then were, by minute atten-
ton to the little courtesies contained in
letter-headiugs and on the backs of envel-
opes! Not title was forgotten, not an
initial letter omitted, and gratuitous bre-
vet judiciously inserted was sure to do
more good than harm.
OF few errors-just word, Mr.. Edi-
tor; and let me begin with yourself: Cour-
tesy demands that reference to clergy
man should not read, ''Rev. Smith will
preach" etc., bat if tho reverend gentle
mans initials are not known to the writer,
then "Rev. MIR. Smith is proper, and Of
ten 1.-THE Rev. Mr.. Smith" would seem de-
sirahle. Invite you, Mr.. Editor, to set
us all good example by strict attention
to these little refnements Of titles.
Such errors as SAVIOR of redundancy,
rather than Of insuficienoy are too palpa-
ble to need more than passing notice
these are "Mr. Timothy Tugmutton, Esq" !;
CDR. John Sepulchre, NJ. d.. ct id genus
smne.
Fullness and accuracy without repeti-
ton, courtesy and dignity without absurdi-
ty, should be our aim.
The rose-by-any-other. uame argument
may satisfy the "practical' Yankee, but it
is quite time for that traditional gentleman
to seek higher level on which to sun his
aesthetic soul-bless 1t if he has one.
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