Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-10-22
THE OLDTYPES.

recall picture-lying pow far back in the mel
low atmosphere of the past-ofa band of child
reu, standing hand-in-haDd by the side of the
dusty highway, and greeting with smile and
how and "curtsy" every adult passenger whom
L.y met on their way to and from school.
They we're instructed in this polite obeisance
by their teachers. 1t was part of the old
New England drill, which, so far as we know,
has been entirely discontinued. We do not re.
n.enber to have seen such sight as this for
twenty-five years. 1t would be such an old
fashioned affair to witness now, that multitudes
would only reward it with smile of amuse-
meut; yet with all our boasted progress can We
show anything that is better or more suggestive
of downright healthy good breeding? Are the
typical boy and girl of the period better man:
uercd, more reverent, more respectful toward
manhood and womanhood, more deferentlal to
age? Do they grow up with more regard tor
morality, religion, law, than they did then
Alas! with ali our books, aud our new process
ses of education, and the universal sharpness
Of the juvenile intellect OF the day, we miss
something that was very precious among the
children of the old time-reverence' tor men
and women, systematic courtesy in simple forms,
and respect for the wisdom OF the pulpit, the
scLoo.room and the freside. If We were call
ed upon TO describe the model boy or girl, we
should be obliged to call up the old type-the
rude, healthy lads aud lasses who snow balled
each other, battled With each other 10 spelling.
bouts, and imbibed the spirit Of reverence for
their elders with every influence of church and
school and home We have made progress in
some directions, but in some We have sadly re-
trogarded. Our boys are all young men, and
our girls are ieartully old. Our typical child
has no longer the spirit of child.
Occasionally, We meet what are popularity de-
nominated gentlemen OF the old school" We
have only enough of them among us TO make US
wish that We had many more-men OF courdy
dignity, of unobtrusive dress, of manners that
seem little formal but which, are nevertheless,
the manuers of gentlemen. They remind us of
the worthless Of the old colonial time, and Of the
later time of the Revoution-of Washington
aud Madison and Franklin-of men whom all
reyered, and to whom all gave obeisance. Into
gbat has this style Of men grown, or into what
have they been degraded? Looking where they
would be pretty certain to congregate If they
were 10 existence, we see them not. Has any
one seen them at Newport during the past sea-
son? Have they abounded at Saratoga? Have
they been found in dign6ed and graceful asso-
caon with the President of the Uuited States
a, Long Branch Are they presiding over mu-
Uvlpal affairs in our great cities DO they enter
largely into the composition Of Congress, even
after We have subtracted the gamblers and car
pet baggers? FIVE have them in considerable
numbers where are they :? Certainly they have
either ceased to be reproduced in our genera
lion, or they are 80 much disgusted with the
type of men met in public hfe and tasblonaole
society that they studiously hide themselves
= L.. = 1sttlo in aif
tentative, but we must accept one or the other.
Progress has doubtless been made in many
thugs We are richer, better clothed, better
housed, better fed and better educated than We
used TO be. Our railroads run everywhere; our
wel-nigh exhaustess resources have been
troached in a thousand directions we count
the increase of our population by millions; the
enipraDts of the world all move toward US;
vIepes, churches and school houses have gone
up with the building of the States, and the
$ates themselves have multiplied so rapidly
hat not one American in ten knows exactly
Lov many are in the Union All this is true;
tuduring the past twenty-five years We judge
hs, We have made no improvement In the
wWeal American gentleman. If the old men
With their breeohes and knee buckles and cock
bats could have looked In upon the Presl-
deDt aud his chosen friends at Long Branch
last summer, we are inclined to think the lat
ter would have been q good deal embarrassed
with the situation. If they could have walked
through the piazzas oftbe Grand Union at Sara
Nsa, how many equals would they have met !?
how many men who 10 manners, dignity, cu-
ure and spirit would have felt at home with
them? The old type of merchants-the old
type Of statesmen-the old type Of gentlemen
surely We have not improved upon these.
Ice restless, greedy grasplng, time serving
Erl' Of our generation has yitiated and degrad-
edthls type. aud in our efforts at Improvement
Stuay well 20 back to the past tor our models.
That shall we say about the old type OF wo-
leu as asicompared with the present representa-
a!es Of the best of the sex {? The sanity, be.
'oc, frugal, industrious wives and mothers OF
lie earlier days ofthe Repubhcc-have weim-
proved upon them Have the latter-day doc
G'aes Of woman s rights made them more mo-
.:st' more selt-denying, more yirtuons better
ns and mothers, purer and more active
vt9istiaus, better heads of the institution
n loue, more lovely companions for neo
We are aware that the answer to those
;aeslons involves the approval or, the con-
sunauon of the doctrines themselves and
SSSSeIl that the men and women of America
"sNed upon to see and detide upon those
'TI'ues from this point of view. Is the type
.'ne American woman improved ? Has it
yen improved in the last twenty years especial
inside the circles that have taken the i'm
ss"Nenent s..I Of the position of woman upon their
,s ,,uGs America is tull of good women. As
a.a .ue they are undoubtedly better than the
Nsa u' but Certainly the men whose instincts are
aware w are attracted most to those women who
YNoash nearest to the ancient type.
-, Jae anal result of our civilization is to be
,,n saOOed in character If this is not satisfac
s,,;,l s,' uo,,hog is satisfactory. If We are not
IND si'us r better children aud ripeniug better men
sp,aT!eu STpaeu than We were a, century ago, then
L. ,s~s'alug is radically wrong, and the quicker
4 a,sssF1s ss'ass our steps to see where We have
5rcsI Gsva IRON the right track the. better. The
L. l,s, ,sn. Auerlcau-man, woman and child is
,us sspssssen,ative ."s product of all the institd-
Sns a .uu lhauences of our civilization. Astt,e
Hos Improves sup or degeneraes, do these institu-
srpOsd sdu Influences stand approved or con.
Z rsS Dstore the world. Progress cannot