New-York tribune., 1874-04-11
MANNERS AT hAIINEES.

r, IN, Editor Of The Tribune.
SrR: have no desire 10 tread upon the toes 81
pnblic opinion but really l must. In spite on
Owen Meredith's exquisite infants and sentimental
Michelet's beautiful inyades, 1t seems douotIu''
Seems, madame, nay it is." Yes, iortlhen WIN
Shakespearean quotation dare TO say u u douot-
rnl After reading DIR. Clarke's Sex in Education
actually believed for one brief hour that Amer'-
can women went about with, OF, to speak mors
trntbfully. could not go about because Of having
one foot in the grave. | deny the grave imposch-
mept. I have read Miss Brackets excellent book
on the Education Of American Girls, and fall back
mon those incontrovertibe facts, statistics. They
NAV not delight the poets soul but at this momen:
| repudate poetry. and proclaim myself Grad
grind. DR.. Mahan of Oberhn College, where co
education has boen tested for orty0ne years asserts
that during the e6iiii5g6 curriculum more men than
women break down account OF Ill heaIth'
thought so once and now | know II. nave
attended charity matinee, and with all due defcr-
ence 10 the weaker vessel do not pine To test our
manly strength against its porcelain fraglity'
The drty-faced man in Pickwick epigrammat'-
cally exclaimed, rum creeturs IS women lnoy
arc The North would ihave blushed at no Bull
Run had that performance been technicdny
dramatic and women without reserved seats con-
fronted the enemy They never would have wa'-
cred. No. not for one moment. ASK pohoemeh On
duty at any Of the recent theatrical mat'hoos'
"Why. you might az well try to move CITY ha'i as
women at the matinee. No reserved uckos ha'o
any rights they're bound to respect. l don't kho"
what's the matter with them, but they're just the
most cantankerous lot ever had to deal with. and
bless me if don't wonder where they were brought
up It's precious few men can face them' cant,
hut saw one at the Lyceumi'who did, and Just
l., g. IIa Ch BrpSlent
Of the United States; he ought, for he'd settle Ben
Bntler. he would. Well, this gentleman had two
seats in the balcony and when be finally succeeded
in getting therefor the women presented an up-
broken back ~ every new comer,-he found the
seats occupied by two ladies, at least they ookeo
like ladies'. Have you any checks Tor
those seatsp asked the usher. No. they
replied. looking as indignant As though they Deoo
asked for the loan of their pocketbooks. linen 'he
seats belong TO this gentleman! If he's gcnue-
man he won't ask for them. We shall keep them.'
was the ladies' sweet reply. You better believe TINS
was MT soothing sirup TO that plucky ielloW' iS
what did he do but show his checks, fasten D ghs-
tering eve on the ladies, order them out, ana oas
they hurried, frightened to death. i never did
such thing before in my life' said the gentleman
after he took his seat. but such inpudence was
more than could bear They deserved it"
No gentle Neara refused TO render unto me the
seat that was mine; but many Of her sisters docked
IN veyets silks and laces scowling upon me either
because 1 was more fortunate than they.
or momentary obstructed their view OK
the stage, made the passage second
Rubicon. Ushers did not attempt TO do their duty
The ladies WON'T budge," was their despalring
refrain. and had it not been for courageous, tall
policeman 1 should have enacted the part OF
Tantalus, ever striving for vet never attaining q
seat but six feet distant Never again viii trust
myself at a matinee without the protection OIL
LADY, murmured stalwart young man upon sink
ing exhausted into his dearly-bought place.
Now az this is the age of reform, 1 ask women
who frequent matin6es 10 mend their ways.
beg them if they nave respect for themselves, "
respect their sex and their country. Let them
assume virtue If they have II not, and IN manners
al least be the ladies they APPEAR else ushers anu
policemen viii be as justified IN using brute force -
though they were clothed IN manly garb. AZ
woman BE- mans intellectual peer surely she shouid
be held responsible for her manners. " race dAr
danes does not mean feminine usurpatlon. iho
tvrant man gives most gracefully when ne II nos
asked TO give at all. Women Of the matnees ceass
TO emulate the voters of the Sixth Ward.
Ns.c- York, April 9. 1874