The Democratic advocate., 1874-08-22

| very ueciued influence, that 10 almost UNI
versally felt and acknowledged. Il Is no
longer, as il may have been originally, exclu-
sisely applied to those Of good extraction.
All, however humble their birth, assume its
use to distinguish certain members Of their
own class, and the lowliest boast ohener even
than the highest oftheir own gentility or that
OF their associates. In fact the word has
been almost entirely expunged from the
vocabulary Of the fastidiously refined, who,
content with having il, as they suppose, in
exclusive possession, avoid speaking Of il and
calling it BY name which they regard as
vulgarized by its too general assumption
Gentility is thus often in the common mouth,
but rarely finds expression from the lips of
the exclusive few.
Gentility is not, moreover, in It's modern
acceptation elegance Of behavior, graeefnlness
OF mien or nicely Of taste. II claimed often
for the rudest, the coarsest and most ungainly.
Neither refinement Of manners nor decorous.
ness OF conduct Is essential to make good the
title to its possession.
With the tendency Of this material age to
value every person according to what he has,
and not what he is, gentiltyhas been diverted
from its original application to personal quail.
y. 1t is more generally used to signify the
circumstances by which the individual may
chance to be surrounded. The possessions,
the occupation, the mode of living, the house,
the furniture and the dress are now ordinarily
the standards according to which mans or
woman's gentility is measured. These vary,
of course, in different classes. The Bowery
and Fifth avenue have each its own and while
the gentility Of the one may be placed beyond
question by the keeping Of carriage, that Of
the other will be equally assured by the
undoubted possession of grocer's wagon.
There is no circumstance Of life which has
so much to do in this country with the giving
and taking Of the appelIation of gentility as
the occupation. The equal dignity of all
honest work is a popular theory with Ameri.
cans, but no people, in fact, so belle it in
practice. As If they regretted the rigid repub-
licanism which led the founders Of our
Government to abolish all titles of rank, they
. seem to be constantly striving to compensate
w.r go. I. -. ~ - 49,
The so-called gentiliiy. has answered their
, purpose admirably, and been freely used.
!. onna.;,;s. :r;. 80 = ~: : -. - opea
a nnon -;rh,, - :, ~ - :.
= .e., d., 80, !, = ;..a;..,,,' - - po~e,
/. g.. =, a,
;,s in,.no;h;,;,v 7, III -. s..',,,..s 49,,
n cour,a.v :, ,be cool ;na;e.ronao a.. s'.a~,ea
n IooL ~ ,ha sl;.h, .oa os IL. -s..,.s:.;,.,
\ wh;ch an ao,ra;o,.uas e.ai 80 ~
= 30, \. ~ 49, -" r', ''"'
\ Thor. roa,,r a. ~ ao,I;." '.,a.p sp'-s.
Than ,hs d;.,;,o,;on. ~ - "a s s,s.. ~ sI;as
a., h..oa -, ~. -
= ~ 49,, ,r -.
= - r.. - - -
: ~, orq
!, ,;nn. no-.l - ;n.s,,aa,s,, -
!. sna,nsn, 80 ,,,.,,,..s ,...,a. - .,~,r, !,
4 ~. -. =, ~ s's :, y
!, ~ III, IT, IN. !. 70 80 - ns-. - 20"
i ,snd;n. ~ uara 81, @ e ~ - -. | -.
, .aIa das,ar - - ~. ~ - ss - -
d ton, not only himself, but every member Of
E his family, at social height to which his
J. fellow retailing citizen ought not to presume
d to aspire. These ridiculous distinctions run
+ through the multiple subdivisions of trade,
9 .on,ohso, .sa,o..a - - ~ -. a,o s = :,
! ranL i wh;.h ~ -. - - ~ =
8 nation Of shop keepers are entitled.
With women especially, gentility in its
J. different phases has great influence. 1t il
i wont to be followed as a guide in every de.