New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-22
is one that would strike ct the whole business
of fire underwriting, and in its larger applica-
ton at insurance in any form whatever.
THE USES or TIE Birdie.

"When q woman would impress the behold
"ers favorably.n says an old writer on man
ners, "let her carry herself with her chin
"drawn on as by bride. 1t gveth an air
I" of decorum and stateliness becoming to her
womanhOOd." As the great domestic scan
dial is condensed this week into the compact
summaries of counsel, the most forcible sug-
gestion it offers is that Of the decency, the
common sense, the safety of brides. Defend
ant, plaintiff and witnesses all made up their
minds apparently to give free rein to Their
emotions and ideas, and even little sentimental
isms on first coming into the world, and have
run rampant with them ever since They
curbcd neither chin, tongue, tears nor tenn
per. At the slightest stirring within OF love
or anger they wept and kissed and talked
talked, talked. Putting all question of guilt
and innocence aside-nO matter what our YER
dict may be upon that point, we must all agree
that this appalling misery and shame have been
largely duo to contempt OF the curb OF
the Old-fashiOned decOrOus conventional re-
straints which are in use among Ordl-
nary people. This contempt among GER
tain radical thinkers Of late years has been
taken as sign Of superior purity and higher
levels of thought, "When no evil was meant,
"the evil was to him wh5 imagined it." In
this case, it certainly has scattered itself
pretty widely Ordinary men and women
who wear the hackneyed old bride of propri-
ETY. arc apt to rate self-control not only as the
sign of good breeding but of strength; they
value the passion and love and sorrow that
habitually tears itself to tatters on the high
way, to be seen Of men, at no higher rate
than any other cheap stage commodity OF the
travelling Snowman. They suspect incessant
emphasis, rapture, hyperbOle. The deepest
grief makes no loud cutlery; true love
does not evaporate in dactyls and spondees
genuine Christianity is not n matter of hys-
teric tears to be dried by handkerchief. In
the same manner this Old-fashiOned PrOpriety
drew exceedingly tight reins on the conduct OF
young girls, married people, clergymen-un-
duly tight these innocent radicals asserted.
Sublmely assured of their own lofty inno-
cence, why should they regard the opinion OF
the worldf
This domestic tragedy we think has answered
why. Mr.. Beecher's universal habit of kissing,
both men and women, may have been as holy
as ST. Pauls salutatiOns by letter. The young
woman at Winstcd may have seen no impro-
pricty in reading Milton if it was MiltOn) in
her chamber to her schOolmate's father, but
look at the end, the shipwreck, the CHASTITY ruin
of it all. We only call attention to this point
again because this immoderate unconventional
school of manners has been growing rapidly in
favor for years, especially among our young
people, The strict defenses of mOdesty and de-
cOrum which set woman apart, pure and ir-
reprOachable as a pearl until her husband came
to wear her on his breast, have long been
laughed at as irrational and Old-fashioned. We
shall be surprised if the reaction after this
miserable business do not in a great measure
restore the old habits of education for children
and department among well-bred people, Such
change will be most wholesome, and will
certainly arrive none too soon. The bride must
not be too strait, but in heavens name let us
not dispense with it altogether.