The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-07-16
AMERICAN PET MINES.
(St. Louis Watcbman.I

lst. Louis watchmap.I
Last week we took occasion to discourse
some good advice to the gentlemen gradu
ates of our Catholic colleges. We forewarned
them OF the dangers against which we have
| them forearmed, and encouraged them 10
the pursuit of courses which would bring
them peace and honor, if not distinction
and wealth.
We have received note signed "A Con
vent Graduate" asking for a share in our
interest and modicum of wholesome coun
Sci. The writer ia evidently unaware of
the grave responsibility to be assumed
| when one essays to advise q young lady. 1t
| is one of the unwritten laws of this great
nation, and one which in this centennial
year should not be violated with impunity,
| that American ladies are to be petted al
ways, advised never. Among men it is
admissible to speak of praise and blame,
for they run the gauntlet of the virtues and
vices. Not so is it with our ladies. In them
there is nothing to blame, nothing to chal-
lepge censure. They differ from each other
only in the measure of their goodness. They
cannot even be confronted with the pro-
prietiea, their conduct is always admira BILE
and cases of differen ce are but instance of
variety in loveliness and degrees in that
indefinitely comparable adjective " sweet"
We are thorough democrats, it is true, but
We have our "qneens" of society, and
most devoutly do we believe that our
queens "can do no wrong"
But we lay presume that our correspen-
dent belongs to class just out of their
short clothes and really apxlous to become
some day, not pets of society, bat sensible.
well-bebaved, industrious and matrOnly
women. If such be the case we gladly vol
unteer an advice.
The bane of young American maidenhood
is an almost universal disposition to undue
familiarity. Not that they are not scrupu-
Inn fhAvy EAa in,
their choice of acquaintances. But to see
couple of our young ladies promenading
one of our public thoroughfares of fine
evening, you you'd imagine that they
wished to greet every one of the Thousand
young men they meet on the way. Loud and
inceseant laughter, constant twieting of the
head and rolling Of the eye, glances SO coy
and furtive that they almost invite a recog
milton, mark the street etiquette of our
American young lady. Changing little
we'll known quotation, We can say that she
" can smile and smile and be a lady. This
propensity to undue familiarity is appar-
emit even IN the first introduction to a new
acquaintance. A young lady of twenty,
who should have more taste, if not more
sense, will permit herself to be introduced
to a man che never saw before as Miss LNlu
Lumpkins, Miss Hennie Titmouse or Miss
Beckie Bigfeet, without once euspecting
that sue is making laughing stock of her
self and surrendering every safeguard of
distance and dignity which propriety would
every where except in America throw
around her. Every young lady must have
a name ending in lie; but they little know
that this arist from conspiracy Of men,
who wish 80 to designate young women,
solely because the woFG rhymes with
"Ninpy." This habit we are sorry to say
is encouraged in our converts, and We ven
tare the assertion that our Anonymous cor
respondents first name appears on the cat
alogue with an lie at the end. Lord Duff
FERN, Viceroy of Canada, delivered an ad-
dress to the graduates of the Ursulne Con-
vent at Quebec the other day, in which he
took occasion to animadvert on this abom-
Unable nuisance of American society:
81 observe that it is an almost universal
practice upon this continent, even on public
occasions, in prize lists, roll calls and IL the
intercourse of general society, for young ladies
to be alluded to by their casual acq usintaDces
nay, even by newspapers, by what in the old
country we would call their " pet - names, that
is to say, those caressinG, soft 'appellatiOus of
endorsement with which their fathers and
brothers and those who are nearest to them
strive to give expression to the yearDipg affec-
tion felt for them in the home circle. Now, it
seems to me to be q monstroua sacrilege, and
quite incompatible with the dignity and self
respect due TO the daughters of our land, and
with the chivSlrous reverence with which they
should be approached even in thought that the
tender, love-lnvented nomenclature of the fire.
side should be bspdied about at random in the
mouths OF every empty headeo Tom, DICK and
Harry on the street, whose idle tongue may
chance to bAbble of them. Fer instance, in the
United States. before her marriage, observed
that Miss Grant, the daughter of the occupant
of one of the most august positions in the
world, ives generally referred to in the news
papers az Nellie" az though the paragraphist
wh0 wrote the item had been her play mate
from infancy; and even Lady DutferiD, l zee, has
become Kate " in the elegant phrsseOlogY of
a United States magazine, though how Kate
could have been elected from her Excellency's
real Christian name l don't know. OF course
this lie q small matter to which have alluded
Sut it is not without sign fcance when regard
ed as o national characteristic. After all, the
women of this continent are ladies as refined,
high minded and nOble-hearted IS are to be
found in any country in the world, and the
sonnar We GET rid of this ynlgar aoleciam the