Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-10-04
THREE PnAsEs OF SOCIETY.
NO. 4.-ENGI.AND.

ance. but that OF between thirty
and forty years ago. From what
we observed during a visit some
fifteen years ago we inferred that
considerable changes had occurred
I'm the interval Of our absence, and
do not doubt that the difference has
Increased since that visit. We are
bound tc add that, so far as they go,
those changes were Of nature to
assimiIate English to American
usages. Many English girls were
pluming themselves on being trap
i'd" and were agitating the move
ment towards greater social freedom,
as they call it, meaning less vigil
Jant supervision on the part of their
seniors. While, however, the ten
denotes seemed to be in this direc-
ton, the one substantial feature
was we'll preserved which has for
ages been Characteristic of English
Iife-the home, the family, with its
resources within itself for happiness
and pleasure, for amusement and
affection. This is the characteristic
which we purpose to bring out and
illustrate as the central idea i'm the
present paper, wherein our effort
will be to describe the usages and
social habits whereby the domestic
circle is maintained in its integrity,
with its hOmely fireside as its centre
of light and warmth.
Americans who go to Europe, II
they make their stay in England
(Which not many of them dO), make
it a great object to penetrate if pos
nible into aristocratic circles, and
are not quite content if they fail to
reckon some lords and ladies on the
list of their acquaintance. We are
not going to quarrel with this pro-
clivity, but will tell them that it is
not in the mansions and palaces OF
the west end of the metropolis that
the characteristic social life of Eng
land is to be found. The aristOcratiC
society of all England is very much
alike; we mean the society of those
who have not their livelihood tC
work for, and whose lives are chilly
devoted to the pleasures of society
True English usages and ideas are
to be sought in widely different
circles. Unfortunately they are
more difficult to penetrate than
even the lOrdly halls which so many
of our countrymen have attempted
i'm vain to invade, much patriotic
Indignation resulting from the fail
ure. Indeed, to the great body o.
Americans in Europe the society
we are endeavOring to describe i:
altogether a terra incogHita. Its un
obtrusive happiness has to be sought
in order to be found, and few of Oul
eountrymen if told of it would
think it worth their seeking.
If we desired to impart to an
American a true conception ofwha
English society is, the place where
we would set him down would bt
the home of an English country
clergyman. But the professional
men generally, and those engaged
in literary pursuits, with their fam
iIies-these constitute in our estima
ton the elite of English society
whether estimated by a moral OF
an intellectual standard, and, a:
society with them is carried on with
limited financial means, their usages
are more advantageously studied
by the average American than those
of wealthier people. Mrs. Potiphar
who has grown enormously rich on
shOddy, can besiege the halls Of
titled people, and having failed
there can carry her diamonds and
her Worth dresses to the American
colony in Paris, where she can be
quite at home.
To begin at the beginning, we
will suppose a young man Of respect
able connections to settle for prOfes.
siOnal purposes in an English city
or town. He brings letters of intro
ductiOn to one or more of the lead
ing professional men of the place
These intrOductiOns must come
from the place where he has previ-
ously lived and where his family
lives; they must be addressed to
heads of families, and must come
from heads Of families; in other
words, they must establish his ante.
cedents. 1t is a crime in English
society TO introduce a man TO ladies
without knowing who he is and
where he comes from and who are
his connections. The letter is pre-
sented Mt the place of business Of
the gentleman to whom it is adj
dressed. He acts upon it according
to the source it comes from and the
terms I'm which il is expressed. II
from these considerations he gathers
that it is not expedient to introduce
him to his family, he asks him in
kind words what he can do to
Oblige him, and under that head
gives him advice as to board and
lodging and forwards his business
views i'm any way that occurs tC
him, and the acquaintance goes nc
further than bowling when they
meet on the streets. But supposing
that the credentials are such as to
Justify an introduction TO the family,
then after the above business cOur-
tesIes are attended to and the yOnng
gentleman is established in his quar-
tiers, he receives a visit from his new
acquaintance, and shortly after
wards an invitation to dinner or to
an evening party (the former being
the higher compliment.) Our visi-
tor will meet here, not a formal
party, but few intimate friends OF
the family, the clergyman, perhaps,
and the family doctor and one OF
two of the female members of their
families, and of course the family