The Portland daily press., 1879-02-15
Y0rick's Drawer.

This is the season of the year when it is
proper to drop tear over the burdens of the
carrier. The gray-coated gentry had their
time of aftiction yesterday, and must have
cursed from the bottom OF their hearts the
desire for converts which led the early evan
gelists to tran Storm Roman lover into
Christian Saint. Wasted on them is the
plea that the observance of St. Valentines
Day is beautiful reminder of the old British
tradition Of the mating Of the birds on the
18th OF February, or the ingenious arguments
of the comparative mythologists that it is a
survival OF the Lupercalia. If they have any
faith at all, it is that Saint Valentine was
dubbed to death (as some people say Port
land is to day) seventeen hundred and nine
years ago at Rome, and they are very much
inclined to believe that the Romans served
him right.
-Vefyk Pasha, when Turkish minister at
Paris, once complained to Mr.. Senior, the
Englishman whose entertaining recollections
have recently been published, that he was
continually harassed by social duties. Of
fetal affairs did not trouble him greatly, but
he was all the time oppressed by small obli-
cations. In one morning he said he had to
write fifteen notes, all about trifes. Social
despotsm in She West, he found was worse
than any Oriental despotism of government.
A lot of arbitrary rules, observances, pro-
hibitions, exigencies, commanded his atten-
tiOn every hour. What we look upon as
social duties, were to him worries, needless
things imposed upon one to make life tire
some. He could not understand how people
OF means, who could hire others 10 do work
for them, should take needless tiouble upon
themselves instead of enjoying the leisare
they might command.
The Turk did not understand the respon.
sibities attaching to wealth, to be sure, but
there is some reason in bis complaint We,
properly enough, expect certain social duties
ofpeople of means. But do we not, or toes
society not, exact too much? Because anan
happens to be rich, is that any reason why
he should be imposed upon? The world
pays him, it is true, for keeping up Ocety,
for vexing himself with the RAINING Of rules
OF etiquette and the Observance OF them.
But when it demands that he shal sacrifice his
leisure stife his dislikes, surrender bis en-
joyments. is it not exercising an oppressive
tyranny; or at least insisting upon too much
work for the pay? Why stouldn't he have
some privileges, as well as we poor people?
It we don't care to go anywhere we stay at
home. II, perchance, w are asked to dine
out, we can refuse or accept as it pleases us.
We are not expected to make calls unless we
want to see people. We do not have our
minutes of ideness iuJruded upon by the
thought that we must answer this letter, send
out that invitation, return the other call.
Workdone, we settle down to book or a
doz., or lounge about looking at sights or
contemplating with restful .complaceucy
other people who have not got through wort.
Our work may be hard, it is true, and onr
leisure brief; but what leisure we have is all
our own, and we are not obliged TO pass it in
boring ourselves and each other. There
ought to be society formed for the ameli.
Grafton OF the condition of the rich. They
other class which without being rich or hav-
ing much leisure, takes upon itselfto share the
burdens of the wealthy. For these, howev-
er, we need have no pity. Their suGerings
are seli-inficted. The world does not pay
them to do this work, and nobody has any
right to expect it OF them. II they choose to
make slaves of themselves and waste their
limited leisure the fault is. all their own,
and they must content themselves with the
reflection that the back of the ass is fitted to
the harden. The world does, however, owe
some mercy to the servants it employs, and
has no right to overtask them. People will
soon begin to wonder what is the good of
being rich, if one can't have the privilege of
enjoying ones self. Grumbling will be fol-
lowed by revolution. People will ref use to
achieve wealth or have it thrust upon them.
What will then become of society and the
whole fabric of our social system? Evil
IDENTIFY some means must be taken to avert
this calamity, and there is no time to be
lost. Any suggestions in way of remedy
will be heartily welcomed. The Drawer is
always open to the pleas of humauitarians.
Since the advent of the "new learning, ~
four hundred years ago or so, some
knowledge of classical literature has been
deemed necessary part OF a liberal educa-
tion. The knowledge demanded is usually
slight, not even speaking acquaintance be-
ing required. We are only asked to be able
to know the old authors by sight when we
encounter them. 1t is not necessary that
we should make a thorough study of the
Greek aud Latin tongue, and tamiliarize
ourselves with the way of thinking oi
those people. The chief object appears
to be to acquire familiarity with current
illusions. When Lalage or Chloe is men,
toned we are to know who those yoang
women were. We are to understand who
sang the praises of Falernian wine, who de-
scribed the woes OF the house of Atreus, who
pictured the pastoral delights of Already. II
familiarity with literary allusion be the only
or chief object of liberal education then
must our education be broadened in many
ways for it has been sadly neglected. We
must all, for example, learn to play cribbage,