Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-09-13

he young people, in which every ]
thing is arranged and regulated by ,
them, and their parents know and
care little what is going on. Finally
it has been understood, as we have
heard it expressed by a gentleman
in society of nearly sixteen, that the
old folks are to take a back seat.
Evening parties, pienics, jaunts to
the country, everything in the hands
of the boys and girls, and our hem
pecked ancestors are succeeded by
willingly chieken-pecked descend
ents.
Apart from the morals of society,
it is clear to us that its manners
have deteriorated. Under the new
system, indeed, there is no school of I
manners, because strictly there is
no society. Society, in fact, is re-
solved into its elements and con-
stantly tends to break off into sepa-
rate couples, to each of which the
presence of the rest is an infection. |
As for conversation, which used to
be the blossom, as it were, of highly
developed society, it is becoming a
lost art; for conversation soon
ceases to be intellectual, soon loses
the flash of wit, the lambert flame
of graceful badinage, the play OF
humor and the point of repartee,
when it has ceased to be general
and how should there be general
conversation where the constant
aim is that of pairing off like turtle
doves for the purpose of billing and
cooling? Catch a few words of the
prattle INDUCED in by these couples
when they do not know that they
have any nearer but their own sweet
selves-you will not be tempted to
protracted eavesdropping-it is
either the most vapid, unmeaning
commonplace, or else it is nauseous
fondling and fiattery; compliments
not delicately insinuated, but plais-
/ lCiOu Oll lllACA do Will d NlOh Ols
But in no respect is the decadence
in manners as a result of present
social arrangements so manifest as
at church. Here, too, instead of a
girl attending church with her fam
lily for devotional purposes, it is u
regular thing for her to go there
with beau for widely other pur-
poses; at least so it appears to an
observer. Conversation interposed
with giggling in tone much more
audible to those near than the
preachers voice, little pencilled
notes handed over the backs of the
seats from girl to boy and from boy
to girl, and more snickering as the
result, or gallant tanning his in
amorata the service through, and
the two no more knowing what the
preacher is about than if they were
miles away. 1t has been a wonder
to us that the preachers do not pro-
test against it all, if not from a
religious point of view at least as a
manifest discourtesy to them.
We are reminded, however, that
we mentioned another cause for the
Embarrassment of society which has
taken place in these present days.
, 1t is the great prevalence of chill
dren's parties in the present day,
and especially the use of children
extravagantly dressed in public
exhibitions. We have not space OF
time to dwell upon this monster
, evil of the day; it is easy to see how
this premature forcing into activity
of all those tendencies which even
in later periods of youth need to be
f held in check, must aggravate all
the social evils previously described
But, though space and time forbid
, us to carry out our structures on thi;
part of the subject, which might
, well be the subject of a long editO
rial by itself, we must at least eX
; press our regret that our churches
r and schools, which should be the
, watchful guardians Of society agains
, all evil tendencies, have promoted
, rather than held in check this which
T we believe to be one of the mOnstel
, evils of society.
q So far we have treated the evi
tendencies of modern society il
I America as they affect manner
, alone, combining ourselves to the
q surface. We have not forgotten
that there is another aspect of thu
, question which, if pursued, wOulC
, carry us far below the surface anC
r contemplate morals as well as man
a ners. But how can it be treated il
> a public journal when it deals will
matters which it is painful and EN-
> barrassing to address in prlvat,
warning and remonstrance to the
I parents of the youths and maiden
I whom we believe to be exposed tt
t untold OF perils by the total disus'
I of all the safeguards which have il
former times been thrown around
r their associations.
I There never has been a time il
, the worlds history, never a nation
r on the face of the earth where some
restraint has not been exercised
, over the intercourse of the youth O
opposite sexes; there are even saw.
age tribes in which the severest
rules are prevalent in this respect
and if the American nation of the
, present day imagines that it car
safely dispense with precautions
: which have in all other times and
places been deemed indispensable
, the reflective observer cannot but
ask why. What is there in the
human nature of this day which is
different from what has been in al
other times and places? Is it not
true as it always has been that ado.
Iescence has its emotions and i'm.
pulses of which it knows not the
nature or tendency till bitter eKpe.
rience teaches? Can youth be aban-
doned without instruction, without