The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-08-29

manners has fallen into disrepute. Sir Charles
Grandson ia q comica rather than courty
figure to this generation: and the man whose
manners mag be described as Grandisonan is
usually called a pompous and grandiioquent
old prig. Certainly the deliberately dressed
gentleman speaking to lady only with polish
ed courtesy OF phrase, and avoiding in her
presencs all coarse words and acts, handing
her in the minuet with inexpressbe grace and
Difference, and showing an exquisite homage
IN every motion, was very different figure
from the gentlemen in a she citing jacket or
morning sack chatting" lady with the fresh
est slang, and smoking in her face. They are
undeniably different, and the later figure is
wholly free from Grandsonian elegance and
elaboration, But is he much more truly
gentleman Is he our Sidney, our Chevaller
Bayard our Admirable Crichton? Is that re-
fined consideration and gentle Difference, which
is the flower of courtesy, an oldfashioned
follv'
The overweight politeness is made very
ridiculous upon the stage, and Richardson is
undoubtedly hard reading for the general con-
morals do not always go with fine manners,
and that Lovelace had a fascination OF address
which John Knox lacked. The chaff and slang
OF the Bayard OF to-day are at least decent
and his morals probably purer than those Of
the courtly and punctllious old Sir Roger de
Coverleys. Possibly but it rhas been wisely
said that hypocrisy is the homage paid by vice
"a Wis ha If al
are . rich dress upon a diseased body. They
are the graceful form Of vase full OF dirty
water. The liquid may be poisonous, but the
vessel is beautiful. Some OF the worst Lo-
tharios in the world have personal charm
which is irresistible. Many stately compl
ment Was paid by graciously howing satyr in
laced velvet coat and periwg, at the court OF
Louis the Great, and paid for the bassst pur-
pose but the grace and the courtesy we're Dor
rowed, like plumage OF living hues to deck
CARTON. They were not part Of the bassness,
and you do not escape dirty water by breaking
the vase. II the older morals were worse than
the new, and the older manners were better,
can not We who live to-day, and who NAV have
every thing combine the new morals and the
old manners
We can spare some elaboration OF form, but
We can not safely spare the substance OF re-
fined Difference. II Romeo be permitted to
treat Juliet as hostlers are supposed to treat
bar maids, and as the heroes OF Fielding and
Smollett treat Abigails upon q journey, they
will both lose selfrespect and mutual respect.
1t was wise father vino said to his son. Be-
Il. l.
The woman who does not require OF man
the form OF respect, invites him to discard the
substance. And there is one violation Of the
form which is recent and gross, and might be
well cited as striking illustration Of the decay
OF manners. 1t is the practice OF smoking in
the society OF ladies' in public places whether
driving, or walking, sailing, or sitting. There
are preuI chevatiers who would be honestly
amazed il they we're told they did not behave
like gentlemen, who, sitting with q lady on
hotel piazza, or strolling on public park, whip
out cigarette, light It, and puff as TRANQUILITY
as II they we're alone IN their rooms. Or
young man comes alone upon the deck OF a
steamer, where throngs OF ladies' are sitting,
and blows clouds Of tobacco smoke in their
faces, without even remarking that tobacco is
dsagreeable to some people. This is not, in
deed, one OF the seven deadly sine, but man
who unconcernedly sings false betrays that he
has no ear for music, and the man who smokes
In this way shows that he is not quite gen
tleman.
But come ladies' smoke? Yes and some ladies'
drink liquor. Does that mend the matter
Tire Easy Chair has seen lady at the head of
her own table smoking a fine cigar. You Will
see great many highly dressed women in
Paris smoking cigarettes. Does all this change
the situation? Does this make it more gentle
carriage, or upon bench on the piazza? But
some ladies like the odor OF cigar? Not
many; and the taste OF those who sincerely do
30 can not justify the habit OF promiscuous
putting in their presence. The intimacy OF do
mesticity is governed by other rules but a
gentleman smoking would hardly enter his own
drawing room, where other ladies sat with his
wife, without word OF apology. The Easy
Chair is no King James, and is more likely to
issue blasts Of tobacco than blasts against it.
But King James belonged to very selfish sex
"A sex which seems often to suppose that its |
indulgences and habits are to be tenderly
tolerated, for no other reason than that they
are its habits. Therefore the young woman
must defend herself by showing plainly that
she prohibits the intrusion Of which, il suffered.
she is really the victim. In other times the
Easy Char has seen the lovely Laura Matilda
unwilling to refuse to dance with the partner
who had bespoken her hand for the German,
although when he presented himself he WAS
plainly flown with vine. The Easy Chair has
seen the hapless foolish maid encrcled by
those Bacchic arms aud then a head long whirl
and dash down the room, ending in the pro-
miscuous overthrow and downfall OF maid.
Bacchus, and musicians.
If in the Grandisonian day the morals we're
wanting, 1t was something to have the manners.
They at least were to the imagination memory
and prophecy. They recalled the idyIlic age
when fine manners expressed fine feelings, and
they foreto!d the return OF Astrea to her an
cient haunts. Here is young Adopls dreaming
OF :our-in-hand and a yacht, like any other