Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-02-13
Society In America,

The growth of society in America is
q marvel. 1t would be difficult for a
foreigner, accustomed to the courts of
Europe, to see the difference between a
ball at the Opera House, Terre Haute,
Indiana, and one at the town hall in
some old European city, (Berne, for
instance in any respect but in that one
of uniforms and orders, which in
Europe render the men as picturesque
as the women. He would see more
beautiful women at Terre Haute. and
better dressed women than he would
see anywhere in Europe. except in the
high salons of royalty, at London,
Paris, Vienna and Rome. We take the
name of the little Indiana city as typi-
cal of the thousand American towns,
where society has thrown up its rapid
tapestries until it ends with fringe of
barbaric pearl and gold on the shores
of TIE Pacific.
1t is popularity of society in Amer
lea that at any watering. place, at any
improvised gathering, set Of hand
some, well-brel people step out of the
ranks and form German, or a game, or
coterie, or picnic, and are quite as
well-bred and we'll educated as any cir
Gle IN Europe. Take them away from
home, where Mrs. Jones looks down on
Mrs. Brown, and where both are equal
ly absurd in their assumptions, and
Americans form society which is en-
chanting. 1t is fresh and vigorous, and
at the same time courteous and elegant.
OF course the extraordinary beauty
of our women, their. almost abnormal
talent for society manners and an ap-
prchension of etiquette which is miracu-
lous, has helped this along. For soci.
ETY., like any other art, has to be learn I'd :.
A savage does not take to olives and
finger bowls instinctively. But take an
American girl out of any solitude, any
remote village, deprive her Of every
advantage but her eyes and the current
magazines, and suddenly transport her
to New York or Paris, and she rises to
the level of duchess in dress, man
ners and well-bred ease. Men, of
course, are made Of less malleable
material. They do not care, to start
with SO, if fashionable etiquette bores
them, they will not trouble themselves
with it. But there are instances of
hhooeuiAho o,tdttatAOus
Society in America is less system
of forms than IN most other countries.
But it can nowhere dispense wholly
with forms and forms are wholesome.
The power of rageantry has deep
hold on our sensibilities. The Greeks
and Romans kept it up, and even the
"dull Bpotians had their sacred
procession, in which Jupiter, to rebuke
Juno's whims, pretended to have taken
a second wife, and a wooden doll was
! carefully dressed in bridal veil. Happy
moment When angry Juno tears the
white disguise away, and falls the re-
pentant into Jupiter's arms, promising
never to sulk, no, nevermore," what
an opportunity for all dull Beotians to
fall on each others shoulders after the
inconvenient, classic fashion, and hence
reconciliation and forgetfulness of a
years quarrels. Society is pageant,
a procession, Roman triumph, a Greek
game, an excuse for meeting each other,
adjoining the body and exercising the
handsome qualities of the mind. Her.
mits are very apt to be dirty. therefore
we may believe that society is cleansing.
Hermits universally have a bad opinion
of their kind and of each other. He
who can command the crowd and Ii i'm
self, thinks well of his species he is a
philanthropist, and cannot see too much
of them.
People who do not go into society
become Intellectually emaciated, for
ever breathing their own mental air,
redolent OF egotism. We mean, OF
course, not necessarily fashionable
society, but some society. To go into
society, one must 60 out of himself
beyond his own narrow introspection.
Ii society is poor, let him make it bet
ter. There are always beautiful posi-
bilities in society. 1t is gainful move
ment to make ones self acceptable in
| body and mind fo- others. If the
abuses OF society are apparent. such as
too great love of pleasure, the cultiva-
ton of vanity or worldliness, the en-
chantments of society should not be
| forgotten. 1t is the TRANSPORTATION of
daily life, rising from the prosaic, a
relief from our russell cares. We are
astonished at the ideas which spring
into our minds, the frightening effect
of the attrition of society.
Above all things, the entertainments
of society bring us new friends. We
sail out into a summer sea to find spice
islands. There is nothing so charming
in life as the discovery of new friend.
Society is full of these argosies.
And we, as members of this body
polite, should DO slow to take offense,
forgiving of injuries, fancied or other
wise, always saying to ourselves
" ~ in thy right hand carry gentle peace,
10 silence envious tongues"
il. E. ". s.. in Boston Trdcs.lsr.