The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1881-01-30
A SOCIAL REVOLUTION.
ihe roo,pmcu s1ust Go.

The oracular stars" shining high in
bs,g,aaSan skies have pronounced the doom 81
"an astonishing revolution - Is going on, at this
very moment. in the British Isles. To DO more
II s TS be tsfe an M boas
and we will have "a black and white moi. cap for
hcaddress; stand:ur collar with white cravat and
small pin In 1t rich brown cloth coat with livery
buttons, cut somewhat like n mans hunting coat,
and a buT wastcoat with a High Church collar y
why the Low Church shouldn't have been lonored In
the choice of collars not being made at all clear Add
to this tidy costume cred stockings and shoes with
silver buckles and have before picturesque
description of what adorns the pretty footwomen,
who are destined TO make footnen thing OF the past
At FIRST blush we are inclined to take kindly to this
revolution. There must, Of course, always remain
field which, through great English writers whom we
all revetehcc, has afforded. and will continue to
And there other recollectohs not altogether
humorous, but a trife heroic besides, to he found
one how would Angus Nc Aulay have Jared with his
bet with the English captain had It not been for those
six gigantic Highland foctinen OF his? Would he
speak of the scanty CONSENTS OF the family purse
without them?
Touching this same change, 1t strikes us strongly
as having been borrowed from that queer people from
whom we have stolen gunpowder and the compass.
Young girls with golden bracelets cleaning on their
their dark Hesses, are the dainty servers Of
happy guestsSt Chinese feasts. But this only in
nassing What we set out to do was to show In what
respects footwomen will he more efcient than foot
men In aiding Smith and Jones TO dispense their hos
ptality In the first place, they will be, beyond
dispute. nicer. With Mary coming we have right
to expect neater touch In handling the spotless plate
filling the stainless glass, placing the glittering fork
by the side of its mate the shining knife than ever
alteration we look for when Susan shall don her red
stockings with shoes and silver buckles.'' Beyond
the main question, there are some side advantages
which cannot be overlooked. sandy's frown will
cease to abash the tmId guest, and Johns tobacco
exhalations cease to annoy the dyspeptic one. The
temperance guest may venture. for once to whisper
peremptorily that he never takes iced Chambertin,
and the artistic guest will escape that army Of
nous buttons, AFFLICTED with the family crest, which
has been his bane since first he went feastlng and
gorgng in May Fair. And why not ? Soft voice,
softer ways, defngers, light footsteps, sweet odors,
Will surely make the repast equally enjoyable Ia
those two extremes. Lord Guzzleton and honest
Squire Hardcastle. What a paradise, by the way Is
a. old fashioned housel' The good man Will be able
to tell his mirth- provoking story Of the ould grouse
In the gun room :, without making DiEgory ha: hal
.'taken from the barn" will have passed away, In
English country houses. along with the Rogers ad-
yet tumbled, but 1t is shaking. Eaton place has e
| Belgravia spoken; Belgravia ~ urbe to Belgravii
enfra- muros, and the message they thunder is that
The advantages Of this movement are far from be.
Ing limited to the dining room. Take for instance
Of locks and bolts win soon be over and the keys will
shortly drop from his gross paws Into the tidy finger
Oh trimmer eultOr OF MS CLASS. we fancy
Augustus already by anticipation rejoicing thereat
Soon, very soon, will that badgered youth DO relieved
from the freezing arctic stare of the British funky
to bask in the melting topic gaze Of the British
aunkyess. 1t is but jump dswn tho front steps t,
the bedizened carriage at tho curbstone. There w
find Buiwer's "two stately. solemn outriders y
they who ride smooth shod but rough over Londoi
street. These high-toned gentlemen with "quiver
| Ing calves and pushing tights are doomed Com
with that twinkling of fred stockingsand shoes witt
silver buckles. bound to be their successors; ant
who can doubt that the London streets, and those VIII
walk them, will be the better and brighter for tn
| change? This cannot be easily gansaid, indeed
for, In the mouths of gallant Maiays, the same Wort
stands for women and flowers. To 60 further, thi
new revolution In service is bound to please. Foot
women will make 1t their business TO make light
the robust claims Of the old service and to advance
In this day of aesthetic triumph, the banners OF
less muscular They will have nothing to do witt
staring from front DOORS strutting on
by as Trotty Week and his tribe But they will hav
a good deal to do with smiling from the first, look
ing pretty on the second aud speaking gently on tn
| duty to spare Mrs. Potpher those painful blushe
which pass over her expressive countenance when
she Is compelled to breathe that portion of he
| catechsm: 'And now. Jeems, hOw-about the
cdlces'" Neat feet will then command highe
premium than duiyering muscles and all that the new
claimant for Mrs. T.. service will have to do will b
| to put modestly forward her individual supply O
fred stockings and shoes with silver buckles. '
We may have spoken Of this new revolution as des
tined to be a sweeping one. But we are reminded Il
time that there are sanctles and there are sanctites
Some Of these Will perish In the first gale others OF stur
der sacredness will survive-for time. Among thes
we hasten to class her Majesty's own crimson foot
men, with epauets and black plushes.' Awfu
| figures. disturb them, and the throne itself Wi
tremble. Again we must except those highly esteeme
old Ladies Fitzaguethe very foundations Of arts
tocracy not strong and curiously shaky at TIL
very day We do SO u only to keep back the upbraid
ing shade Of the mighty author Of "snobs.'' Ho,
dearly he loved TO picture the fat horses the coach
men, and the fat footmen Of those excellent and mos
| ancient dUwagers.
A last word as to the general question now bein
discussed In Eaton place. 1t Is speaking frankly
| simply toss-np between the Haunting "tups {
Mynheer Van Dunck's gardens ~ and the bright rose
Of the garden of Nishapor. For our own part we In
| cline decidedly to the roses.