Daily globe., 1883-08-19
SOCIAL WORLD
TraveI a Heaas Of Education

Ir0UeJ a. 1HSU7lS OF fUHcdteOH
We often hear people say that there is
no better educator than travel. If the
statement be true, does it follow that those
who stay at home are necessarily unedu-
Gated? We think not. Doubtless in many
ways travel does improve one, and no
ticably enIarging our ideas, giving the
traveller more ease of manner, more self
possession, suavity; in short rubs off the
rusticity of manner, adding tone to what
would otherwise be commonplace. But
the really we'll bred, refined person needs
not the polish Of travel, which at best is
but veneered on to the rough material.
True refinement is something more than
outside gloss, something more than ease of
manner. A graceful lifting of the hat or
showing of teeth in a society smile is a
poor test of refinement. How often do we
see what looks a gentleman, dressed hand
somely and with perfect taste, bowing and
smiling with most attractive manner, who
we know is rude to those in his employ,
and often cross and tyrannical to those
dear ones who depend upon his
care. Think you all the travel
that could be accomplished in life time,
would protect the inner nature of that
man so that it would correspond to the
outer? No; genuine refinement is of the
heart, rather than the head.
Many of US can remember some &C.
quaintance, perhaps friend, who without
education or culture such as is furnished
by books, is so courteous, refined, aye, so
polished in manner that all are pleased
when they meet him, or her, as the case
may be. Ns thought of what college was
his alma mater, what seminary had the
finishing of her education; the thought of
whether or not they are educated, never
enters ones mind. We sometimes are led
to almost believe that good hearts are
much pleasanter to meet than full heads;
although society bows down to polish o
manner, and almost forgets to look for
polished minds. Social success is much
oftener measured by business success than
by mental or moral acquisitions.
Dear reader, do you, IN your circle
acquaintances. often hear any young lady
say of some gentleman under discussion,
she is the best educated, mentally and
morally, of any one in his class?" Per-
haps you hear mama say It; but daughter,
never. What does your daughter say of
her gentlemen friends? Why, she is so
graceful! did you see how lovely his manner
of bowing was? He is the loveliest dancer
l ever saw! 1 never saw any one lead the
German as perfectly as he led the last"
These and thousand and one other erual-
ly extravagant terms of praise of outward
demeanor, but never one of what consti-
tutes the real man. We are finding no
fault, my dear girls; no, but are telling of
what We see on every hand. We have
heard matrons, these that mad grown
daughters, too, often speak in the same
way, but they were either ignorant or what
is equally objectionable, thoughtless It
seems as though no thoughtful, God fear
ing mother would be willing to see her
daughters idling their time with such gen.
tlemen as We have described as forming
the greater part of the social element of
the present day, cultivating their acquaint-
ance to the exclusion of the thinking,
educated workingmen. No thoughtful,
God-fearing mother likes to see her
daughter spinning around the
room in the arms of men she
would not let them marry, but what
can she do. She hoes not like to seem
singular, she does not like to be called
prude; and so rather than call down on her
devoted head all gossip and misrepresen-
tation of her set, she sits night after night
In the ball room of the watering place she
is visiting, or in the parlor of her friends
house, and sees what makes her shrink
within herself, or shiver as if in shower
bath, at sight OF what she has not the NOR
al courage to prevent. All honor to one
of the first ladies "a mother) of our land,
whose voice has been lifted up against this
practice, whose facile pen has once and
again been used to condemn a practice
which she considers highly reprehensible.