Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-30
MRS. GRUNDY AND HER wHIMs.

Professor Curr Tells What He Knows
About the Old Lady and How to Man
age Her-WhO She is and Where she
Crime From.
Armory Hall was filled with an intelli-
gent and cultured audience last night 10
listen to the lecture by Professor Allen
Curr on Men, Women, Things, and Mrs
Grundy." The speaker developed from the
subject a lecture full of brilliant wit, and
held the audience delighted to the close.
Professor Cur is an admirable speaker,
and his rare ability mark him one Of the
most successful of lecturers.
A happy feature of the entertainment
was the reading by Mrs. Curr of "a
Naughty Little Girls View of Life in a
Hotel" Both Sides of the Same Ques-
ton" and 1.-The Bugle Call and Echo"
which she read by special request. Mrs.
Curr Is an accomplished and graceful
reader, and an elocutionist of rare talent.
After general introduction, the lee
turer asked: ''Who is Mrs. Grundy!"
In reply, he said: "She is the persOntica-
ton of that impalpable yet real and ire
sistible power called public opinion the
world" How shall | describe Mrs.
Grundy? In the first place she is a wo-
man. In the second place, mark you, she
is a married woman. Everything reminds
us of the obvious fact that the sex
of the director of the affairs of men, wO-
men and things generally Is essentially
female. Kings and Princes may hide
their diminished heads. Emperors, Presl-
dents and other pOtentates may pale their
Intellectual fires, and politicians may talk,
but their real force and influence, socially
and politically, lies in the answer to the
questionable awful query: "What will
Mrs. Grundy Say?"
How old is Mrs. Grundy? Difficult
question, remembering she is lady!
Where was she born?
From the best authorities Germany was
her birthplace, and her godfather and god
mother the first printing press and the
first newspaper. Before that time there
were Kings and Queens, lords and ladies,
feudal castles and mighty men of war, but
no Mrs. Grundy. In a word, she sprang
from the people, and the people were not
in existence. politically speaking, in those
days of gallant knightly chivalry and
bold adventure.
In answering the question, ''who is Mrs.
Grundy." we may say she is erery6Ody,
and everybody is Mrs. Grundy.
A gentleman was once suddenly called
upon to propose a toast at a public dinner.
In his confusion he gave this somewhat
comprehensive one: ''TO all people that
on earth do dwell" 1t is to be hoped he
was the last speaker, else succeeding ora
tors might have found some difficulty in
breaking new ground.
His toast. however, describes Mrs. q.
perfectly. She, in a word, is the lgOrtd.
The speaker then pictured the old lady S
views and character in various lights
in society. fashion, dress, politics and re-
lieion-giYing amusing and entertaining
illustrations of her changeableness of dis
position.
In concluding, he said: "Mrs. Grundy
has many friends and allies ready to help
her to make up her mind on any subject.
Amongst these might be named the pull
pit, the platform and the public schools.
Enthusiastically. however, amongst her
very best friends and advisers are the
| printing press and the newspaper. In fact,
| but for these two she would probably have
| been strangled in her birth. Ifthe old lady
wants to know about anything she simply
reads her paper and she finds it all there
and sometimes good deal more. There are
various ways of treating the old dame
from a newspaper point of view. One is
to tell her what she must say. This plan,
however, is a little risky, as Mrs. G.'s
temper is a trifle uncertain, and she is apt
| to resent dictatiOn. Another method is
just to say what Mrs. Grundy says-a
kind of echo. as it We're, of her opinions.
! This way seldom works well in the long
run. The old lady despises coward,
| and, like most women, rather likes a lit
tie contradiction occasionally.
A third plan is to find out what she is
going TO saw. and to say it for her. Most
newspapers are conducted on this princi-
ole. But there is yet another method,
though only a brave man Will dare to try
it, and that is to teach Mrs. Grundy what
she ought to say. This is the highest
function of the press, but the editor who
performs it must be prepared to take the
possible consequences. Carlyle once said
that 1.-The population of England was so
many milliOns-mOstly fools" lfsO, their
social, political and religious education is
a very serious matter for the educator
newspaper or otherwise.
LASTLY. Mrs. Grundy is powerful, but
not infallible. Don't be too much afraid
Of her, Fight her, if need be, on principle,
but humor her Whms and fancies. In
other words. treat her as you would do
lady. Bv and by the time will come when
the will of the people, or public opinion,
will prevail, and all national disputes be
referred to a congress of nations instead
of being settled by force of arms. Over
that Congress of nations Mrs. Grundy
will preside. BE il ours, by the precept
and example of a noble, earnest life, to
help to form that greatest Of all human
Dowers-a free, pure, an educated, and
a righteous public opiniOn-that the
jewellers in this highly favored land may
grow better, wiser, happler--ln word,