Smyrna times., 1883-07-11
A Lost Art.

submitted to the consideration of any
of our women's clubs: The Art of
Social Living-what was it and how
may it be restored? That is practi-
cally lost art, no one who observes
the manner of life of the present day
will deny. Societies we have in abun-
dance-societies musical and societies
philanthropic, societies estheticandpol-
itical, societies for brio G-brGc and tenn
perance, for conversation and archery.
Never a man or woman who has
theory, grievance, a speciality, or
even a tendency, but shall find some
community of birds of u feather with
which to congregate; but where
among them all shall we find any true
social life ?
1t is to woman that the question is
especially addressed, not simply be-
cause our only hope in this matter lies
with them, but also bY way of pointing
them to the fact that here is that op-
portunity to extend the sphere of
woman's influence for which they have
so long been seeking. That society
once afforded woman a career of
widest influence we have the testi-
many both of books and tradition.
We need not 90 back to the days of
of chivalry, nor the annals of the
French Directorie to prove that wo-
man once reigned queen of the social
circle, and that her influence was felt
beyond that realm even into the do
main of politics. The stately social
life of our own colonial days furnishes
abundant instances of such fact, and
there are those still living who can
call to remembrance a less formal
oyder of society, in which woman was
still the ruling spirit-social gatherings
in which conversation was earnest or
sparkling, wise or witty, according to
the humor of the hour, and where the
pure pleasure of looking ones fellows
IN the face was enough to draw people
together, with no ulterior views of use
fulness or culture.
We have changed all that. WO-
mems ambition largely seeks other
channels; clubs and associations ab-
sorb her thought, and conversation is
no longer the power it once was.
Society's throne has become vacant
that the presiding officers chair may
be filed, and society itself has fallen
into fragments, and has been gathered
up and ticketed off in lots, like the fag-
ends of an auction sale.
1t is, no doubt, quite as much to the
obscurity which involves the servant
question, and to the increasing luxury
of dress and living, as to the growing
love of art or literature or even phil
anthrOpy, that we owe to the rise OF
clubs, associations and unions which
are taking the place of the social life OF
a former day. 1t is much simpler
matter to entertain ones friend at ones
club than to bring him home to the un.
certainties which, under the existing
domestic regime, beset the best regula-
ted households, and the average hus-
band can better afford to indulge his
wife in mission than in an evening
party. as parties are nowadays, And
so everybody goes his or her way to
find kindred spirits, and meet affini.
ties, or to be left out of the question
altogether.
For, incredible as it may seem, there
are even at this day people who have
neither talent nor speciality nor griev-
.ance-wOmen who have no mission
and yet are neither musical nor artistic
nor literary men for whom the club.
room and political machine have nc
charms, and whose gregarious instinct:
are not fully met by the church
sOciable. 1t is scarcely too much tC
say that for such social life at the pres
ent day scarcely exists, and such
power Of influence as they may possess
is lost or useless to humanity.
Under the present system, too, W.
notice that young people, being as {
general thing more Jealous in the pur
suit of amusement than of cultuFe o.
philanthropy, are left to herd togetbei
in coteries of their own, with little in
fuence from their elders, It might b,
quite possible to trace to this fact many
of the ills which American society nov
bitterly bewails itself. Since defects o
manners among this class are becomin,
an absolute grievance, somebody may
perhaps. be led to form Club for tn,
Cultivation of Young People, whicI
would be step towards the solution
of the question above proposed
LesIie's illustrated Newspaper.