New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-02-15
GOOD SOCIETY.
CASTE IN ENGLAND AND AMERICA.

Dragatls iersonoMr John Csvil Just returned from
received home caIii s2onn Miss 'A'''
cav ss T iR e, servant enters and announces MI
tLInter Cavlll CarW (asids).-How handsome
she's grown! taioud All! we meet again!
| Hd'ie lasidel-Im afraid he's sp0llt! aloud How
do yoq do! tShabes hands, Take a seat.
,drM-Thanks. (SitsD Let Inc see-how long is
SaLie si,sl.-At least that, should think-from
your whskers
You nust give me time. | shall subside to the
American mgstache in a week or two.
Won Sa gI:d ~ IT, az alyou might catch cold Are
CdriH-Oh, yes. suppose so. Certainly, on
SdtG;-Your being backi
| Things IN general. So different. perhaps | should
have said differences are amusing. you know.
SSa tni is different from England; them
| ndlhe lkindiy.-Not at all! I'm sure IT'S not your
fault If 1t depended on you, dare say thered
be no o difference at ALL BIT tell ms-have they
Casiu,-Any good society in England Well
crLthe fact is-they hare good society in England,
| Whatever they may have in other places.
SatHe-pear me, have thcyf 1 should never
| have imagined it.
| CdriU,-! fancy don't catch your attitude.
aside Is she fool or trying to make fool of me
>a1ie (dsde.--Yes, he's prig Oh dear! (1loudl
! was under the impression that the religion Of
| England was caste, and
1
| -pcturesguely! And it is caste
SdHc-And | did not see how that
| could be compatible with good soci-
CariH.-That renders possible what fogcthe5.
| we call good society
| i beg yonr pardon. (COl0rs.)
| MGe (tdaghiag). You see my ignorance. Won't
| you explain the paradox
CqriH. Well, I'm not good at explaining. Yon
| Wish she had been European culture would have
| made her perfect. (Iloadl Well, you know. caste
means order-gradatlon and order is Heavens
| SdIIie--England is like fIeaven'
| CdrW-What mean Is how can you have So
cal organization withou order'
| NlIiy-l guess were talking about different
! things. l. good society the same thing social
organzation' What Is your definition OF good
| society, anyway
| Cdrfn-Oh. Idon' know,-the best people get
| ting together isn't il =
| Hdilie-And how do you find them QUIT Do you
| know them when You see themy
| CdriU-Well. now, thar the point. In England,
you 10. You know Just where TO go for them. Caste
distinctions make everything clear and certain. The
nice people always stick together, II you know
| what mean; tho mere fact of their being
| tain places gives them the cd'hef. All you have
| To do. 10 keep In good society, is To 90 nowhere
| but To the best houses. You're sure 20 meet 'cm
| there and you're not TO meet any else.
Now of course who're there's no caste, all that's
| impossible. For instance. here in New-fork, if
| Won don't mind saying so, you meet all sorts of
| propc-evcryw where. You never know whom you
| may run into next fellow never knows where
| hc Il.
SaiGe l.ynpaiietc1llyl.-It must be very embar-
| assing.
CarH Don't you find it SOL
Sdii.-Iel me more about it. What 90 the nice
people say aud do!
CsrEI-Oa ITS all very simple and very quiet
Everything goes on as smooth AZ oiled
understanding disagrceable or grotesqne. One
person u Just like another-as far as manner aud
speech 60 | mean. Thsy're 80 perfectly drilled
that YOU don't notice the drilling You never have
to make any effort, or hardly TO think, even
h.. 1,.lt ffItf ffIl Ia
Caldwell, then, there's he dress dou't pre-
tend to Judge the ladies, but I'm the men here
evening dress in broad dayIIght. Now, IN London,
that's all settled lou have certain things that
YOU always wear az certain hours OF the day. la
tho country you rough clOthes-tweeds. and
such thIngs-until dinner In the city yen put
a froc coat after lunch. and SILK hat, of course.
You always wear evening dress from dlnner-tIine
80 avtnlly convenient. don't you know But
there's nobody to do hat for u.s. 80 We get all
NdiHs-Aud the servant3-aIc they nice. too
CGrW All. wish you could sec the servants IN
good English house :noniy y2u hardly can see
do i, "a SIT still and be- waited on You needn't
speak they know what yon want. And there is
80 much defercnc, Ia superIors-thats another adj
yanfago of caste. Every man knows where he be-
longs and keeps there But here. If q man is a
rowdy. or uncducatei be takes particular pains to
make out that he's - Soot "A YOU are. Onc doesn't
know how 10 manage with them.
SdVic-And life Is worth living only 30 long as
its comfortable you'll take cupof yea
Cdril.-Ihanks. fHter s0rud TiM td-tbiagAl
How iolly! This quite puts me IN mind of London.
You have acquired some Of the customs see.
Sdllie pouring ont he ted'.-lt puts me IN mind OF
sonnet hing ei>c-that you We forgotten. Ene,S. Do
YOU take sugar
CdriH-0ne lump. please. Thanks. Something
I've forgotten lGdAaafgJ Not If It's connected
SaHi~That', very polite Of you. | was thinking
of the Mnlcnyil.c picn,cs-
CarW lirih da,nahonl. The school picnics
Well ! should think | remembered them !
remember that time You and g2t of alone BY
Cormbine Rock. and rade uble ont ot she
stump Of the hickory. What's become of Jim Col
Inns | wonder! punched his head that night for
trying TO kiss you gong some in the hay-rlgglag.
Sdiiic.-All that seems rather barbarons now,
doesn't it,
picst time ot nv life! Don't YOU remember the
school dances, aud the li0rpfnJh he r0ic. he walks
home aftcrward' By Jove! And the skating on
Goose Pond. Are you as good skater now is you
were then
SaRie-You shouldn't remind me of those times
| feel ashamed of them.
CGrtH-Ashamcd ! why
Saiie-fhcre was no good society there.
CariH-I don't know what YOU call good society
I only wish | might have some more OF II! Ii
10 me the ideal of what society ought 10 be-
Everybody knew every body; nobody put on airs:
there was no style or prctence; there was perfect
freedom, and yet II was all right. It's kea breath
of fresh air to think of MuIleryile! |
SdlHc.-I must say IL seems 10 me very heathenish !
One wants some sort of recognition of social ranks
and divisions. But at Muenvllle YOU were liable |
To meet the dressmaker aud the groeeryinan at the
houses Of the best people III town. Ii was really |
disgaccful.
CariU But the drcssmaker and the groccryman
were nee enough people; and. at any rate, they
were human beings. After all, yOu know its human
nature in its broadcast sense thar must he me
foundation of true society Any other foundation
is insecure aud hypocrtical
Sd'He.-l'm afraid disagree wit yon. My idea
of society is that 1t should be exclusive ana relned
and serene. If you admit persons below your own
level
CdHH-But everybody is on the same level in
America.
Saliie-Surely that is not to be taken literally;
it's figure Of speech.
CduH-If we aren't able 10 make IL literal