The Dawson journal., 1885-06-04
SOCIETY ANALYZED.
A Macon LadyComparess Society of
the Old Times with the Present.

J 6AoAAAhuOOiAOA1 WIZ ANOO III
the "golden long ago" still clings
with holy reverence to the Gus
toms Of her fathers, and ayers
that society of the present day is
not what it used to be- that it has
sadly degenerated from the high
moral and Intellectual standard to
which it attained in her time; that
the old, grand manners, courtly
grace and brilliant repartee have,
in a great measure, passed away.
Society, now, is all a sham, a .gla=
mour ands vanity Of yanities-
nothing but husks.,
Being familiar with the society
people Of the present time, their
comings and goings, their private
and public Life, / partake largely
of my grandmother's views and
heartily endorse The verify of her
Sayings. In her time they were
too regardful of social convention
to lend countenance to person
without weighing well the pros
and cons, and to gain entree into
the best society your moral and
intellectual worth and social po-
sition were questioned. Now, all
that is necessary to admit one in
to the so-called "best society" is
to dress in the prevailing mode,
dance well, be fully conversant
with the latest gossip and speak
glibly all the fashionable slang.
Popularity in such society cannot
commend itself; it savors too
strongly of the mob.
1t is a sad fact that society de-
generates as the age advances. In
the olden time girls were educated
with view to higher and nobler
purposes, and. to fill useful posi-
tions, and the boys for men of in
tegrity and industry. Now, the
former are educated to make
show, and the latter to aid the ex-
hihition.
Having all the advantages of
learning which our colleges and
public schools can bestow, these
are cast lightly aside or perverted
to ignoble purposes. A girl now
enters society, it seems, with but
one aim or ambition, and that is
to try to manage to extract the
greatest amount of enjoyment
from her life. It soon becomes a
continued round Of excitement; no
sooner is one festivlty over than
she begins to plan for another.
She finds it "dolce far niente."
Her hours Of leisure are either
slept or idled away, or spent in
planning some fitting dress in
which to appear at the evening
party. Occasionally she acquainus
herself with the plot Of the latest
romance, or the notes of fash
ionable piece Of music. Dwelling
much on the contemplation of
such little things, they soon lose
the intellectual appetite. As for
quiet domestic felicity, society
girls never dream of it! They
soon become wholly dependent
upon excitement for happiness,
and unless they have something
of this kind continually in view,
they soon sink into apathy and at
home are utterly wretched. The
parents of such girls usually prac-
tice strict economy in domestic af-
fairs, the mother doing all the ne
cessary work and denying herself
many comforts that her daugh-
ters may have a succession of silk
and satin dresses to enhance their
beauty, and fly about from one
place Of pleasure to another" hop
ing that they may make wealthy
alliance. In nineteen cases out
twenty they fail to do SO. Seldom
can We find society girl in our
day who can reason, reflect, feel,
judge, discern, discriminate, or
furnished with a stock of ideas,
principles and qualifications ready
to be applied as oeassion may de
mand to each of their respective
situations as daughters, wives or
mothers. Dwarfed by society and
fashion, and leading a life of idle
ness, dims the mental perceptions
and enervates a frame naturally
vigorous. Society now is heart
less aud shallow, with It's silly
amusements and soulless rivalries
p,rl;.-a ava stoIo orJ ,,,,roE+oLlo