The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-25
WE Have NOT ANY BOYS.
THEY ARE ALL YOUNG MAMIE rs,
DUDES AND DUDELETS,
Senile Amusements for the Children
OF lothian ., Striplngs Who
SMASH" Smoke and Drink.

|
spectacular pieces are given, and at g
the performances promenade tht
streets, joining the great army goinj
up town and the other gre at army
going down town, the ceaseless beat
ing Of the human Ii e upon the shor,
of endeavor and OF effort.
l look in vain for the occupation o
the boys and entertainment OF thI
young men. don't recall boy will
a hoop, boy with sled, a boy will
a bite, in five years at the very
least. In the skating season thou
sands OF boys and girls of the poorer
classes go to Central Park, and tn y
ara met in cars ard on the streets
with their skates alu1g over theil
arms, but skating in New York is an
exceptional ocGu renee. Some winter
we don'C have au hour OF 1t, othel
winters we have few days Thus fai
this winter, not moment.
Actually, / am staggered to tel
what the boys do with themselves.
| We have coieIies for dancing, club
for baseball, but boys cannot dance al
the time, and all is a psstime fol
a season only. / don't think have
seen boy with round jlcket or any
sort of coat withou. tail in ten
yearH.
We haven't any boys.
They are all young manlets, dudes
aud dudelets.
They begin smoking when they are
years OF age, and they are pretty
well played out by the time they ara
Is and 10. Ii | had smoked cigar q
my way to school when l wps boy
would have heen thrashed when en-.
tered the room, and l would have
been thia;hed when / got home, and
would have been sick at my stomach
between times. But the schoolboys
now wear high hats, tails to their
Goats, smoke cigarettes, and are
clothed well. There is nothing in the
Eden Musee that is ha'f as funny as
they are. Actually 1t seems as though
humanity was turned heels over head.
Sitting In John Stetson's box the
other night during the performance Of
Princess Ida, | looked through the
audience and remarked at the time
that there were over $50 boys thtra
not over IS years of age, all dressed in
the hight Of fashion, and every one Of
them went out. as a proiessio al
writer would cay, "between every
act" took his drink and his smoke,
AMI going out for those cheerful pur.
poses they actually couldn't wait
until they got outside the door, but,
pulling cigarette case ON one pockeI
and a match from the other, passing
the door struck the match, lighted the
cigarette and started forth upon the
process of health depletion.
After the theater l went around 10
George Browns.
George Brown, by the way, has
been dead for two years, but the
property survives" and an very
fond OF going there, surrounded with
pictures, photographs, old time play
bills, menlori5tic "reminiscences OF
great men in journalism, great lights
on the st5ge, famous people in
literature and science. One can get
an appetizing WEIGH rarebit, 20 ID
dish Of terrspin, and succulent pigs
foo', but the bOys-bless my heart-it
would make you i'll to see them. They
absolutely troop in focks after
the theateIs. Each dressed a la
mode, white tic, white waist
coat, pronounced shirt front, dangling
seals, lshdy-dshdy manner and stink
ing cigarettes loud, hilarious. imper, l.
nent, intrusive, obtrlsive, disgusting
suggestions of what the coming gene
ration will be, if, indeed, they are able
to secure a coming generation at all.
How do our boys and young men
amuse themselves? By drinking, by
smt king, by sitting up lats at night,
by idlirg their time in all manner OF
extraordinary avenues to premature
decay.
go much to German opera II
you want to see what the youag girls
today are coming to, look at some of
the naked creatures in prominent
boxes with no more in their heads
than on their stark naked shoulders,
chests, bosoms, backa. In pauline"
Mrs, Langtry wears dress cut 80 low
behind as TO display the whole of her
back, very shaoely and beautiful
back, which che turns to the audience
as much as possible. We tolerate, we
permit, indeed we look for extrava-
gsnCe on the stage. A speech there,
to be correct and fitting, to Re
effective, is that which WOULD
seem stilted in ordinary con-
versatiou, and as effects there
are exaggerated 80 possibly are toll.
Grated C; stumeS and dtsired scenery;
ia other words, effective processes are
demanded to produce certain results
upon the stage. What can be tolerated
there, however, should be hissed out
of private life. l hsve ssen women
in the Metropol tan Opera House
dressed beyond the verge OF decency.
They Fit with utter ignorance of what
passes upon the stspe, absolutely re-
CARELESS Of the magnificent hsrmonies
aud wonderful achievements of that
great body which Mr.. Seidl,
under the direction OF Mr.. Stan
tn, has gathered together. They
laugh, they 9iggle, they talk
loud, they hold up over their faces
huge fans, behind which their puppy
hblVhNaAAAo pA hEkNl auu WhlbpGEg anu
join their giqgling, snickering laugh
ter. They are Kissed night after night
by people of humber means unable
to purchase boxer, quits content with
comfortable stalls. Their insolence
parallels that of the mobiles OF France
about the time the people took the
reins in their own hands and taught
needed Lesson.
II seems to me as II, little by little,
the race, so for as cities are concerned,
is losing its grip. 1t is refining itself
TO too small a point.
Do you remember the story of the
lady who, floating over the sea in a
boat, woke suddenly to find her mag.
nifcent pearl necklace by some acct
dent unfSstened ct one end, and from
the loose string hanging down into the
water pearl after pearl slipped off for
ever into the sbyss2 That would
seem to be fair illustration of the
losses to mankind in general by
the gradual falling away Of hoy after
boy, or girl after girl, slipping
from the solid substsntialities OF |
old fashioned honor, modesty ,decency,
courtesy. Drink and tohacco ara nm