New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-26
NETWORK LIFE.
TIE YOUNG GREEK GOD.
THE SUCCESSOR OF THE BOY ABOUT rowN-THE
TWO PARTNERS.

THE SUCCESSOR OF THE hoy ABOUT TowN-THE
TWO PARTNERS.
These arc the days wLon demi-god walk tho earth.
They have only done 1t lately the divine fire which
created them having boon stolen from Olympus by
those modern disciples Of Promeheus, Miss ughton
and the lurid Ouida
Tho Young Crock God in America is not yet per
footed. Perhaps II 1. that Americans not yet
perfected. We regard him a. compote-a national
glorywhen ho has achieved the cearness and BRILL ant
lucldlty which succeeds the vigorous fermentation OF
the Boy About Town epoch. THIS Is all wrong The
Young Greek God IN his highest form should be mid
die aged and a guartsman, the older and the holder
the better. Tho Gods, whom burning ouida loved
and sung were OF ago when In this savage country
they would DO regarded doddering old men, inter
estng relies Of the golden prno Of Andrew Jackson.
Their flavor would DO too fruity for unaccus-
toned palatcs. We would only take kindly to them
as grandpapas or, in exceptional case or twO IS
awful Dads" Our Young Greek Gods must DO
shams or else the English tho victims Of an
unfortunate mistake, such Aurora made in tho
celebrated case Of Tsthonus.
Tho Young Greek God began life as a Boy About
Town. At about twenty four years Of age a change
visible to him. lilo became talkavo and lively. He
lost his old Indifference to Where, In his salad
days, he gazed at girl askance with lightly yelled
scorn, he now looks at her with tender affection.
sitting gracefully beside her In Du Maurer attitude
Of chvalrous devotion He takes to reading books OF
thoughtful and philosophical nature dips into Kant,
takes frightened peep at schopcnhauer, knows a
thing two about the Tosto Philosophy, and gives
his old friends Bulwer and Boccaccio tho goby
Where in the old Boy-About-Town days, he secretly
toted in Charles OMalcyn and the immortal Three
Guardsmen,1 he gives the Data Of Ethics'-in
a green cloth cover with a white label-the place OF
honor his table, and pays large dues to the library
for keeping Tho Age of Reason six months Despite
this improvement in his literary taste 1t IS still some
what unmanageable, and Will suddenly shoot OF out
Of his control like marlonettes legs. lie keeps his
critical faculty well oiled with yellow covered novels
upon which he occasionally makes what he considers
rathor neat criticisms Witness the Mr..
Barnes of New-Yorh-
"A gentleman such as Mr.. Barnes IS supposed to
be- would mover have reversible cuffs said tho
God being questioned, and the Boys were overawed
by this evidence OF the instincts of gentleman aud
q critic combined
Tho God Is undoubtedly a great Improvement on
the Boy, from whose as cs he sprang, phoenx-llle.
Where-1ve minutes after no had met hcr-hc used to
ask girl If she believed in tho immortality OF the
soul, he asks her, after two hours lombard
ment of commonplace, II she believes in love. Where
of old he confded his latest grande passon-swelling
with pride at this manly achievement-to the nearest
feminine ear, no Acknowledges tranquil attach
mont, founded OF fact. a discreet married lady who
has confidential relations with the charmcr Whore,
when girl "teascd him. ho used to look bashfuly
radiant and rather like 1t, he looks Jelly at her
with the raised eyebrows of cold surprise, and COM
peie5 the razing of her childish mirth by artful use
Of that iconoclastc and chilly word platonc7 Where,
good old days he and his best friend would talk
a bcnumbcd and dazzled dcbutante, prize
fight, they now substitute politics. Where he used
TO drag lbs fictitious fine friends into the cOnvcrs alton
by main force he now lets them melt into their native
ether unmolested. Where. should rival know an
Earl, he always managed to know Duke, he now
says with pensivc smile:
We'll, / have only met celebrity in nv life
Patsy Duffy Did you meet Patsy Dunyf' And
this is far effective than a whole pecragc-full of
Dukes Where, by generous use Of flashing innucndo.
he proudly admitted his imaginary, but not the less
giddy descent OF the primrose path of dalance, he
is apparently harmless a sucking dove, and
shrlnes ideal In his heart. Where. upon
time his taste in women to sinewy old campaign
ers who had their spurs whom he cutting
his teeth a rubber ring. II the spring
lamb variety-cSs wit, moro charm, less poudrc de-
rlz, complexion, less tongue, more heart. BY
tho time he is fifty he will look fondly upon fifteen.
Yet don't magne for a ~. L. 49, r''-"]'
all his affections. Some stl flourish in unabbcviacd
glory and new ones have started showing tropical
vigor all cxoically rich and Injurious Development
Many of the old Ones clipped Into prim conventional
shapes Ike German Vows, still bear fine crop OF
tnsel and PIN, paper blossoms. lie likes TO pose
as one to whom life offers no great charm, who has
cast away ambition as youthful folly and snaps HIS
fingers at lovo as a broken-nOsed goddess whose day
IS over lie undoubtedly beats his friends for
dinner an invitation to the opera, to their country
place by tho sea He has been abroad, yet he
Is fond of referring the last tmo he was in Paris,
or when he was in Vienna In 80" lie VIII assure
you with glib nonchalance that he reads Victor Hogo
and Daudet in tho original, but If you come to In
vcstigae you will find he has pcruscd their works in
and han he N
French. There is doubt he steals good many of
his brightest remarks makes free with his best friends
best stories draws the reviewers for his opinions
on books and the editorial column for his political
views and there doubt pte these laIses from
tho path Of veracity and sincerity, of his being, aS
Gods go, very good follow.
Tho Young Crock God socially realizes an ideal
He can dance with the greatest dcxterlty he IS good
looking, he talks well, and Is not readily d'con
certed lie not only furnishes room. he adorllS IT,
MarlmonlaIy he IS not much OF an ideal, for he IS
generally poor. As a rule. he IS gObbled up by the
oldest splnstcr members of old rich families. thu
mothers Of such girls leading their forlorn hope
with lances in rest and banners flying The God Is,
for time, in state of siege but finally capitulaes,
in a state of terror. The Boys About Town, from
whose ranks he originally burst In all his dazzling
splepdor regard him with fond, adOring eyes, the
great man who reminds them they can mako thclf
lives sublime He IS very kind to them. allows them
TO treat him on great occasions. and sometimes asks
them up his whore he gives them cigarettes
champagne and advice. Tho latter not loftily but
in a CHEEKY, fatherly spirit, saying every now and
then:
ayes, when I was your age l thought the same
way, but now, listen, old boy
And chunks of wisdom are flung with lavish gen
crosby into the Boys empty cerebral cavity. The
Boy flattered by the manner in which the advice IS
given fattered by the friendship, wakes confidential,
and leaning back, making rings the smoke lingering
In cloudy LAYERS In the st hot air. confosses aspra
tlons and opinions long cherished in secret and all
restraint washed away with Drumming bealcr Of
Cllcquots Sparkling, amber widow, gives tongue till
the wollsln rings again This Is giddy Joy to the
descended dcDzen of Oympus-thcso murmurs rec all