The sun., 1888-02-26
THE DECLINE OF POLITENESS.

The DECLINE or POLITENESS.
The DepiorabIe Change That Has Heeu
Going On In tho Manners Of Envlish
society-Mca No Longer Chiva,rous or
Women Womanly-rhe Explanation.
From The London Standard
The signal deterioration OF manners that
has for some time been going on in what is
called good society Is every year becoming
more Glnring and more deplorable. The deli
man used to pay to every woman, because she
WAS woman, and for no other reason what
eyer, is already old fashioned. and promises
shortly TO become obsolete. No woman now
thinks of expecting from my man, the polite
homage which once on time was the privilege
come into s a % room full OF ladies' with as much
indifference and sans Jocon rs though they
were entering. the morning room OF their
OF ceremony and self-constrnint While In the
society OF women they, loll. lean, and almost lie
ns dns in tire
easy ,gracscssness that a generation ago no
Eentleman would have permitted himself
first approaches OF members OF one sex to
members OF the other. there is no longer any
a5 Who seasy eacs ether
act as though they wore ail-fellow-well- met.
had been IN IA the playground together and been
The demeanor Of women. nowadays, to mon
is on par with the male behavior we have de-
with WHeh fs' tsey are e treated bs mem
who are in reality utter strangers to them, they
go to meet 1t half way, ana permit themselves
ner is concerned;-with the first conner. pro;
vided he seem to be one Of their own set"
thai ns Sad eess n, Sr be
a.hang" conduct is rerceptible in the behavior
2S visitors and guests to their host and hostess.
ored in their own houses has gone quite out Of
fashion. No one nowadays IS so antiquated In
his ideas as to suppose that hospitali is to- be
person TO whom it is extended On the
contrary. It is the guest who confers an
tation to dinner, mi @ or M paying country visit and
who has perfect right to indulge in frank and
free censure to his neighbors Ia case he does
lishment he condescends to distinguis ish by his
presence; In word. guests nowadays treat
is to say as persons whom it is very good and
amiable of them to notice Mt all. And where
people really know each other intimately. tho
such as would have appalled, the least cere-
monious of our fathers. Women, call men by
even by their Christian names. abbreviated TO
suit the current taste for slang. And 1t is not
shop girls or Erocers' young men. who do this.
How has this Change come about The causes
are are, many. but they are not obscure. The
ably the movement in favor Of what Is called
Inequality Of the sexes than which no more
insidious and more dangerous assault on the
conceived. Men and. women. though equal
enough, are not similar gentleman, in;
in conversation he turns from m one one Of his own
to one OF the other sex, his manner instantly.
changes. The same observation IS true OF
the theory of equality has changed all that.
Women. betrayed and befooled BY the theory.
beions to M men men reiaste y1 by withdraw
ing from women the privileges that used to be
exclusively theirs. Nothing is more certain
the the Equals , Of men. @ in the sense sense commonly
attached TO equality" without forfetlnG, the
the enn on wheh
have it. as the phrase is. both ways. They can.
not bo as maserful as vsihy wielders OF
tey e treat tsiT own w e What % hspsens nextS
Finding men becoming lax, easy going i1dii,
they have lost and which they SO dearly and
open open to them. since men will no longer make
up to" them. is for them to make up TO mon.
This, in public at least they do by an Iaffecta-
as certain as the law Of gravtation that women
will never surrender the instructive desire to
II they cannot attain their end in one way they
old way-the way OF dignity. Of modesty. OF fine
mannish familiarity, which in the most skiltul
ones ones lapses into downri ght vulearity. THAT
tax ing each other as matter OF course. which
is characteristic of the behavior Of men toward
those ilne shades OF difference between the
sexes which alone stimulate the growth oflove.
"'iA Anotber emuse Of i6e deterioretion 0 Of man
ners is one that. no doubt. has its good side;
though It is attended with some very ugly and
limitation OF those barriers Of rank and station
which used to Subslst In society, and to the fact
5nst S "s.1 in nsSsns sSSd h
wealth importunity and etfrontery. Nor must
4 DO supposed that it is only the wealthy S and and
dition Of things. People who used TO be con-
sidered noble, and many who are still titularly
SO. are consumed by tho want to eat aad drink.
riche. Accordingly. they will go any;
whore, provided they are amused and get good
parties in return. But. While doing this, thoy
have sneaking, desire to retain sonnet hing OF
what they consider their social superiority, and
they believe they can safely treat in that fash
ion; Hence u habit OF, rudeness has sprung mp,
is too polite it is inferred that he war, is to
propitia.e his neighbors. in order 10 make them
condone his inherent inleriority Thus every
and consideratr. The manners Of b9or tho
laugh Of lo%t.,hess ~ s, are fast beG1m,
men, and hosts and hostesses spoil their
guests. They. make too much OF them. We
do not say that we sec our way to cure: be-
cause, In these populous days, evils. when they
exist. exist on 30 large u scale that II Is not
easy to Grapple with them. But the mischief
is patent. Women have east OH that passive
and waiting attitude which constituted their
charm, and men have. at the same time. ceased
TO give themselves any trouble to win what. to
use IA collo1uial phrase, is thrown at, their
heads. We can only hope that the ~ VIII work
out its own cure and that we shall some day
see II revival OF those bOHOs m res which l!or-
ace. in his Carmen Secullre, prayed the gods TO
bestow on the youth OF Rome.