Los Angeles herald., 1890-06-17
SOCIETY IN ENGLAND.
The Standard of Morality Among the
Upper Glasses is Rather Low.

There has always been prevalent
conviction that higher standard of
morality is common in the higher classes
of society than is to be found in cores
ponding circles in continental Europe.
This is altogether a mistake. In the
early days of Queen Nictoria's reign,
when the court was presided over by a
young woman of the severest virtue,
matters were very different. The soiled
doves existed then as now, and as they
always will exist, but not in large num-
bers, and they were not permitted to
futter their sullied wings in the guarded
precincts where royalty sat in state. We
or they or somebody have changed
all this. Rank and fashion can
do as they like. l can mention,
for instance, a beautiful and
titled Englishwoman, one of the
recognized leaders of London society,
who is the mother of a child that can
not well be accounted for by any COM
plication of her conjugal arrangements.
Yet her social position remains unques-
toned and unassailable. There is an
other well-known woman of high rank
whose intrigues have been numberless
and fragrant, and who is socially none
the worse for her countless escapades.
But it is of no use multiplying instances,
for the list might be extended in
definitely. Only, if anyone who knew
the inside history of the English
nobility were to 60 carefully through
that pondrous volume, the British peer
age, annotating the pages as he read,
the result would furnish some remark
ably spicy reading.
The comparative and praiseworthy pur-
ity of English morals, as contrasted
with those of the French, lies in the
outward cleanliness of their literature
and art The novels and plays, the
prints and the photographs, and the col
umns of the daily newspapers are
wholly free from indecorousness, unless
indeed the details of some peculiarly
sensational divorce case disfgures the
latter. For your British moralist does
not disdain to write very nasty things,
if only they be true, on such occasions
The publication, for instance, of the
Colin Campbell divorce suit would have
been as impossible for the French pa
pers as would that of Zola's
novel, "La Terre," in an unmod-
flied form, for the English ones.
But what is the use of keep
ing the British young person strictly Sc
cluded from all sight and knowledge of
vice, it, on her introduction to society,
she finds herself face to face with vice
itself, arrayed in velvet and diamonds
and smiled upon by all that is most ex-
elusive and severe. A dozen immoral
novels and a score of improper pictures
would hardly do that typical personage's
principles half as much harm as does
the spectacle of fair female sinner,
courted and caressed in fashionable
society by just the very individuals
whose notice is considered best worth
having.
American society is far mere particu-
lar in this respect, and long may it re-
main so. But the power of the reigning
Anglomania is very great, and under its
influence some strange things have al
ready happened. That a handsome
ex-mistress of the prince of Wales did
not meet with a rapturous reception in
New York society few years ago was
largely due to chance. Still, she was
not received-to the credit of our Ameri-
can hostesses be it said. But British
peers, travelling with the wives of other
men and leaving their own at home, or
else the heroes of the most hideous of
European scandals, have found great
social acceptation and lordly entertain
ment in our principal American cities.
May these instances prove isolated ones,
and may the experiences of the past
teach our people lesson for the future.
--[Lucy Hooper in st. Louis Post Dis
match.