The Russellville Democrat., 1892-02-04

SUCH eAerclseS us are pfactlceu al
 our modern gymnasiums and
 athletic contests; and in addition to
 these, religious ceremonies were
 frequently introduced as a part of the entertainment.
 As time goes on we learn of the l gladiatorial contests which were
 first introduced at funerals to give
 interest and excitement to those
 occasions. But they soon became
 the chief entertainment of the
 Romans where patrician and l plebeian alike congregated to view
 the horrible spectacle, where
 thousands of human beings were
 slain for the amusement of those
 whose tastes were so morbid and de- prayed as to enjoy such scenes. Ii
 was the custom of the Romans as
 early as the year A. w. c. 490 to
 solomnize funerals by human sac.
 rifce. In that year the first gladia- : torial exhibition was given by
 Marcus and Decius Brutus on the
 death of their father, where they
 employed only three pairs of gladia-
 tors Cor slaves) trained for that pur-
 pose. These contests continued for
 about 600 years, when they were abolished by Constantine the Great. They were however revived for a
 few years by Constantius (not Con-
 stantine) and his two successors. out Honarius forever put an end to
 these barbaric cruelties.
 But let us leave these revolting
 and barbaric scenes and turn to
 something more in accordance with
 the refinement and culture of the
 nineteenth century. About the year
 1730 Lord Chesterfield, in his letters
 to his son, gave the world a
 code of social ethics well
 calculated to refine as we'll as please. These letters were largely circulated and extensively read. He was man rich in modern and ancient lore scholarly and refined-and from such man the world was willing to take those lessons in moral and social culture 1t so much needed. His teachings seemed to supply long felt want, and when they were as- simulated and digested, Count Dor say came to the front, aooat the year 1849, and gave the world new and revised edition of these teachings, with rules tc govern society, which were more in accordance with the advanced ideas of the age in which he lived. Since which time the world has had rules to guide and control society, which, if practiced in all their fullness, would shed halo of culture and refinement on so- ciety throughout the length and breadth of this fair land.
 In the good old days of our grand mothers there was a freedom rom restraint, coupled with a modesty and chastity that must elicit the admiration of the people of all ages. In the days when they had quilting and sewing bees they would work all day, looking forward to eventide, when they would don their neat lawn or calico dresses and join their jewellers in the old-fash- toned cotillion or quadrille, and have more genuine pleasure and enjoy ment than at a hundred modern hops or balls. Society of that day was characterized by a simplicity that would certainly put to blush the strained efforts of to-day. In the fashionable society of our time there is too much that is frothy and su- per6cial. There seems to be 8 lack of those high and heaven born ele- ments of truth, modesty and sheer ity, without which society can never be what 1t was designed to be.
 The standard planted by the loyal hands of our grandparents, from which waved the snowy banner of truth, fidelity, purity and faith, has been supplanted by one emblazoned with scarlet and purple, bearing on its gaudy folds emblems of notoriety and admiration. Modesty is the brightest jewel set in the circlet of society, and yet the tendency of the present age is to ignore it altogether. At all our society assemblages each lady's name is heralded all over the coun- try in the newspapers, with dis eruption of her toilet--whether decolette or high neck, whether train or walking length, whether moire or surrah--with an enumera- tion and description of her jewels, supplemented with glowing com ments on her beauty and taste. What is the consequencei Those ladies whose finances will not allow them to indulge in satins, velvets and jewels must remain at home, and, like poor Cinderella, lament and wonder why they can't dress like other girls. Many of them are the brightest stars in the galaxy of literary and social culture and would disperse a halo of refinement on any assemblage, and vastly contribute to the enjoyment and edifcation of those present.
 Many young ladies seem to luxuri- ate on the streams of admiration and flattery that are poured into their willing ears. But alas these streams will ere long become stagnant pools, exhaling weariness and discontent. l let the young ladies of this era suh-