Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-03-18
TriHaS

Many small amenities which the unac-
customed regard as among the fads of
fashionable life, and altogether whims
cal, unnecessary, and absurd, will really be
found established upon reason if oace
looked into with any scrutiny.
Where the lOud-speaKing woman il
stamped as vulgar, for example, it is not
only because the association connects the
loud voice with the fshwomen of Billings
gate, but because the loud voice is insult
ed to dwelling rooms, hurts the ears of the
hearers, allows every one to know all the
speakers business and often that of other
people, and betrlys, if not a coarse nature,
at least an unframed and uncultlvated
manner, while, bad as it is within doors,
it acts a greatly worse part without,
where it attracts attention and invites
insult, but without and within it is un.
womanly, and it is generally being ad-
mitted that the part of refinement, good
breeding, and good feelIng is to excite IS
little remark as possible upon the street;
the loud tone is then at once recognized as
a vulgarity.
The necessity of chaperonage for a
young girl is another thing that provokes
the derision of those unaccuStomed to it.
In the days of earlier simplicity, before
great riches had made great want, and
great want had largely increased the GRIM
inal and idling class, and before much Of
the worst of the older civilizations had
been emptied upon our shores, chaperon-
age may have been unnecessary; then, it
is quite possible, a woman Or young girl
might have gone from one end of the land
to the other unattended and in perfect
safety, like the jeweed lady who, hun.
dreds IF years ago traversed Ireland I'M
molested. But to-day we would none of
US like to send young daughter abroad
In thai fashion. 1t is not, however, from
fear of any romantic kidnapping or from
dread of any positive injury, nor even to
allay the degrading suspicion that has
crept in from the Old World that, being
at liberty and having the opportunity to
go astray, of course advantage will be
taken Of the fact, that we do not wish our
young lady to 90 to the theater alone, or
upon thronged business streets, or into
the quarters where vice turks, or even to
take journeys unattended, but because one
who knows the way of the world, and who
las superiority of years or Of experience,
is able to conduct the young girl through
such paths and In such a way that she will
neither see the wrong, nor be touched by
it, nor so much as know that it exists, as
one leads another over muddy walks in
safe footprints.
As much contempt is showeged upon
the system of visiting cards as upon any
thing else in the line of social niceties;
but when it is remembered that the card
represents the individual, as the bank bill
represents the gold coin, it will be seen
that the card is sent out on an embassy,
and plays useful part in social diplo-
macy. Bit of pasteboard as it is, it pays
compliments, acknowledges attentions,
serves in place of its owner, invites, de-
cIines, apologies, and does the work of
factotum so well that, like beauty, it has
its own excuse for being. And if we
looked into the matter still more at
length, without doubt we would find that
IN almost every instance the thing crit
cised is valuable usage.-H2rper's Ba-
Ear.