The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-10
GOOD SOCIETY.

a queer controversy is pending In New
York over the limitations of Good Society,"
Mr. Ward McAnister, who has lately Joined
the Now York World as a reporter of high
lie, says that when professional musicians
are in ited TO fashionable houses they are
ask ed in order that they shall sing or play,
and are not placed on the footing of ordin-
arv guests so much so that when lady OF
fashion asked two opera stars to great
dinner she experienced the greatest diff
Guilty in procuring gentlemen willing TO take
them in to dinner. Mr.. McAllister observes
that they order things differently in Eng
land, where professionals mingle with other
guests on equal terms To this a critic of
McAlister's philosophy retorts that the
usage he refers 10 is peculiar To the snobs
who constitute the four hundred or the one
hundred ana fifty of New York, and that in
really good American society no inyidious
distinctions are drawn between people who
earn their living by singing or playing and
those who earn it by selling groceries or
dry goods, or those who have derived their
means from persons who pursued these
vacations.
The philosophy OF the thing Is simple
In every large city, certain number OF
people set themselves apart from the others
and call themselves society. Sometimes
they are all friends from their school days
and affiliate naturally Sometimes they ag-
gregate from social affinity, and appoint q
master Of ceremonies. who provides the hall.
the supper and the music. and admits whom
be pleases-Quite often making mercban-
disc of his privilege. The qualifications of
members of this set are good manners, good
clothes and some measure Of sociablllty. Ii
is not a requisite that members shall be
bright. or we'll educated. or endowed with
intellect or kindly instincts. A person may
be leader Of such set without being able
10 keep up a conversation on any subject
higher than the fashions. or without the
least intuition Of correct feeling. A lady
may be as stupid as an evil, or as selfish as a
paying-stone, AID yet may be shining light
in such society. 4 man may be an habitual
drunkard without forfsting the leadership
Of such snObs.
1t is natural that in such society Pada-
rewski and Gerster might be made to eat at
a side table. aud might be snubbed if they
entered into general conversation. But il is
a mistake TO suppose that a society in which
such occurrences could take place is a dis
tinctively American society. That assump-
ton is as erroneous a itwOuld be to assume
that the pettIfoggers are types of the
American bar
The essence Of fitness to belong 10 good
society is kindness and culture. These
are oftener found outside the glded circle
than inside. Il is among McAnister's four
hundred that women are found who are
always getting kodaked. who 90 to the
4 D,
in their boxes, who get up a midnight
variety show in a fashionable concert-haH.
who are fast and loud because it is the
correct caper," and that men abound who
ape the worst ways of English cads, get
tipsy 10 the afternoons and sheer at letters
as only fit for 'd-n literary fellers." An
assem- blsge of this class is not society,
whether it is found iR New York or else
where. and 1t IS unfair to charge American
society wiki its faults.
In every American city there are persons
who ars refined, well-bred, gentle and cul-
tured. and the normal tendency of such
persons is to gravitate together When
they do they constitute a society which is
far better entitled to be called American
society than the aggregations which are
marshaled by McAllister and whipper-
snappers Of his caliDer. In such a society
members may not all be high bred. Some
of them may be only one generation from a
hOd. But association with persons Of re-
fnement and the habitual practice of the
amenities OF life is apt to make them we'll
bred. They are likely to be conslderate OF
each others feelings and to avoid saying
the thing which will wound. And when
they are so fortunate as to attract the visit
of eminent professors of art ana shining
lights in letters they are sure to display to-
ward them the respect which genius COM
mands, and which is never withheld except
among those who cannot understand it.