The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-03
CURIOSITY SEEKERS.
FOND OF FRYING INTO OTHER
PEOPLES AFFAIRS.

CriticisinE the Aston FamiIy-What
Can an American Boast Ofs-The
Odd Statement John Bright's SON
Made to Bab While Visiting Our
shOres-How an American Woman
Treated an Actress of NOte-An
Actress Mean Early Morning
Visitor-The Value Of Winding Our
own Affairs.
New York. Feb. 2-There has been a
great deal Of talk and great
deal of sensible talk lately in re-
gard to the peculiar conduct OF the Astor
family towards the dead wife of william
Waldorf Astdr Usually I do not speak
about such personal matters. For what
people do is entirely their own affair. and
the world at large has no business to pry
into what simply concerns private indi-
viduals. The world has no right what
ever to decide as to the right or wrong Of
question that is purely personal How
ever to New York society the Astor family
has stood as representative of all that
is best of the millionaire set. The women
were considered well bred, and it was
thought whatever Mrs. Astor did. might
be considered an example, and a good one,
for any young woman. They were never
quoted as encouraging the fast doings of
the so-called bowling swells," and it has
been thought up to now, that a Mrs
Aston was a credit, not only to all women,
but to the country. 1t was known that the
late Mrs John Jacob Astor was particularly
kind to gentlewomen who had suffered re-
verses of fortune, and that she gave, and
gave generously, but In the most unos-
tentatious way. Her right hand, as rep
resenting her reighbor, never knew what
her left hand did. Which is the godly way
to be kind and womanly.
Mrs. William Waldorf Astor lived a life
that was eXquisitely beautiful. She loved
her husband and her children, and. as far
as possible, devoted herself TO them, al
though she never shirked the duties which
her large wealth entailed upon her. A
representative woman she was, l have
been told upon good authority, driven
out Of this country by the innumerable
anonymous letters threatening to steal
her son. This is not a very great credit
to us as a people, and when we realize
that number of very good and desirable
citizens have been driven from us for
much the same cause, to seek foreign
shores, ii is less cause for congratula-
ton. That the members of this family
should be seen in public. talking and
laughing loudly and making themselves
most conspicuous by being at dinners and
dances, while the body Of Mrs William
Waldorf Aston rested in death in a chill
chapel, has seemed absolutely awful to
right thinking women. That, for a mis-
cradle petty quarrel between two women,
or, as it has been asserted, made by one
woman, an insult should be offered to the
dead, is a something that strikes home to
the heart Of every woman. 1t is a pity
that this should have been done by the
women of the Aston family. Ii is pity,
because, as l have said before, they rep
resented the conservative element, and
what their women did was counted of
much Importance. 1 do not think they
will ever regain the position they once
held.
The world at large, the enormous class
of women who are not in society, so
called, but who hear continually of it,
will tell this tale of brutality to the dead
whenever the Aston women are men
toned, and the story of the dead woman's
life, her beauty, her loving kindness, and
her sweet devotion to her husband and
children will point moral and adorn the
tale.
A very clever man is writing a series
of articles on THE Seven Deadly Sins of
Americans" The first one accredited to
the American men and American women
was Dragging" / am sorry to say it,
but / think that in attaching this vice to
us as a nation he has simply stated what
is an absolute fact. What have we after
all to brag about? The leader of the con-
sentative set in New York has behaved
with greater meanness, has shown less
heart than one would have believed pos
sible in a woman. or, indeed, in anything
created outside brute. What writer have
we who lives in this country and about
whom we can brag as compared with
Rudyard Kipling, Dickens, Balzac, or
Thackeray? What painter have we who
is on a level with Alillais, Cabanel,
Bastian, Lepaze or Bougereau? What
dramatist with Sardou? We cannot
boast that we begin to understand making
homes as do the people of the older world,
for as nation we are absorbed by another
vice that is quite as vulgar as Dragging,
and that is curiosity If you have any
doubt on the subject, pick up the morn
ing paper and read about a famous actor.
You are not told about his abilities as an
actor. or about his ideas Of the great play
wrghts. Oh, no! The number of clubs 20
which he belongs is mentioned the pre-
sentation plates or pictures that he may
possess are described; his costumes are
dilated upon; while, as to the woman, we
waited, who is her dressmaker, whether the
satin she wears en- the stage is of the best
quality and which of her jewels are real
and which are paste. If the reporter hap
pens to take a dislike to her, either as an
actress or as woman, then vulgar kind
of chaff is INDUCED in which simply dis
plays the ignorance of the writer and the
vulga-ity of the people who count his
work as of worth.
Take the average American woman who
has been visiting you. When she leaves
you. she does not tell her friends the
bright things that were talked about.
the books or pictures that were discussed.
but she dilates upon your private affairs,
what she discovered of your methods as
a housekeeper, while she makes guesses
to satisfy the general curiosity, as to how
much your belongings cost. The son of
an English statesman, the late John
Bright visited this country some years
ago, and told me that he INDUCED in a
white lie wherever he went; that he de-
MED his own father. II would not have
done this" he said, IF the people who
came to me had asked me about his polit
ical opinions, about his literary tastes
but instead of that they simply showed a
petty curiosity. They wanted to know
what he had for breakfast, what was his
OpiniOn of women if ha f1bhad l., 1. -