Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-07-11
DECAY OF BoHEMIANisM.

Practically Dead, Though Some People
Make q Esd Of 1t.
Bohemianism is dead, and those who
call themselves bohemians at the pres
ent day wear their rue with differ
ence. Sometimes they mistake the at
tendant circumstances for the cause,
and think themselves entitled to q rep
utation for ability. merely because
they refuse to go to bed at the same
time as ordinary humanity. Such men,
of course, have no right to call them
selves after a distinguished and not
unhonorable name; the mere habit of
large suppers and late hours and loose
ways of life generally has nothing
which associates itself with that ready
aptitude for all kinds of work, and
that disciplined though somewhat fit
full activity, marks of the bohemian.
There IS no more significant proof Of
the change that has come over the ar
tistic and literary world than the fact
that every attempt to revive the old
bohemianism in its former shape has
invariably resulted in failure. The de-
mand for the good old" sanded floor
and clay pipe of the past is limited to
an undistinguished few. and the sup
ply of these obsolete luxuries when
granted. meets with no general APP
probation. In like manner eccentrici-
ties of conduct which were once re-
garded as virtues rather than vices
are no longer tolerated. and the So
called Bohemian of these days is ex-
pected to pay, and does pay, his club
subscription and his just debts. He is
not so picturesque as he was, but he is
much more punctual
The cause of these changes is not
far to seek. Nowadays the standard
of life has risen in all the social
spheres, and while the Brit
ish workman demands his higher
wages and more ample leisure
the artist world clothes itself in pur-
pie and fine linen, and requires to be
surrounded with all the comforts and
extravagances of palatial clubs. Only
there is no eight-hour limit for the
contemporary inhabitant of this nom
descript region, nor does he enroll HIM
self into unions to extort terms from
hard-hearted proprietors and man.
ayers. Although his dinners and his
suppers are much more costly than
they used to be in the old days, he does
not work less hard, nor is his labor less
worthy of ungrudging praise.
Meanwhile both actors and journal
lists have transformed the whole mise
enscene of their lives; there is no
more sackcloth nor locusts and
wild honey for them; they are
clad in the broadcloth of the ordi-
nary world. and have scared into
social sphere which their predecessor
neither knew nor cared about. Posi-
bly, this may be the effect of that gen.
eral equalization of conditions which
accompanies the whole course of our
modern democracy. We all dress
alike, live alike, acknowledge the
same social rules, adopt the same lux
urious or extravagant tastes. The
point to notice, however, is that the
worth of the individual has not grown
less, despite this democratic tendency.
On the contrary his value both to him
self and to others has enormously in
creased. The modern dramatist
makes, if he be not maligned, an ex-
tremely respectable fortune, and MIR.
Gosse has informed us recently-and
has, of course, suffered for his rash
ness-that the profits of certain of our
more popular authors have gone up by
leaps and bounds.-London Telegraph