Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-06-28


George c. Ball, Nineteenth street, between
Tenth and Eleventh avenues, South High
lands. Telephone $751;
Thomas w. Higgnson, who writes in
terse, well selected English about those
subjects which touch our everyday lives
at vital points, has an article of merit
in Harper's Bazaar of June 10, upon what
he is pleased to term 1.-The Cant of Cos
mopolitanism." In this excellent essay
he argues against the theory that it is
necessary to travel in order to obtain
good manners and insists that peregrina-
tons do not produce mental faculties.
OF course Higginson is too much OF
student of men and women, and certainly
too much of a traveller himself, not to be
ready to acknowledge the great advan-
tages that naturally come from the
broadening influences of travel upon the
minds and tastes of those fortunate
enough to see the world at its best.
Every one is aware of the vast benefit
that comes to all of us from contact with
outsiders and also of the fact that the
narrowness of provincialism rarely con-
tinues when our natures are enlarged by
glimpseS of what exists beyond our own
individual spheres. To one of refined,
cultiYa ted tastes there are few pleasures
comparable to that of travelling amid the
scenes made familiar by the pen and
brush of genius, and which are indisso-
tistic history of the world. These things,
these pleasures and advantages, Higgin-
son does not enveigh against, but he UNI
sparingly condemns the folly of expect-
ing good manners or intellectual endow-
ments to come from what he calls COS
mopolitanism." He rightly says: What
we all need to teach our children is that
manners are not a matter of veneering,
but ingram. In Tennysons phrase:
"Kind natures are the best; those next
to best,
That fit us like a nature second hand,
Which are indeed the manners of the
great"
1t is possible, in other words to have
better manners than those of the merely
great by having a better foundation.
Why not strike for the best? Self-re-
spect, self-control, kind feeling, refined
habits, these are the basis. If in addition
to these If one happens to inherit an
agreeable voice and a good intonation,
what more Is essential? The trivialties
of spoons and napkins are easily enough
acquired. l have sat at the table with
Pueblo Indian chief, introduced for the
first time to silver forks, who handled
those and all other implements with an
awkwardness so dignified and delicate
that it actually gave charm.
Never have L seen finer manners than
those of an old body servant whom
knew in my youth on Virginia planta-
ton who could neither read nor write,
and had never gone farther from home
than the White Sulphur springs. There
is no delusion greater than that which
confounds good manners with cosmopoli-
tan experiences. In the same way, those
who are always urging the need of COM
mopolitanism in our Literature are usually
youths and maidens just from college,
whose vast knowledge of the great world
is yet to come. 1t Is not necessary 10
deny the advantages which proceed ON
the whole from making travel easier and
OH Ia world smaller Rut IL
is we'll ITO remember how much may be
done by staying at home. The
moral is that while cosmopoltanism may
be an ornament, either In manners or
literature, provided more essential quail
ties are secured, yet the root of the mat
ter is elsewhere. First get the real quail
ties, which lie at the basis whether of
social manners or of literary STYLE ana
all the rest shall be added unto you. In
articles similar to the one from which
have just quoted, Higginson and other
lateer-day essayists are striking the Key
note of our time, which is thorough
ness" The world has grown too wise
and too we'll hammered 10 be longer I'M
posed upon by literary or social humbugs.
There is no room in the civilization OF
today for the fake" and there is no
form of humanity so quickly and rightly
estimated as this one. which has ten
dency to occupy all the important cor
ners on the highway of life. While the
literary humbug is trying to the man
and woman of average intelhg ence, it
for it Is generally a mandy -pamby neu-
trial produc,ion-is fascinating factor
of our times, compared with the social
fake who aspires to contact and associa-
tion with well bred people, and yet mas
not the capacity to learn the rudiments
of good manners The world contains 700
many genteel, well hammered, fairly ami
able men and women to quietly submit
to the vagaries of the rude and ill-tem-
pered Whether we are born in-soci-
ety." as the phrase now goes, or enter
it's portals in some other way, we are
required. to pay the tax that Is levied
upon each individual (Which Is nothing
more or less than compulsory good
manners), and which Is necessary In or
der that the machinery may be kept run
ming smoothly and satisfactorily. Ana
good manners are nothing but SIM
pie consideration for the people, which
comes from kind and loving heart.>
The age of cant is rapidly disappear
ing beneath the X rays of genuine reli-
gion. man and woman's life is now
Judged by it's results-by the fruit borne,
and not by long phrases Of pharisaical
satisfaction. Christianity means so
much more than words, but nothing
more than deeds of uprightness' II IS
useless to talk solemnly of duty, anu yet
never perform that duty; 1t IS ABSURD
to elevate our eyebrows at the harmless
humor Of life and then strike deadly
blow In the dark, yet still think that the
rest of the world esteems us models of
religious propriety This is the best Pc
riod of the worlds history, and 1t is the
freest from cant" and hypocrisy.
The people who mould public opinion
are engaged in a righteous cause when
they hold up to our view the sins OF pre-
tense. i'll temper and bad manners.
And the indications are that society in
I all parts of the world will soon demand
that only the men and women who fol-
low the teachings of the golden rule, DO
unto others as you would be done by"
which is really the sum and substance
of good manners, shall be admitted
among those who feel that they are en-
titled to the ordinary courtesies of good
breeding. When people feel physically
incapable of restraining their tempers
IT would always be well to consult a ply
stefan, as they may be seriously out of
order Perhaps a dose of bromide would
save them many regrets and would GER
tainly prevent them from appearing to
a serious disadvantage and running the