Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-16
4 Lost Grace.
Crhe Observations Of a Philosophical
Friend Of Ours)

CThe Observation Of a Philosophical
Friend OF Ours)
A poetic and imaginative mind might
say. there's weeping in the heavens Of
society; the beautiful graces are all shed
ding tears over their sister Modesty. who
has gone away; another lost Pleiad!
And they can't tell where TO find her. The
times have changed. People have no use
for her; they have turned her out Of
doors They have eliminated her from
the social group. She, whom we all so
loved; who shed her divine influence all
abroad, is no more. Sadder still, there Is
no poet to sing her dlrse, for the poets
have joined the throng. torn away her
veil, and assigned the simple soul 10 beg
gary and dishonor.
More practically, We say that the strug-
gle for life is SO great, the competition
for employment so intense and fierce, that
every one must take care OF himself,
and the devil must take the hindmost.
The activities Of the age make modssty
impossible. 1t does not suit the age we
live In.
In very fact. in the rough roll and tum-
BILE OF actual life. from the office of Presi-
dent down to the humblest toll-gatherer,
a man must he up before day. throw off
his coat, roll up his sleeves, and wade In
for u fight. In the good old times OF
yore il was thought unworthy OF a gem
tleman, indicate, for man To work FOR
place of trust and honor. 1t was 10
proclaim his own merit and worth, which
the old people thought was neither pretty
nor decent That sort of thing brushed
away all the down OF sensibility, broke in
the walls Of character, and exposed 10 the
abomination Of desOlation of the vulgar
thr0ng the very sanctuary Of the soul.
IL vulgarized the man. But the necessi-
ties of the times have changed all that.
The new man and the new woman are
clad IN an armor of triple brass that fitS
them for connicts-and nothing else. Deli
cacy IS undemocratc, un-American. II
has an aristocratc, unbusiness air about
IL. II IS the source Of modesty. II is not
carnal but spiritual, and how shall 1t
carry on the warfare OF the world, the
flesh, and the devil?
MOdesty ia the spiritual environment
that covers and protects all the delicate
sensibiltes OF the soul IL Is virtues
most beautiful garment. IL can't be
bought in the shops. or put on for occa-
slons. Its counterfeits are all threadbare
RECOGNIZABLE on sight as shop goods, and
poor substitutes for the real grace. Modes
" is the nurse and chaperOn OF purity
and truth. IL Is the nece sary accom-
paulment OF essential goodness. And, talk
as you please about il. the lack Of modes
ty IS taken as a sure proof Of serious
defect Of character. Where there is no
m0desty, but abundant vanity, the man
or woman, i'm spite OF special merit, Is an
offence to the general world, a sinner
against the dyinest grace Of manhood
which Is the very essence and browning
glory of W0manhOOd. A vain man. and
an imm0dest woman, is a pitiable object
Fortunately for our planet. the super
fetal and vain world from which modesty
seems 10 have been driven away Is not
all OF life Great Babylon, the woman IN
scarlet, the queen Of Luclfer, is a reality.
But mankind have another realm-a city
low, and in a low place-where every
grace and virtue fiOurishes in primeval
beauty, in eternal freshness. Ii Is the
underground and substratum of society,
the hope OF humanity. Down there in the
underworld the people are not afraid OF
poverty; they know little or nothing Of
ambition. The fruits Of the Spirit abound
with them-love. Joy, peace, long suffer-
ing gentleness, meekness faith. And mo-
desty. the mother and compouni or al
virtues, there goes by the name Of Chari-
ty. The world Of upper life sometimes
hears Of those pretty things, but signs
and says: They will never make for
tune. And yet they make life worth
living And, strange to say, the people
that make up this low level and sub
stratum are oddly scattered. They are
found in the lowest and highest places OF
life. wearing the badge OF their citizen
ship on their souls. rather than on their
outsides. Their Enthusiastically sign Is
the Air OF Gentility.