The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-02-22
AMERICAN SOCIAL, !. LITE ]|''|||
In an Earnest. Candid TANNER,
Julia Ward Howe Asks Ii Po-
lite Society is Polite.
Many OF the Existing Customs
Certainly Prompt a Mega
tive Answer.
intelligence, She Asserts, sI1suid
Be Basis of Whatever AZ
ExcIusiveness Exists.

fEXCluSlveneSS Ex1SIS.
No one is better fitted than Julia Ward
Howe to answer the question she pro-
pounds, SIS Polite Society .Polite?" For
Mrs. Howe from childhood up has had the
advantages-and they are advantages
polite society, says Caroline X. Sherman
in the Chicago Chronicle. .,.
Born in New York city nearly II years
ago of a family that for generations had
been in close contact with the t.best
forms" of social life in the new world, and
with much that was excellent N the old,
she can speak from experience of life
time and not from the observations of a
few recent years. ..-..,. e.. -a
A glimpse of the surroundings Of Mrs.
Howe's childhood gives picture of polite
society 70 years ago and the power of
French influence at that time. The graf
:tude which America felt to France for the
loyal support given during, our Revolu-
tion did not cease at the expiration of che
war. What was French was esteemed far
more than what was English. French
taste, French names, French culture gen
cles. French dancing masters taught
gambols and flourishes long since out Of
date, but at that time they were cons:d-
cred the neplus ultra of what was ex-
cellent and graceful Mrs. Howe says the
French lessons took their way through
Florian's tales and La Fontaine's fables,
and THAT the French mistress did not fail
to impress upon her pupils the conviction
that to be French was to be virtuous, but
to be Partisan was TO be perfect. TIE
culn: nation of the Gallomania was seei1
in the millinery of the period. Mrs.
Howe says her earliest view of this was
enjoyed within the precincts of a certain
Episcopal sanctuary which then stood up
on the dress list, and, Ike Jove among
the gods, had no second. A little chfld's,
fancy naturally ran riot in field Of bon
nets so splendid and snowy, and however
administered to listen to the nlinistersahe
says that a raid upon the flowers and
plunes would have offered more aytrac-
tions than any itinerary Of the celestial
journey Of which she should have beer
likely to have heard in that place. The
church retained its pre-eminelce OF toilet
for more than 80 years, and we'll deserved
the name by which it was called, "The
Church of the Holy Millinery
Mrs. Howe visited Paris on her we'd
ding journey more than 50 years ago
Chateanbrian and Nine. Recamier were
still alive. The solon was still an institu~
ton Referring to Sydney Smiths re-
marks of certain historical set Of
Partisan women, who dealt lightly with
the decalogue, but who, on the other
hand, gave very pleasant little suppers,
Mrs Howe says: French society, no
doubt, afforded many occasions Of this
sort, but far different were the meetings
in which the literary world in Paris lis
tened to the unpublished memoirs Of
Chateaubriand; far different was the
throng that gathered twice 4 day around
the hearth Of the wise and devout Nine.
Swetchine" 1s
During this visit.of Mrs. Howe first saw
Rachael, then in the full af1iuence Of her
genius. The trenchant manner, the stat
uesque drapery the chain lightning eff
fects made wonderful impression on the
young bride, as upon all who came urder
the spell of her magic power. Comparing
her with Ristor;, Mrs Howe says: BILE
as Ristori was, she seemed to me to fall
short in Rachael's. great parts, il we ex-
cept the last scene Of Marie Stuart IN
which the Christian woman, following the
crucifx to her death, showed a sense of Its
value, WHICH IlS -l6Wl5H WUlldu COuI0
neither feel nor counterfeit" l.s@ B
Mrs. HOWe's marriage took her to new
home in Boston, and to all which the lit.
e1.ary atmosphere of Boston implies. In
deed, she has herself contributed SO large
ly TO the literary and social life OF Boston
that it is often forgotten that Mrs. Howe
IS rot a, native Of the modern Athens.
my surprise TO her one day
that she was not a Bostonian by birth, she
replied apologetically, mo, was not
born in Boston, but that was not my fault
/ came, however, in time to have my
children born here .as@ s. III
With. Parker, Emerson, Longfellow. b
Lowell Claiming, Phillips and host of
other world-renowned people, whose
homes were in the near vicinity Of the
literary city, Mrs. Howe was on intimate &
terms. She entered into the spirit Of the 8
new thought they represented, and lent
a helping hand to their various movh4
ments. Always a gentleWoman, With
every token of refinement ofspeech md
she has none the less been earn
est in everything that would aid the vel y
fare of humanity, and especially that
which would arvance the genuine inter
ests of women. She spoke on the plat
form when few women except tf1oss of II
The most radical. not to say Of the most
offending and offensive, type took to the b
platform. Her gracious bearing, her
gentle humor, won the cause for women Il
when many a weigh.ier ar rgllnent fatlea
Having no grievance Of her own, she
could the better plead that all women
might be allowed the same privilege she \
had enjoyed !. Of doing that for which they
we're best fitted, whether It be In the
home, the church or the state. s 8% sss4
sAs wife Of DIR. Samuel Howe her inter-
ests became cosnaopolit an a $ we'll ~ na--ssYa
donaL She entered into his activities for
the re lief ofs the Greeks and ably Sec
onded his effort is p behalf q { the blind
Treating the subject :. .Is life ,SoeletY
Potter Mrs. Howe SAYS that 81 al !argeSs
cities there is ,a society which nsidefg#s
ITSELF entitled to rank above other assl
eles. and here one is slfflseIYs to meet S
ple whose behavior Isg not guided
sincere OH sufficient rule OF sss, Ss
The question ccnles :.s AAre thess 81
what they should be? s Be- 2ssass
She ahks the Dues ion IN
etysiS suppgaedsttostb 10 sbe lI9 Iesss
lfffas sea its 81 sss