New-York tribune., 1896-01-19
NEW YORK WOMEN AND PARTISAN SONG.

Th. fair women who make New-York society
charming above that OF other cities are devoted
to literature and art Whatever time they nave
aside from their praiseworthy labors u raise
the grosser spirit OF man TO the feminine level OF
purity and give him higher conception OF duty.
they spend In efforts for self-cuture. All the
world PAYS tribute to their loveliness ana IN
uocence and thirst for knowledge. The Things
that are OF good report come unbidden TO them'
and when In the prosecution OF their STUDIES
they summon bacchantes 10 their court. they
find even evil robbed OF its corrupting power
or old time holy men and women struggled in
the desert against temptation. but we have
found 4 better way. and now holy women. II not
holy men, can summon the wicked 10 exhibit
their wickedness. and find in the revelation on,
stimulus to noble thought and feeling
Some two hundred Of them met the other day
and gave an Illustration OF their power. They
were not religious enthusiasts exhibiting esoteric
gifts but members OF good society the wives
and daughters Of substantial citizens entirely
irrcproachable In every way. They met in one
Of the most fashionable gathering places OF we'll
bred women In this city making no claim TO
special holiness but in modesty appearing as
seekers for worldly knowledge. They assembled
to hear n Frencnman lecture and a French
woman sing in the French language. which the
great majority OF Americans do not understand.
They were not like the old-fashioncd women OF
the finishing school type, to whom literature
was an accomplishment and the pretence Of
familiarity with foreign language part OF the
fiction on which was built reputation for cult
that served for social purposes. These cu-
tivated women were far beyond that stage.
They did not linger over the songs OF Clement
Marot study the Provencal ballads. Their
clear eyes. big with wonder but fixed with de-
termination sound the depth of knowledge.
were turned to tho contemplation of more mod
ern themes. They heard woman singing evilly
suggestive and impure songs while the lecturer
with more or less delcacy baited the ndecencies
with n phosophic exposition OF the tendencies
Of an art which had superseded the old pastorals
with sensual and erotic songs. Though they
did not understand the singer Of course. they
caught the deeper meaning Of Partisan life. while
their innocence OF heart and foreign language
made them invunerabe to the poisoned shafts
OF the goddess OF lubricity. Had 1t been other
wise, they could not have partaken OF the fruit
OF the tree OF knowledge NO freely, for among
the songs that the woman rendered to them
were some that no lady could understand and
sit and hear. They were not merely improper
and immoral but so utterly vile and nasty that
the man who translates to another man the
merest outline OF their meaning hesitates and
picks his words takes careful steps when
going through mire to gather little mud as
possible upon his clothes. SO man In his weak
ness shrinks from exposure to the icontag gon OF
impurity. But the ladies were able to sit and
listen to these songs and applaud heartily what
they guessed were the funny parts while the
few men who found 1t necessary to be present