New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-25
IN THE SOCIAL WORLD.
MANY OF THE oLD-TIME FUNCTIONS
HAVE HAD THEIR DAY.
FAMILY RULE HYCRA-HEApEp IN AMERICA
SAYS FOREIGN CRlTIc-THB ENFANT


other Sundays. and many of the women wear me
and sometime. startling gowns. but society haS
passed one Of its unwritten but nevertheless AUTO
cratic laws that on Faster there Is TO DO In future
no especial display Of spring fnery. and that' al
though II Fif,h-ave. be on the route homewaio
It is all right take It. II is no longer iashioh"
,,e 70 look and be looked at by tho "'Arr'es ana
"Ejddies" who crowd the sidewalk. and IL Is oe'-
ter TO avoid that thoroughfare, II possioe' VII
Sunday couple Of decades ago the haii-hour
walk on the avenue after church was an es'ao-
lished fashionable custom. Friends passed anu re-
passed each other, bellies and oeaus nir'eo anu
nromenaded engagements were announced IN
varia bly, on the avenue by the couple appearing on
that popular mall arm in arm. In short was
the great artery OF the fashionable New-iorK Oh
that day. The Easter parade was theh seh' "
,ee-fba pretties, and best-known women IN so
ce.y dressed in their best looking their lovehest'
and ACCOMPANIED by the smartest men IN town.
Now Il is over and the old-tme fashions seem 10
have had Their day. The New Years calls. the
Sunday parades on the avenue. and now we near
that tho time honCred Patriarchs pai' mas Also
ceased to exist For the first time since us or
eanization the May coaching parade Is TO De
given up. What next? Patience. ana shunie 'hs
cards" quoth Sancho Panza-
AMERICAN CHILD AND PARENT.
1t was a pretty little letter that Ii Hung Chang
wrote 10 a little Brooklyn girl a few weeks ago IN
which hs commended especially to her the re-
l,Sion of his country-reverence and respect lot
her parents-virtues which In this country are
sadly neglected. Tho American child judges ms
parent with youthful severity. not unmixeo win
prejudice. inasmuch as he Is directly anecteo ny
his fathers or mothers shortcomings. To feel re-
snect sn,rly because a certain individual stands TO
him In loco PARENTS never enters his mind IL MS
narent is worthy to be loved, according to the
chid's standards. he loves him; II not ne disiikes
him. and calmly discusses his faults as II ne "ere
q stranger. What Is known as hlial piety Is al
most unknown in America. A certain sense OF
dutv f. undoubtedly felt. An old and INDECENT par
emit would be cheerfully supported. For, without
having any particular reverence, Americans are
kind 10 old people, and even tolerant 70 the iooieS
and weaknesses Of a grandparent, being only Sc
we're in their criticisms OF their immediate proseh'
tors The chief trouble in this country IS tha'
,here Is no regular standard common to every
household that all young people should conform 70
as a matter Of course Some families are s'rct'
others are lax, but in one and all children rank
with their elders. Family rule Is hydra-heaoeo
in America" says one of our many foreign crl'lcs
with some reason. but how they do love to criti-
else US, No other country is so constantly dssec-
cd and pulled TO pieces Children, wife and ser
wants all but the legitimate head OF the house.
with an equal voice In the management. and each
with veto over his personal wills and wants"
ut must not be supposed" this writer says IN
another part o. his book. from the social ana
domestic prominence OF the women and Children
that American men are a supine lot; they are
subordinate 10 their families, but are not 10 DO
bulied by other men. 1t Is simply tho habit OF
the country, an Indian warrior OF undoupteo
bravery, whose tepee is hung with scaps may DO
beaten by his favorits squaw without loss OF
dignity
But" continues our latest critic. who hnds our
Institutions atrocous, society crude and vulgar.
vet who evidently has kindly feeling for Amer
lean men and women. despite their shortcomings
all lrPQ
American enfant"-n him he finds nothing to
praise!
THE WEII~DRESSED LOOK IS LACKING.
While on the subject OF National social
shortcomings, a word OF truth in regard to the
general appearance OF our men might not be am'ss
Every one who has been abroad is struck with the
generally smart look OF Englishmen as a whole,
whether they be the Commercial gents" Of Liver
pool the brokers and business men OF The city,.
or the club men of Pail Mall. All, as rule have
weu-dressed well groomed look, that with US is
LACKING There is hardly travelled american
1T is SO horrid to have Brtishers look nicer than
the gentlemen at home! exclaimed a parrots atriouic
the universal feminine sentiment on the subject,
dGr eEsn s as b are and Sseesss V
certain set 1t is true that has leisure and means.
any set in England. but 1t IS with men OF affairs
that the distinction is 50 marked. In England
rior. and it is simply their clothes and the way
they worn and the generally scrubbed look OF
their races that make the difference 1t is useless
10 ignore clothes as powerful factor In our lives.
he certainly has great deal to do with the sem
blance. Carlyle recognized this, and in his Sartor
and pictures with grim humor what a set Of
monkeys the high disntaries and law-givers and
1 Il Of e a. s great pub
one OF the great causes of untidness among men
of proper valeting In England every well-to-do
is
always some one In the household whose duty 1t is
to see that his coats are well brushed. his trousers
TO their kind-russet, patent leather or calfskn
country~except the shoes perhaps1a busy man is
supposed TO see to himself. mistak economy
viii a &e as Ons as o HSff has
neglected.
10 America a arrosates to himself GER
tine for such nonsense"--the consequence being
OF its claims it requires an especial effort, which
Often apparent; Many political and business men
well In this country. Older merchants regard
Runc;iiiously dressed clerk with disapprova1: Pub:
lie men say that their constituents dstrust frills
while large majority simply do not want TO take
their womsn-kind to be well dressed. and srudso
no expense pens as aT as the latter are
do not even try TO look fresh and neat.
TO SEE OURSELVES AS OTHERS SEE US
Ii is a useful lesson sometimes TO see ourselves
others sec us" Americans are wont to be very
selfsatished of late years from social point Of
view. With their Colonial traditions and newly de-
veloped enthusiasm for early American history
they feel they have established ancestry that Is
distinctly credtabe and that their social structure
is built on the same lines and is altogether similar
TO tho society Of the Old World. and that the life
or their smart men is 10 all intents and purposes
the same.
They consider. self-approvingly that in town
their houses are as well set:up. their dinners are
as perfect. their dances and other big functions
as grand as I'm Europe. Their exclusive clubs
differ APPARENTLY IN no way from those of London or
Paris. In the country they hunt play polo and
eof; they have their house parties and other sim-
lar forms Of entertainments, and their women
dress as well. II not better. than any women in
the world. In what. then. consists the difference
in what way are they lacking?
ut is all forced" says our censor land spurious
as society in America is not the society OF power