The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-01-24
REVOLT OF THE PARENTS.
The Early Retiring Association.
Sunday Neus.

to the fact that the order of nature
has been completely reversed, so that
the reins Of domestic government arc
no longer in the hands of the parents,
where they of right belong, but are
held by the youngest children of the
family; condition Of affairs like that
which was formerly described in po
litical speeches as "the bottom rail
being on top" We need not at pres
ent inquire who is to blame for this
state Of things, though it is very ap-
parent the reins must have been held
very loosely by the heads of the house
hold or the children would scarcely
have venturcd to pluck them from
their hands. For time, at least, it
seemed very amusing for the elder
people to submit, after having ruled
for SO long, but by degrees they began
to lind there were some discomforts in
their new position. All the old order
OF things were overturned; laws that
hal existed for generations were set
at naught; the will and pleasure Of
the father and mother were no longer
OF any Importance, and whatever the
young people desired became supreme.
But, unfortunately, there appeared to
be no relief for the domestic monarchs
who had too easily abdicated their
thrones. Weak attempts to regain
their power were laughed to scorn. At
last, however-to speak metaphorical-
ly-"the worm has turned" The
long-tried patience of the parents have
at last given way, and the heads of
families have, in secret assembly, uni
ted themselves in league to be known
as ''The Early Retiring Association, /"
which has for its object the proper
regulation Of family hours, and more
especially the closing of the house
and the extinguishing of all lights at
such time as may be deemed reason
able by the majority Of the members.
This society has no connection what
ever-though its name might suggest
such connection-with "The Early
Closing Association which was or
ganized for the relief Of all persons
employed in shops, and as protection
against grasping employers. who pay
the lowest possible wages and require
the longest possible service from their
employees. The Early Retiring
League is entirely social body, and
has been formed for protection Of pa
rents against young men who have not
sufficient sense to know when to 70
home, and it may be said in passing
that the number Of these imhes;ies is
legion.
In the old times, when the father of
family was master of his own house,
he generally set time at which his
daughters evening receptions of their
masculine friends were expected to
terminate, and took stringent meas
ures to terminate them when the vis-
itors were inclined to overstay the
limit. Even when he did not go so
far as to join the young people in the
parlor with the evident intention of
enjoying the remainder Of the evening
with them, hint that usually had the
desired effect, he expressed his inten-
tion Of so doing to his daughters, who
generally contrived in more gentle
way than his to intimate to their
friends that prolonged visits were not
desired by their parents. If the call
er was too dull to understand the girl
evident uneasiness as the hour grew
late, OF too selfish to care that he was
making her uncomfortable by lipger-
ing, the poor young lady had frequent
ly a very bad quarter, or half amour,
trying on the one hand to appear at
ease and interested in the convcrsa-
tion, and on the other hand listening
with apprehension to every sound
through the house which seemed to
indicate her fathers arrival upon the
scene. NOW, while no man who had
real regard for woman would know
ingly subject her to such an ordeal.
either for the sake of an additional
half hour or so Of her society, or for
the purpose of annoying Ee. father
motive that not infrequently ami
mated those that had more mischief
than sentiment in their character
yet it often happened that uninten-
tionally one who was very much inter
ested in their conversation has linger-
ed until the irate father has appeared
on the scene, to the intense morti6ca-
tion Of the young lady aud the great
annoyance Of the visitor, who proba-
bly, cared very little for his own feel
ings in the matter, but felt it was un-