Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-01-05
Decline of Manners.

Mrs. Amelia Gere Mason dlscourses
In the Century Of The Decadenoe Of
Manners" Some OF her keenest shafts
are leyeled at the girl Of the perloi. It
seems a trlae unjust 20 the clever and
well-bred American girl to dwell upon
familiar type So much in evidence az
10 oyershadoW all The others and pass
everywhere as representative, but u Is
a question " tendencies There Is Moth
Ing more contagious than bad manners;
IL is go easy for the selfish Instincts to
come uppermost when the pressure OF
law written on unwrluon, IS removed.
The jnsolence OF servants Is Guiiiciently
emphasized. Even the shop girl warts
upon you With half-disgusted lmperu-
hence, without any disguise, ana replies
to your civil word with LOFTY stare, as
much as to say Since you are polite
to me YOU cannot be- Of much conse-
quence"
The causes are not Tar 10 seek a po-
tent one Is the rush and hurry Of me-
In which everybody Is intent upon do
Ing the most In the least possible lime.
There is no leisure for small courtesles.
Indeed. we claim, as a part Of our ma
llDNdl BlOIFf NNt kldlA ~ N'tl fNIl NNNNN
by the word push II makes little
difference what ole pushes, so long as
Il stands In the way. Men IN the garb
OF gentlemen do not scruple TO thrust
aside delicate women who happen TO be
moving before tlem IN the procession.
Well-dressed women run over one an
other
II IS the same spirit applied 10 the
minor morals as that which prompts the
Wall street magnate 10 walk over his
weaker rival and the laboring man who
has organized In the name of freedom
and human brotherhood 90 crush out OF
existence, II he can his poorer neighbors
who have not the spirit of instructive,
though sometimes unconscious, SELFISH
ness whether Il he cTudely clear or hid
den under some high-sOunding name.
Nor Is the fact without It's sgnih-
canoe that women. who are natural ar
blters Of manners as well as conserva-
tors Of morals, have been driven by
necessity into the hustling crowd. II Is
an alternative between struggling FOR a
foothold or sinking; and success, nine
times out Of ten is the triumph OF ag-
erosion. This In Itself Is fatal to the
self .effacement which Is so strong an
element Of good breeding, and tends
toward a radical change In the habits
and traditions OF wOmanhoOd, which
must react more or less upon society.
BY society woman" | do not mean
the type that first presents itself, the
brilliant compound Of style, daring and
Paris gowns, whose life begins and ends
with entertaining and being enter
tanned, who puts the fashion OF a hand
shake. There are society women upon
whom the mantle Of the old-time lady
has fallen. through nature or heritage,
whose social gifts are the sum OF many
gifts. the crown OF many wOmanly viz
tues. one finds them everywhere. wo-
men who cherish the fine amenities.
who are gracious, intelligent. tactful,
kind and active IN all good works. who
understand the art Of elegant living as
well as the intrinsic value OF things.
and like 10 open their hospltable homes
for the pleasure Of their friends II Ia
such as these who represent the finest
flower OF our womanhood and help 10
preserve the traditions Of gentle man
ners. which are IN the way OF being
trampled out IN the mad march OF
something we call progress
II Is for these 20 ostraci-a vulgarty.
to put up the delicate barriers which
have been permitted 20 be let doyi be-
tween the pleasant comradeship o men
and women. and the loud note o. friul-
iarity. o. temper the sordid spiat OF
commercialism with the reilnements Of
that higher class Of intellect which sees
these things not only as they are. but
as they ought 10 be-Boston Herald.