Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-05-16

woman somewhat noted for her humor
aud repartee.
"How did you like herr" asked.
''Bah Portia. She is SO distinctly
provincial
"Proginciall What do you mean?
She has travelled all about, been around
the world once and lived in Paris for Q
| year."
"That makes no difference, Portia.
| She was born so and can't help 1t.
suppose you think, like most people,
that living in a metropolis is specihc
against provinoialismY 1t ought to be-
but it isn't. | have, as you know,
some friends who have lived In Now
York all their lives, but they are as
provincial as any penple / have ever
| known. The distinction is mental,
not a geographical one, no matter what
the origin of the word may be. have
| known people living on isolated farms
who we're anything hut provincial.
"Tell me exactly what you mean by
it, demanded.
at isn't SO easy; but IRl make
try at it," Beth returned. "In the
first place, you are provincial II you
have a mind that is inhospitable to
new ideas. / don't mean that you
ipust let them take up their abode
with you before you have thoroughly
tested their merits; but you mustn't
turn them away simply because they
are new"
"What nexts'' / asked, as sne
paused
"iou arc provincial IL you consider
your affairs of great consequence to the
rest of the world. That lie one thing
that makes so many Southern people
4 ,,rA1inota1 thu MA fhav bapa nf
\ aluding to their private concerns as IL
you knew all about them. They arc
always telling you long family anecdotes
about AUNT Ginny' or Cousin Sue
and expecting you to know who they
are. | call that being provincial, not
realizing of how little consequence you
aud your affairs are in the world.
~ suppose some people are of con-
sequence remarked meekly.
Eyes, but they are SO few and far
between that the chance of your being
one OF them is as slight as that of
finding a pearl of value in your raw
oysters. You are on the safe side IL
you assume that you are not OF any
great consequence; fact which it
takes many of us half our lives to
learn.'
"And which some of us never learn
at all, DuG IN, IL.
EXACTLY" said Both. cit lie q
] truth that is painfully hard to accept.
Another way to be provincial is to take
yourself and your work seriously" she
| went on "a man, or woman, who
Says, we noyelists' or we artists, IL
] provincial. Women who pride them.
selves on belonging TO the Colonial
} Danes, or the Daughters of the Reyo-
luton, or any societies of that sort, are
! always provincial"
land they lack q sense of humor,
which is' far worse" put in, going
, on to ask: "But, Beth, aren't you ey-
, banding tina meaning of the word more
] than Is legitimate"
~ think not she answered de.
a liherately.
. "The opposite OF provincial is oosmo
q politan; SO it is certainly fair to call
Q people PROVINCIAL who regard themselves
( as members OF small community,
Q accepting the preiudices and belieft
q OF that body, rather than of the world
People who have preiudices, religious
social or otherwise, are provincial
Don't you love to meet truly cosmo
politan person?' she broke off, ap
pealing to me.
Indeed, / do,'' ! answered.; 81
p person who has seen all kinds of peopl,
and all manners of living; who ha
y learned that his ways of thinning ant
3 doing are not the only desirable ones
/ aud from ID all has come to humorou
y perception of his own insignitioance ~
u o unit of vast system, as you wer
u saying moment ago. Women are, a
o q general rule. much more provincial
than men. You'll have to admit that
y Beth.n
2 II do, fully and completely; but il !
y because. of the narrow lives they lead
% They see only their own kind Of people
y not all kinds, az a man does who goe
y out into the world. No wonder the
y get to Hee things out of their prope
~ proportions. Do you know, provincialisr
IL and narrow -mindedness overlap SO !
70 my mind that | can't distinguish on
g. from the other; but suppose that
all right. Provincialism means simpl
10 keeping your eyes ON the raIt rathe
y than the whole; and that is wha
10 narrow-mindedness is. f"
70 .It Is specialized form of narrow
ae mindedness, | remarked. but 70
haven't told me yet why you foun
Mrs. - provincial.
swell, in the fret place, she told m
about her excellent family connections
to assuming that | was generally a,
es uuainted with the subject, but woul
be glad OF little definite knowledge.
s. "She<neyer did that to mo-" pre-
ne tested.
ng "Do you mean to say that she hash
2, told you about her great-grandfather c
~ her mothers slider Well, perhaps 81
10 keeps Interesting conversation of Thu
ee sort for today. What ! couldn't TO
oy give her for was her assumption that
OF knsw all ABOUT her and took as gre,
40 an. interest in the subject as she doe
IL Do you suppose the woman thinks
p- read the society columns in Il
vs. papers?' l had to laugh at Beth
Indignation. Now, that is what
las call provincialism, . she vent on, wit
70, out con descending to notice my me
OF rIment. ''If she had been woman
,n' the world, in the literal sense of I'll
IN words, she would have known of he
OK little consequence it was that b
great-grandfather was one OF Lafayette
aides She also took up. right in Il
middle of the subject, the Difficult
are they are having in getting sati
, factory rector for their church,,
~ y course, knowing already what chur,
inv she honored by attending, and all abo
ON its affairs. But haven & told you VIII
ese seems the most provincial thing of |
ure TO met
,re- What IS thatYi asked.
ase 1.-THE power of being shocked, y g
~ answered seriously. 80 long as y,
ne. still retain it, you are not a true oitiz
1e's of the world. You can object to thin