The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-08-01
Paper Read Before the Chaatauqua Circle.

(IHEIT known, then," remarked
X Henry Fielding about CEN
tury and half ago, "that
the human ;species are di-
vided into two sorts of people, to wit,
high people and :low people. AS by
high people l would not be under
stood to mean persons literally born
higher in their dimensions than the
rest of the species, nor metaphorically |
those of exalted characters or abilities;
so by low people IicannOt be construed |
to intend the reverse: high people sig !
nify no other than people of fashion"
In the course of the time which has
elapsed since Fielding wrote, many
events have shaken the world and not
q few of them have rudely disturbed
the miniature world in which reside
the authors people of fashion. The
French Revolution, for instance, not
satisfied with tumbliug their little
world about their ears, proceeded to
tumble their heads from off their
shoulders. In other countries, Revolu-
tion, taking q less sanguinary form,
has nevertheless dealt them almost
equally hard blows. has, for example,
demolished the theory that there is any
connection between fashion and gov
ernment. That it should ever have
been maintained that government is
chiefly an affair of haircut and knee
breaches seems at the present day In
conceivable.
A very rabid series Of articles in one
of the sensational magazines, however,
fastens upon caste as the root Of all or
most of the evils from which modern
civilization is suffering and it may be
worth while to inquire little into the
matter. The word "caste," of course,
was originally applied to the system in
vogue among the Hindus, and implies
in that instance to rigid adherence to
division of society which depends
solely on heredity. The Hindu caste
system is unique in this respect.
Whatever a mans moral, intellectual
or financial status may be in Hindu
stan, he remains in that caste to which
he was born unless he disgraoes him
self by association with members of
an inferior Caste. The English occu-
patton of India have not changed the
system in the slightest degree, and the
only effect that has been produced has
been to introduce a new and higher
caste into the country-the English
caste.
The word caste has been meanwhile
applied to the system which prevails
in other and more civilized countries
and with some justice. In mOnarchica
Europe and even in democratic Europs
and in certain districts of the effets
East of America, mention is made o1
the upper class, middle class and lower
class. Various distinctions have beer
made; for example, the first class com
.prises those who dress for dinner, tn
second those who don't dress for din
ner and the third those who have NJ
dinner to dress for. But these detini
tions must be regarded, ir general, a
more epigrammatic than accurate, ant
lit must be admitted that it is impossi
BILE to decide where one class ends AM
the other begins. The contrast is evi
dent between my Lord Fatroll and tn
waiter who takes his tips, but not 8
evident between the bank clerk an
the plumber.
In this country, of course, these mic
distinctions are set at nOught. "a
men are created free and eQuaP' an
the organization of society depend
entirely on mutual inclination-an
the size Of your wad. If you happe
to be q carpenter, and are maxim
about as much money as ur-colleg
professors, nothing will prevent 20
from taking that place in society
which your conversational ability sn
force of character entitle you. Int
aectual carpenters carpenters Int
-ested in Browning and -Mseterltnck-
may frequently be observed exchsn