The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1910-11-19
JEAN ASKS A BOLD
4 QUESTION, "WHAT
IS CHIvALRY?"

'ChlValry, quoted Well~knoWn
society woman and suffragette, lis
dead; one thing of the past that has
not even left faint memory behind"
she added on her own behalf.
What bold sweeping statement to
make, and one calculated to arouse
the righteous indignation of Mankind
in general! For is Chivalry dead?
Suppose, for instance, we take the
views OF few people and then judge
for ourselves whether any woman is
justified in making such an astounding
ly bold statement.
Well first interview Beatrice. Now
everyone knows that Beatrice has
been social favorite ever since her
debut two seasons ago; in fact, ever
aprons has she charmingly conquered
everyone with whom she has come
into CONTACT; especially men. Ac-
cordingly | feel as ii her views on the
momentous question should at least
be considered. Consequently, when
asked to give her opinion, Beatrice at
first looked rather vacant, and then
between nbbles at bon-bon she said
with some aSperty, that no indeed,
chivalry was not dead, because she had
noticed that ali the men she knew or
had met, jumped and kow-towed to
the women, at least to her, and acted
so perfectly charmingly toward them,
at least to her, that she found them
most agreeable companions. And.
surely, if they were stolid, stupid
creatures land did not possess the
agility OF jumping jacks, they would
be simply unbearable
With this bit of philosophy on the
Chivairy Of Mankind, Beatrice trium-
phantly hshed ont from the bottom OF
the box another bon-bon, and settled
back with satisfactory sigh. Admit
ting, however, Beatrice's good looks
and charming manner, we do not Won
der that men are united in showing
her the full extent OF their alleged
chivalrous powers.
But it seems to me that the view of
Beatrice is entirely too personal, and
so we will not lay too much stress
upon it.
Just after that maiden speech OF
Bcatrice's however, Mrs. Sutherland,
her grandmother, came out on the
porch, and with sudden Illuminating
thought, | decided to ask this gentle
woman OF the old South her opinion
Of Mans chivalry; and | really be-
lieve that il any people i'll the world
are able to express an opinion as TO
the proper ideas surrounding Chlyalry,
the old-fashioned Southern woman
can SO without any hesitancy what
soever, | approached her on the sub
ject, and just as | expected, she said,
in her beautifully modulated Southern
voice:
'Well, my dear, / suppose ny idea
- ri chAyalry is rather an exaggerated
and passe one, as all the men i'll my
day were Beau Brummels, more or
less, and as such, had to be charming
and chWalrous (the two mean the
same tbins) Iii order to move i'll any
ci.ty villa tsocvcr. But nowaca& ),
notice a great change; that Is, the
old chivalry and the new chivalry are
given two different expressions. The
old showed more mysterious charm
and far moer Difference, while that of
the present day is more bold and os-
tentatious? However you mast re-
member that we had not the type OF
women in those days that one sees
now; which causes me to repeat the
old, old theory that it is woman's in
tluence over men that makes the world
either good or bad; consequently, when
that influence becomes generally
coarse and callous, then it only fol
lows that Man will become likewise !;
thus causing the inner sense of chiv-
airy that is born in every man. more
or less, to be deadened until we have
come to the type OF the hat pulled
over the eye reading the newspaper
courticr CD who is certain and sure
that the girl standing hanging to a
strap thinks that he doesn't see her
or that he is a cripple and is unable
70 stand; SO he settles more comfort
ably i'll his seat, and calmly proceeds
to read the evening news.
in my day." she continued, with a
good amount OF pride in her voice,
I'VE would never have spoken to such
a creature; such a lack OF chivalry
would have been inexcusable, and he
would have been Stunned by society in
general. But then, you sec,' she
smiled sadly, I'VE had no suffragettes
Or cigarette smokers IN our feminine
world; why, we were like So many
delicate flowers hiatt had to be taken
care OF and protected, and resemblcd
not at all the bold American Beauty
that thrives nowadays So, as | said
before, while it is dreadful to admit
that men don't show the old inborn
chivai.ous ways OF their foreiathcrs,
still | blame the cc-thinking women
for most OF it, My dear" concluded
the soft, Southern voice, the modern
broadminded woman (as she likes to
be called is growing menace, while
the intelligent old-iashioned girl is a
rare delight. Consequently. il Wo-
man wishes and questions Mans
Chivalry, she must continue to play
che role OF helpless dependent maid
and not that OF the forward, free
thinking creature, with all the foolish
ideas of WOMAN'S RIGHTS and
WOMAN'S ADVANCEMENT usurp-
ing her ever ythought?'
| listened soemnly to this rather
lengthy speech, and mentally vowed
fbot # tbe onunlc in ITe,ye,, 1ool,aJ n c