The Ocala evening star., 1911-06-24

The article by Mark Quintrell, un-
der the above head, which appeared in
Star, has caused considera-
BILE comment, mostly favorable, coupled
with guesses as to the identity of its
author, to whom even those who dis
agree with him. concede the ability TO
make himself interesting.
In his arraignment OF society or
It's shoddy imitation Mark Qufntreil
has aptly described an element the
world could better spare than keep,
made up as it is Of those who in the
heyday toll not, neither do they spin,
but Solomon in all his glad rags looked
like a last years birds nest compared
to them 1t is an evil that does more
real harm than some that are branded
with a broad red or black mark, and.
we fear. will be harder to abolish.
We think, however. that Mark Quin-
trell errs in his statement that this
particular evil is of late growth. or,
rather, development. If he will let
his mind rove backward over the
pages of the standard authors of the
last century, and we know he has con-
siderable acquaintance with literature,
he VII find many scenes drawn by the
pens of Dickens, Lytton and Thackeray,
and others of less note, from exper-
fences with the same trihing variety
OF humanity that he has. described
They were not acquainted, for obvious
reasons, with cheese waters and BEN
zine buggies. but their ideas and oc-
cupations were the same. And We
think If he will go back further he
will find traces of the same evil in all
the pages of history-mostly vaguely
hinted at, but sometimes broadly de-
scribed.
Also, we disagree with the talented
Mark in his assumption that the evil
is greater and spreading. We have
seen a right smart of the worlds fri
volity, cruelty and deceit-have seen
much Of the work and sacrifice of good
men and women wasted TO enable fools
to have what they believed to be a
good time-all the same, we believe
the world is better and society is
cleaner than it ever has been before.
Some of the astute Marks readers
make the mistake of thinking his crit
icism applies to all social recreations
and, as one lady said, he expects wo-
men to be nothing but household
drudges A careful reading of the ar
ticle however shows that it applies
not to social recreation but to social
folly.
That feature of society which is ap-
piled to social recreation is one of the
things that makes life worth living
The woman who can afford 1t, and who
for few hours, once or twice week
open her home to her friends. and en-
ables them to enjoy social intercourse
with music, refreshments, even game:
added to conversation, helps to lighter
the load of care that is often too
heavy for the most fortunate Th'
young peoples parties, dances and ex
cursions are the incest things in th
world. 1t is good for the men to NEE
and talk and have social games a
their clubs Where these things harm
ore, they are beneficial to ten. and tn
greatest good to the greatest numbe
must rule in sociabi1ity as in the NOR
serious things of life. There is
danger line, and not until it is cross
ed does the trouble commence TIL
danger line varies-its higher an
wider for some than it is for other:
But when it is crossed, what shoul
be a blessing becomes a curse, and tn
evils the somewhat pessimistic Mar
points out really commence.
Nearly all these evils begin in tn
home, and the home is almost the onl
place where they can be reformed. Th
father who lets his son go loose o
the streets, or rears him in false lux
ury is taking long chances on raisin
a dead beat, who is of no more us
than a burglar or sneak thief; and tn
mother who lets her daughter dane
all night and lie abed all day. Will
she does the house work, is trainin
up a girl who will likely do more har1
than a professed member of the dem
monde Such fathers and mother
such sons and daughters, far g
study has enabled us to decide, hav
existed since the days of the cave mel
and we fear they will exist until ii
millennium; but we really believe the
are at least little scarcer toda
than they have ever been before.
1t is true that many boys and gir
reared in frivolous homes, realize the
responsibilities when they grow u
and develop into good men and wome
but it is also true that they could
much better. by themselves and a
others, IL they started right.
We hope the few points in which v
have differed from the talented Mar
will not discourage him from writir
again His article was timely; it w;
mostly true; ii set some people
thinking: and in thinking lies the We
to all the Improvement of the world.