The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-03-17
SOCIAL
SAVAGES.

A brilliant woman who entertains a
great deal said to me the other day:
Il wouldn't care so much IL the young
men of our day had been trained to
dance ghost dances and wear war
paint: then there would be some ex-
cuse for their manners AS 1t Is,
there Is no excuse. II you could see
them as / see them, when they ignore
all claims Of hospitality; when they
have drunk our wines and eaten our
suppers, they seem to take it for
granted that their obligation is ended"
and one who has observed closely
must admit that In spite OF the veneer
of polish which we give our boys there
is lack Of consideration and brutal
selfishness which make the above
criticism seem justified.
The day Of the young man is at
hand. In past ages young women held
sway, their cavaliers knelt to them,
and every girl was pursued by a dozen
suitors, who hung upon her smile. Now
it would seem that the position is re-
versed, and that a dozen girls crave
the favor Of one poor masculine. The
days Of chivalry are dead, and while,
perhaps 1t is best that the overstrain-
ed sentiment Of past times has been
succeeded by a wholesome good COM
radeship. yet think we may pause
/, and wonder what will be the end OF
mans personal indifference to wornan's
good opinion.
There was a time when women ex-
acted of men the formal dinner call
and. in fact, all calls Of obligation. To-
day men accept favors at the hands OF
women and give no return. They 90
to dances and set their hostesses wild
by their actions They will not dance
with the wallfiowers. and, indeed, they
often refuse to dance at all. Their
week ends at country houses are pass
ed in playing sets at tennis with other
men, or In riding cross country with
the other fellows"
The girls are out Of It; yet when
these young men and selfish savages
want feminine society they demand
that their shortcomings be forgotten
and that they receive as much atten-
ton as II they had given the best
of themselves.
1t seems to me that mothers should
see to 1t that their sons show defer
ence to their daughters: that it should
be placed before the boy that the So
u SAOty VI WOAA1dAlhAuQ Is clcNallnK dnC
4 uplifting; that when a woman honors
him with her favor IT Is an honor and
not a thing to be talked of lightly
He should be taught that he has nc
i right to go to the house of some
kospitable hostess. eat her dinners and
| suppers and partake OF her bounty
unless he gives in return somethine
Of himself; something of his inter
est.
II Perhaps the modern college life ha,
/ something to do with turning our boy.
into young savages I do not NEAR
that the colleges are responsible, bu
that wherever there is a group o.
young men who indulge in spectacular
athletics there will be also an admir-.
ing feminine audience. Our girls ador,
football players, make heroes of them
and I have seen some young favorit,
sprawling In chair, waited on by MI
girl friends and excused for bad man.
ners on the ground that one need ex.
pect nothing so commonplace as polisi
from such q man. The boy thus spoil.
ed by being set upon a pedestal grow
up to be a selfish man, the societ,
H savage, condemned by all women wht
Il like mannerly young men and who
deplore the laxness which permits oul
boys to copy the manners of wild In.
Il dian rather than those of a Raleigh o.
Il a Chesterfield.