The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-07

will cease To- give social prestige.
strangers will no longer be suspect.
Newcomer and "Oldtimcr' will la.
down their arms. intolerance will be
a crime: stability will he no more n
virtue. society will he modified. mar
rage will be relieved Of its irksomc
restraint. the decisions Of family feel
ing esprit dc corps. patriotism will
be done off, change will he, DR.. Par
son is the prophet. frankly envis-
iged as a continuous condition" n
dealt with quite internationally.
Whether apples will fall up. cold boil
water and heat freeze IL the docto.
does not say: but self-preservation
Is TO become a crime against nature
instead OF It's first law. hazlng Is to
abolish itself. and the empty moats
and falling walls of conventionality"
are to be approved vain defences for
the sentimentalists. those timid
beings who. conscious OF change and
! yet resistant to It. are forever dode-
ing the facts OF life and shirking Its
business" Prophet Doctor Parsons is
not one Of the timid.
With prophets on his right and
prophets on his left. the weltkind
travels safely in the middle path. lie
will laugh at DIR. P~arsons's introduce
tory and concluding chapters and
rather enjoy the reflection Of him
self in the mirror supported between
them. DR.. Parsons has industriously
searched the scriptures for notes on
the curious customs and conventions
OF various societies. ancient and mod
ern. primitive and sophisticated. bar
berous and cultured. Her compila-
Hon OF codes for the treatment OF
strangers. for travellers, for hosts and
guests: OF rules for rites and cere-
monies. of caste conduct. OF chivalry,
OF giving presents and making calls,
of ghosts and gods" is comprehensive
and correctly free from flattery. But
for the purposes OF satire or revolu-
tionary propaganda the mark is over
shot, the mere statement In most in
stances carries Justification OF the
common practice originating In in
stlnct and continued at the dictate OF
reason.
The stranger is cultivated with eau
ton. Il don't want TO 20 there" de-
murs a son or daughter. II don't
know any OF those fellows" or II don't
know the other girls; 81 won't have
a good time A Fijlan canno be
comfortable with a stranger at his
heels. Looking at n persons face, says
the Chinaman, Is unworthy Of a gen.
tleman: but Chesterfield describes
John Trott. type Of the boor. as never
doing it. In 1910 China excluded the
British: the United States excludes
the Chinese. Hayti will have none OF
the Syrian; Canada Of the Hindu. Is
IT because ghosts are strangers that
they are ~unwelcome?
Is II because travelling takes one
among strangers that IL is such serious
business? The departing voyager is
prayed for and receives ceremonial
gifts. There are lucky and unlucky
days and conditions for the outset. In
Persia a kinsman holds a Koran ovei
the travellers head as he crosses the
threshold. He says: ION Saturday
and Monday. o my brother. 1t is hes,
not TO proceed toward the east. From
the west danger impends on Sunday
and Friday. ON Tuesday and Wednes.
day beware lest thy destiny lead thee
toward tho north. And when Thurs,
days sun hath risen never direct thy
course to the south" No Moslem. II
Is reported. evcr travels without his
grave clothes. And the returning
traveller is joyously to be met. As
he received presents when he went
so now he brings presents back. The
traveller 10 holy shrines acquire:
special merit, and he who sets out or
the last long journey has need OF a
special viaticum. The Greek OF ole
carried a coin to tip the ferryman
the Yezidi Kurd n bit OF silver and q
club with which to bride or beat hi.
postmortem catechists" into openinf
heavens doors to him. Az ne who
sets OF on a long Jaunt of his owr
free will is (by allegation OF DR.. Par
sons) particularly impressive" "tc
some communities a suicide appear.
so potent a ghost that stakes ar,
driven through his corpse or he Il
denied burial in consecrated ground
NO custom seems holy to the prophe'
OF the unconventional society" '
The feeling aroused in us by suicide
whether admiration or antagon!sm
betrays the attitude Of fear We take
toward the Last Journey" The CAPT,
tai initials are tho doctors: do the,
Indicate an Internationally conven
tional attitude toward" q solemn fac
OF existence?
When in Rome do as the Romant
do Is "a ounsel of protective coiora'
uon.' and Chesterfield paraphrased
"A man Of tho world must. Hike tn,
chameleon, be able to take every diff
fcrent hue" DR.. Felkin - fiattere(
King Mtesa by appearing at the roya
court Of Uganda with his poll SHAVED
country that the King sent him
goat. But at another time. refusing
the kings gift OF eighteen wives. be
cause It was not in accord with IN,
white mans custom, he angered hi
royal benefactor into an expletive
You come here and say all men ar,
brothers and that your God loves u
yourselves too good 10 live az We do!
Or. Parsons has made almost
cyclopadia of convention, a rule boo,
Of etiquette. A clever little volume
and comfortably conventional In II
makeup. without undue solemnity
may he urged that in these tryin
times" the American people need I
avoid the hypocr!sies and misleadin'
theories of "progressivism" and stan
firm upon the simple. sincere virtue
OF old fashioned American characte,
Let not the old faiths be lost. Kee
the old ideals bright. To be all con