Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-09-03

snerstion which in 1914 was just old
noush to fight. nurse or otherwise
rrye In the wsr-prohably shows a
scrc striking change from the one be-
src u than any generation has shown
or at least two centuries
A change in mind. spirit, and man.
sri
The change of manner of course ir-
ttatcs large number of persons who
2. shocked because the world con-
inues TO so around after they have
.gun TO suffer from rheumatism and
nldne@s
The changes OF mind and spirit,
.wever. are more important. As re-
ards mind. the latest generation is
stter educated. more cultivated, less
Npccritical. more courageous. more
Snrst. less "stuffy" than its prede-
tHsor and In all these respects has
Otto marveilously improved on its
scdeccssors predecessors Further,
has completed sort of revolution in
Ne relations ~ the sexes. which afore-
ime were regulated by a system OF
nnventions, shams and pretenses that
ar only be described as poisonous.
A. regards the spirit. the latest gem
ration has rediscovercd. or is re-
assovering. the great secrets-lost
ince tho Eiizahethan age-that the
hicf thing IN life is 70 feel that you
a. fully alive. that life oughtn't to be
straight line but a series Of ups and
owns. that continual repre- ssion is a
fagic absurdity. that dullness is a
ucial crime. that the present is quite
important as the future. and that
apments of ecstacy are the fines mo-
aents and the SUBMITS OF existence.
ne has inaily killed the Victorian
a. dead ! am willing TO admit that
hc Victorian age was a great age.
huugh Il acuteiy eNasperated me
lhen ] was young. But that il had
b. terrible vices of continual re-
reasion and disgusting hypocracy
annot ~ disputed. and 70 contem-
latc its corpse gives me genuine
ieasure
50 much FOR the achievement Of the
,tssi generation. The latest hasn't
enc everything itself. but il has hand
pmely finished what others began.
nd d shall b. awarded tht glory. Per
analiy ! rejoice IN H. and even in
a mistakes.
Dane. Halls Beneficial.
Nnw the most spectular symptom
thu new spirit Is the revival and the
ull ucmocratisation of dancing. The
tteat generation certainly did not
tltiate the revival. which began long
ufnrs che war IN the formation Of
tivatc dance-clubs. whose fault was
Ridiculous snobhishness. What the
ttsst generation did was to seize on
a good thing. 10 exploit IL fully, and
tear II free OF the chains Of con-
pution. and TO expose IL 20 all the
atiaeptic winds of publicity.
u j. 10 the demands of the latest
rneration that we owe the public
nnce- halls which are among the most
Impressive. beautiful and healthy ph.-
purna 81 modern social life. Not that
~ dance halls are the recent inven-
un of the midGie-class in London and
b. great provincial centres. as some
uKht assume.
Dance halls fiourished nightly even
the las; century in few OF the most
opular seaside resorts, and especially
/ isiackpooi and Douglas. Isle of Man.
q these considerable pleasure cities
acre were dance-halls before the lat
~ generation was born. and befor.
he fox-trot and the shimmy had
cen conceived. The halls We're eff
rlenfly managed. with few but rigid
enforced rules: they had good
tusic. they were bright and even
a
They dia. as they still do. enor-
sous business. and was largely re-
ponsihle for the popularity Of the
a. place named Years and years
80 ] used 10 watch them functioning
tfh an.azefnsnt and delight. and ]
'ondsred that they did not attract
ttenfion from students of social phe-
,uiuefla. True. In those days stu
.utS of social phenomena had not
ut removed their blinkers,
bur the halls were naturally closed
o. the greater part Of the year. ap-
ealing exclusively to holiday makers
. definite seasons OF holiday, which
rpends on weather conditions and on
ac capriccs Of railway companies. II
ever occurred &c me and ! doubt if
occurred 10 anyone. that plain people
sight care 10 dance publicly on the
.cnings of working days, or that sea
g. was not absolutely essential 10
sncinr. or that il WIS not necessary
3 travel a hundred miles in order TO
rfoy a dance. or that the desire 10
Hucs. like the desire TO eat. drink
I'd love. might possibly be quite in
rpendent Of all seasons whatever.
Dancing Is Universal.
These great discoveries came later.
nd they did not come through the
nnce-halls Of the industrial class.
'hich dance-halls We're regarded by
se other classes as amusingly vulgar.
he industrial class had indeed start
4 public dancing on a scale un-
reaned OF by Cremorne and Rane-
.gh. and easily more decorum; but
De Industrial class only found out
AT dancing might be just as delee-
shIe in winter as in summer through
p habits OF initiating the classes
bove il. The dancing craze" as il
! unjustly described, pereolated both
pwnwards and upwards through the
rata Of society. and today there is
r class which does not dance, and
robably no class which objects TO be
zen dancing in public or in semi
ublic.
THAT which was once amnsingly
ulgar is now strictly correct-and
an amusing. Halls, clubs. and sub
fription organizations exist every
here in which individuals. may
snce in crowd consisting mainly
? individuals personally unknown