Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-10

just what a reader Will get out Of
Lord Chesterfeld's Letters depends
largely upon his needs of the moment.
There is one former Washingtonian
who, AS IL young man, was much
given TO raucous laughter. Upon
| reading Lord Chesterfield TO the effect
that gentleman Is often seen to
smile, but never laugh, he gave up
horse laughs himself. and from that
day to this merely smiles.
Ierhaps that Is taking the Earl OF
Chesterfield much too seriously: but
at any rate. 1t points a moral. Every
one who picks up this justly famous
collection of letters will remember
some one thing about it, according. to
his needs.
Philip Dornler Stanhope. the worthy
earl. has been regarded since his day
as the example of the cultured gen
tIeman.
We call a man "a regular Lord
Chesterfield" whenever his manners
in polite society exceed the general
run of the manners of other men.
When one is polite with the grace
commonly associated with the French
he is said TO be in d class with Lord
Chesterfield.
Philip Stanhope. therefore. dis
tinctly stood for something. no matter
what one may think nowadays Of the
thing for which he stood.
The great MASS OF Americans would
be the better for "a little dipping into
the genial pages of Chesterfield =
Letters" which he wrote TO his son
In the hope that he could incline the
tree AS the twiS is bent.
That the optimistic earl failed
largely TO implant in his son the very
Sraces" which he so laudcd and mag
mined is nothing against the letters
In themselves. His son was matter
OF few years: his letters are matters
for all time.
They were written without any
thought whatever of publication. so
that In them we find the frank CON
LESSONS of man of the world. a
gentleman of the polite society of his
day. fond parent intent on helping
his son.
Letters Of a Self Made Merchant TO
His Son published in the United
states some twenty or twenty-five
wears ago, was much in the style Of
Lord Chesterfield. although devoted
entirely to setting on" in business
way.
In past ages Cicero attempted 10
instruct his son in the way he should
60, with what results the student of
self
Lord Chesterfield. living in the bril-
liant Queen Anne age, with such CO.
temporaries as Pope. Addison and
DR.. Johnson. believed that because he
had travelled the road himself and
thought upon his going he could i'm
part some of his accumulated wisdom
to his son.
In this he was mostly mistaken, as
are all those who try to think for
others. Experience Is experience. and
can be gained only by the one who
experiences. Second ha nd experience
may help little, but hardly enough
to justify the trouble.
The manners, grace. ease in good
company and general culture OF a
man in society. which Lord Chester
reld attempted To inculcate in his SON
were the very qualities which the
young man never acquired.
How could it have been otherwise?
Beginning when the lad was bur
D years old, the father deluges him
with letters Of advice on every topic
under the sun. AS the boy grew UP
he WAS followed from country to
country, in which he travelled with
his tutor. by the well meant missives
of his solicitous parent.
x y y
The sight Of the postman must have
been very distasteful TO young Stan
hope. To his eternal credit. however.
let II be said. he never kicked. but
accepted all the advice with thanks
even If he didn't or couldn't follow it,