Year: 1874

Ranks of Society.


In Scotland it is difficult for a man to
| draw the line between courtship and a
! connubial condition. That which in the
Englishman is but a Irritation, would
become In the Scotchman rank matri-


mony. Most people in Scotland are


married, but they are not aware of the
fact, as Monsieur Jordon did not know


that he had been talking prose all his


life: the distinction is drawn when
| they do become aware, and then the
| marriage is avowed. In Wales, court
7 ship takes a material form-among the
humber classes at least-and resolves
| itself into what we call romping. In
England, there are different ways of do
| ing the same thing. When Lady Clara
| We're de We're is pretendu in her own


ranks of life (and she has not always


trifed with the "foolish yoeman" of


Mr.. TennysoI 'spoem), the arrangements


between the pair are conducted with


reference to a certain degree of eti-
quette, but etiquette does not rule en-
tirely, and the Lady Claras have the


same tendencies to make the most of the


situation as ladies and gentleman who


are not quite her equal IN rank. She is
not restrained to the extent that she


would be in France and it is hard if,


in the course of walks, drives and


dances, croquet, cantering, exhibition


seeing, picnicing, and all the various


incidents of town and country life, the


pair do not manage to meet some seven


days in the week, and give the chape-


rome now and then the go-by. In the


lower grades of society it may be sup


posed that courtship is equally delight


full, but appearances are decidedly


against There is nothing approach


ing restraint in the code of etiquette


here. When Miss Jemima Higgs has


cher young man." and he is on such


terms with her family as not to be


turned out of doors, he may go to the


house and take her out whenever he


pleases, and no one dreams of interfer-


ing. Jemima is probably presentable


style of girl-girls of other classes are


far more so than they were, and espe.


cially dress better than they did, albeit


in rather an exaggerated style-but her


betrothed is decidedly rough. See him


when he comes to take her out to walk


in Battersea or Victoria park, or it may


be to go by steamer to Greenwich. He
is far from being on a par with her, either
in manners or attire, especially if the
latter be his holiday costume. He is
tolers ely sure, too, to have pipe or
cigar in his mouth for this appendage,
among certain classes of young mon,
seems to be considered a necessary part
of full dress. His talk is slang, and
not over refined. The girl goes off gay
ly with him, but one cannot help Won
dering at her taste, and the question III
evitably occurs-Of what do they talk


l,o
els, and picked up certain vocabulary
of sentiment but he Garnet have an
idea on this head, and his range of sub |
jects must be very narrow one very |
different from the world of beautiful |
fancits open to Lady Clara We're de
We're and the young lord-lOver" who |
pays his homage to her shrine. 1t is |
not to be supposed that humble station |
and want of culture prevent people |
from loving as deeply as our aristOcratic |
friends. The late Robert CROUCH, in |
a poetical version of q tale from Boo
caccio, writes very prettily of a pair of |
lovers who sat together saying nothing, |
but simply " engaged in loving" which,
the writer adds, sis quite an occupa-
tion, assure you, in its way" Jemima
and her "youno man" doubtless bring
all their teriuer instincts towards the
" occupation" in question, but it is sad
to think she will express her regret at |
having to sit opposite to him III the bus
on their way home, and that when his
words take an affectionate form they
will connect her with the description of
" old gal." However, I am here writ
ing of miserable cockneys. Village |
courtships must be very different affairs,
or poets would not have gIorifed them
as they have done, lfrom the earliest
period to the present time. I have my
suspicious that rustic lovers are not al
ways Damons and Phlllises but they
are not likely to be without certainrural
and at least free from the
slang of the town. The saddest kind of
must be those of couples
who do not care much about one an
other. 1t is very easy to make people
believe you love them less than you do,
but very difficult to make them believe
that you love them more.