Fifty years ago . , according to some, society was alwaysgambling, running away with eacli others wives, causingand committing scandals, or whispering them, the menwere spendthrifts and profligates, the women extrava-gant and heartless. Of course, the same things wouldbe said, and are sometimes said, of the present day, andwill be said in all following ages, because to the ultra-virtuous or to the satirist who trots out the old, stale,worn-out sham indignation, or to the isnt-it-awful,gaping gobemouche^ every generation seems worse thanall those which preceded it. We know the tag and theburden
Fifty years ago . , according to some, society was alwaysgambling, running away with eacli others wives, causingand committing scandals, or whispering them, the menwere spendthrifts and profligates, the women extrava-gant and heartless. Of course, the same things wouldbe said, and are sometimes said, of the present day, andwill be said in all following ages, because to the ultra-virtuous or to the satirist who trots out the old, stale,worn-out sham indignation, or to the isnt-it-awful,gaping gobemouche^ every generation seems worse thanall those which preceded it. We know the tag and theburden and the weariness of the old song. As for my-self, I am no indignant satirist, and the news thatcertain young gentlemen have been sitting up all nightplaying baccarat, drinking champagne, and carryingon after the fashion of youth in all ages, does notgreatly agitate my soul, or surprise me, or lash me intovirtuous indignation. Not at all. At the same time, ifone must range oneself and take a side, one may imitate. /!^J^ IN SOCIETY tit the example of Benjamin Disraeli and declare for theside of the angels. And, once a declared follower ofthat army, one may be allowed to rejoice that thingsare vastly improved in the space of two this there can be no doubt. Making easy allowancefor exaggeration, and refusing to see depravity in awhole class because there are one or two cases that theworld calls shocking andreads eagerly, it is quitecertain that there is lessof everything that shouldnot be than there used tobe—less in proportion,and even less in actualextent. The generaltone, in short the gene-ral manners of society,have very much im-proved. Of this, I sayagain, there can be nodoubt. Let any one, for instance, read Lady Blessingtons Victims of there is an unreal ring about this horrid book,so that one cannot accept it for a moment as a faithfulpicture of the times, such a book could not now bewritten at all; it would be impossible. Let us sing of li
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