108 MANNERS AND FASHION. 



met before, many others who just bow to each other, many 

 otliers who though familiar feel mutual indifference, with 

 just a few real friends lost in the general mass ! You need 

 but look round at the artificial expressions of face, to see 

 at once how it is. All have their disguises on ; and how 

 can there be sympathy between masks ? No wonder that 

 in private every one exclaims -against the stupidity of these 

 gatherings. No wonder that hostesses get them np rather 

 because they must than because they wish. No v,^onder 

 that the invited go less from the expectation of pleasure 

 than from fear of giving offence. The w^hole thing is a gi- 

 gantic mistake — an organized disappointment. 



And then note, lastly, that in this case, as in all others, 

 when an organization has become effete and inoperative for 

 its legitimate purpose, it is employed for quite other ones 

 — quite opposite ones. What is the usual plea put in for 

 giving and attending these tedious assemblies ? "I admit 

 that they are stupid and frivolous enough," replies every 

 man to your criticisms ; " but then, you know, one must 

 keep up one's connections." And could you get from his 

 wife a sincere answer, it would be — " Like you, I am sick 

 of these frivolities ; but then, we must get our daughters 

 married." The one knows that there is a profession to 

 push, a practice to gain, a business to extend : or parlia- 

 mentary influence," or county patronage, or votes, or office, 

 to be got : position, berths, favours, profit. The other's 

 thoughts runs upon husbands and settlements, wives and 

 dowries. Worthless for their ostensible purpose of daily 

 bringing human beings into pleasurable relations with each 

 other, these cumbrous appliances of our social intercourse 

 are now perseveringly kept in action with a view to the 

 pecuniary and matrimonial results which they indirectly 

 produce. 



Who then shall say that the reform of our system of 

 observances is unimportant ? When we see how this sys- 



