Up and Down the Social Ladder.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5267, 10 July 1888, Page 3

Up and Down the Social Ladder.

. Everybody knows the way up tho social ladder." It has been shown to those below by millions of twinkling feet. It is a broad ladder up which people arc always climbing, some slowly, some quickly. From corditroy to Iroadcloth; from workshop lb counter; from shop-boy to master;. from shop to oflico; from trade:to profession; f*6m the bed-room over tho shop to the great country villa. The other day a bricklayer told rao that his grandfather and tile first Lord O.s father were old pals ; they used to go poaching together; but tho parent of Lord O. was so clover as to open a shop, where ho raid what his frioud poached. The shop began it, you fcce. Tho way up is known to everybody. But there is another way which wo seldom regard; it is the way down again. The Family Rise is tho commonest phouomenon. Is not the name Legion of thoao of whom men Bay, partly with the prido of connecting , themselves with greatness, partly with the natural desire winch small men alway , * show to tear away something of that greatness. "Why, I knew him when his father had that "shop." Tho Family Fail ie teas conspicuous; Yet there - are always as many going down as climbing up. You cannot, in fact, stay_ still. You must eithor climb or clip down—'unless, indeed, you have got your leg over the .topmost rung, which moans the stability of a hereditary title* and landed property. Wo all- ought to have hereditary titles and landed property, in order to insure national prosperity for ever. Novelists do not as a rule, treat of tho Sinking Back, because it is a depressing eubjeot. There are many ways of falling. Mostly, the father makes an ass of himself in tho way of business or speculation, or he dies too soon, or hia sons possess none of their father's ability, or they take to drink. Anyhow, down goes tho family; at first slowly, but with everincreasing rapidity, back to its original level. Thoro wno country in the world— certainly not tho United States—where_ a young man may riso to distinction with greater caso than this realm of tho Three Kingdoms. There is also noue where tho families show a greater alacrity in sinkiDg. But the most reluctant to go down, thoso who cling most tightly to tho social level which they think they bavo reached, are tho daughters; so that when misfortunes fall upon them they are ready to dony themselves everything rather than lose tho social dignity which they think belongs to tho-x. —Walter Bcsant, in Lougman's Magazine.