RELIC OF THE PAST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20701, 26 April 1929, Page 16

RELIC OF THE PAST.

THE UNIVERSAL SELFINSTRUCTOR.

Though 1883 is not, bo very many years ago, judging by a book in which I have just been engroesed, and which bears that date of. publication, the period which it represents might be, from souu- points of view, as remote as the stone age from the outlook of to-day (writes M. V. Tait in the Argus). The title of this divert-, ing volume is “ The Universal Selfinstructor,” and it is as weighty as its title. -It is leather-bound,- and illustrated, and although the fact that it is edited by Albert Ellery .Berg, “ assisted by an efficient corps of specialists,” suggests that its origin was American,' it bears the imprint on the title page, in largo letters, “ Melbourne, Samuel M’Cardol, 1883.” __ It was copyrighted in 1 1882 by Thoma s Kelly, of New York, so the book in my possesion is probably an Australian' edition, as there is a special department, headed Explorations, devoted to Australia and New Zealand. There are 072 quarto-sized pages, and the instruction given therein, according to the “ Epitome of Forms ” on the title page, is divided under the four main headings of education, home and society, commerce and law, and amusements. Among the chapters devoted to what might be regarded as the lighter side of life, one of the most entertaining is that which deals with elocution, oratory, arid declamation.' It is accompanied by illustrations depicting on a male countenance expressions of joy, fear, malice, hope, boasting, and ■ peevishness. There are detailed descriptions of " how to express the passions” which may be helpful to some of our young elocutionists. To express tranquility, for instance, “ the body and face are kept in a state of repose without muscular movement. The countenance is open and natural, the forehead -mooth and unwrinkled, the raoutl is just not entirely closed, the eyebrows are slightly arched, and"the. eyes are passing easily from one object *to another without dwelling long upon one', “ Cheerfulness.—The same as tranquility with the addition of a smile; the mouth, too, is open a little wider. . . . Joy: The face wears a moderate sriiile; or, in the extremes of joy, the bauds are clasped together suddenly, the eyes are lifted upward, the body, springs gaily and elastically. , , . Pity: The voice is soft arid sympathetic, the eyebrows are drawn together, the hands are raised, and then dropped, and the mouth is somewhat open. . . . Remorse: The head hangs down, the eyes are lifted up. for a moment, and then cast down, the body writhes, the voice has a harsh and low sound. . . .

Despair: The eyebrows are bent down, the eyes arc rolled, the mouth is opened, the nostrils expand and enlarge, the fist is clenched, the teeth gnash, the'body is moved violently to and fro, etc., etc.” * But the real diversion of the book is to bo found among the chapters dealing with the domestic circle, which opens with the wedding of a young couple as the foundation stone, and follows with a “series of pictures drawn from every-day life which, we trust, will afford entertainment as well as instruction.” There is a chapter on husbands which recalls that “it is a certain and serious fact that no woman can ever tell what sort of' husband she has chosen until she has actually married him. r<ow and then, one who has married quite as confidently as all others finds that she has made a mistake. Miserable, indeed, is she who discovers too late that she has.” The writer goes on to describe what it means to have a heartless husband,- a busy husband, a fussy husband, a reckless, a^ stingy, or a good husband. We are told that it is usually an honest, well-meaning woman, with little power of self-assertion, who suffers from a heartless husband who nivts with other 'Women and snubs her before their very eyes. - She often ends the httle tragedy by dying early, we are told, anxious, perhaps to gain as much appreciation of her virtues as shall be written on her tombstone in -the words Miranda, beloved wife of Samuel Simpkins, since she knows it is all she will ever have in this world.” Of the “ good ” husband, it is written, “ Fortunate, indeed, is the woman who possesses as husband a man who knows more of the world and of all things than she can know, and keeps a pure and tender heart through all vicissitudes; who is neither a bear nor a flirt jn society; who enjoys her company; an “ is happiest at home; whose children think father - perfection! ” When wc come to "wives” we learn that Of course, wives are on the average better than husbands, hut now and then a poor young man discovers that he has a slovenly wife, ah over-tidy -wife, a nagging wife, a .wasteful wife, a touchy wife, or a good wife.” There. is no mention of a wife-who allows her interest in the opposite sex to stray beyond the heme circle. Apparently that is purely a modern problem. . , There is a chapter in “ Courting,” in which we are told that it is a good thing for a man to have plenty of courting to do, to have hard work to get his wife, and to bo in wholesome dread of the mitten for eome time. It takes some of .the vanity out of him and is better for his wife, for no man cares much for what he can get too easily. The wise lover, it is said wins the affections of the parents first. He is modest in his manners and .protends to have come to the home simply to he instructed by its master, whom he reveres. Having won his any in this quarter he docs not lose his lady’s esteem by being over hold._ “ A girl of spirit is very apt to dislike a man who bounces at her and tries to kiss her before he has revealed his matrimonial intentions.’’

Did I say that this bool; was published fewei than 50 years ago? Was this the way in which on'r father# and mothers staged their “courting”? Yet, even hi those days, an utterly unpardonable want of. supervision and decorum had obtained a footing in rural districts. Some parents allowed their daughters to sit up into the “ we sma’ ” hours with a vdung man whom they scarcely knew, and in the cities it sometimes happened that the daughter of the house accepted an invitation to a concert, the opera, or the theatre withou asking permission of her parents, and, having her own latch-key, came home when she pleased. CUSTOMS OF POLITE SOCIETY. . “Social Etiquette,” which includes the “Rules of Good Breeding ’’ and the “ Customs of Polite Society,” occupies 33 pages. It appears to cover every possible contingency. .But it contains quite a lot of information which it is-not necessary to have nowadays, as, for instance, that when. a lady is crossing a muddy street, she should gather her dress in her right hand, ami draw it to the right side. “It is very vulgar to use both hands for that purpose.” There is a sign of the times in, the, following—“ Gentlemen should not make use of classical quotations in the presence of ladies without apologising, for or : translating them, al-; though there are many women now whose education has made them quite able tp understand and appreciate almost any subject: and a gentleman who is a good conversationalist will' always adapt his conversation as skilfully as may be to his company.''.

In the pages devoted to letter writing every contingency of life appears,to have been considered. No more striking distinction . between “then and now” could be 'drawn than the following example of a letter of “apology to a young lady friend’”: — Dear Miss Talcott,—

In parting from:you at the party last night I was gieat|y pained to feel that your manner towards myself was much cooler than 1 have hitherto' found it. It may bo very presumptions in men to allude to this, and even more so to speak of what I think was the cause, but I cannot' hear that the pleasant terms of intimacy with which yon have honoured me in the past should bo broken by aii unfortunatemisunderstanding. It is true that I paid considerable attention to Mamie Woodhouse last evening, hut it was because sbo was comparatively a stranger, and had been specially recoin: mended to.ray politeness by my old schoolfellow, Ned-Collins, to whom she is to be married next month.. If I seemed to neglect yon he sure it was not “greater attractions,” for such there cannot bo to me. I hope to see you to-morrow at the .Tardines s,ball, and trust to find that you have forgiven. 1 Your most sincerelv, JOSEPH E. DART. Apart from its amusing aspect in the light of present-day ideas, however, there is ip the book an amazing amount of the sort of information , that is always interesting, and even where it is out of date it has an historical interest in painting a picture of a period that bred fine men and gracious women; and perhaps had a great deni more to commend, it,than we of this generation arc. prepared to'admit. • / i