IS THE WOMAN OF TO-DAY A SNOB?

Otago Witness, Issue 3489, 25 January 1921, Page 41

IS THE WOMAN OF TO-DAY A SNOB?

(By 11. B. Marriott-Watson in the Daily Express.) Our modern social life is open to criticism on many points, but at least we have accomplished one good deed. We have practically abolished snobbery. Home one has defined snobbery as a form of idealism—people are trying to live up to a standard higher than that to which they arc entitled. Certainly this stands:d is not spiritual, but it has its merits. Well, the Victorian snob is dead —idealist or not. The woman of tc-day has been roundly abused for her many imperfections, but she is not a snob in the Victorian sense. She outrages some of us by her scant skirts and bare back. She has stolen and adopted man’s habits. She smokes all day and drinks whisky and soda. She makes usa of chromatic slang, and even indulges ir* strong and more offensive language. A 3 for manners, well, she’s forgotten 'em. like the young lady of Tottenham. She pays no respect to her elders, and calls her father “old beau” or some such affectionate sobriquet. But this does not prove that she has no heart, or is worse iu other respects than her grandmother. Indeed, when you study the Victorian ago carefully and dispassionately, you are forced to conclude that in many wavs she is superior to the. young woman of 1350. A great deal of nonsense has been written about the virtues of the Victorian. Occasionally theio has arbor: n book of memoirs to give the game away, and the mid-Vic-torian has been revealed in lights in whichi wo have not been accustomed to see her. The Victorian damsel did not always knife and sew and make patterns. Nor did slier always faint. No doubt she had vapours and headaches and megrims, which must) have bee i a great nuisance to her husband or her lover or her friends. She could not! walk, or pretended she could not. Slid never played tennis, or golf, or hockey.. She played abysmal music and sang- abys« m.d ballads, and she painted abysmal pictures. Oh'. the modern girl compares in thesa directions very favourably with her. Wet have enlarged her liberties, and she sometimes makes a license of liberty. But its was Macaulay who said that tile cure fop the excesses of liberty was continued liberty. At least, that was the gist of his words, but! he phrased it much more forcibly. But in no way does modern woman compare more favourably with her predecessor than in this matter of snobbery. Cast youf eye back on Thackeray’s portraits and re* fleet, or take that genial cynic Trollope, who is much neglected nowadays. Trolj lope’s novels are hotbeds of snobbery; anq how he hated ii 1 Do you remember the letter written by Miss Augusta Gresham to her cousin. Lady, Amelia de < 'ourcy. inquiring if she v, as justified in marrying Mi Gazebee, a wealthy attorney? Lady Amelia advised againstl the acceptance. It wa the “attorney’’ that did it. They were thinking, both of them, of “what was due to ih>' name of Gresham.” Our modern young lady is indifferent ta the name of Gresham, and will marry anyone who has money—and, of course, whom she likes.