SOME SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8351, 24 June 1905, Page 3

SOME SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTS.

present Day England. Lady Jeune, who, by her position in society as the wife, now widow, of an eminent judge, and by her writings in the reviews, has won recognition as an authority on the doings of " society," wus recently interviewed by the "St James's Budget." THIRTY YEARS AGO. In Lady Jeune' s opinion, society had changed much in the last thirty years. " Thirty years ago people with small incomes (lid not keep a carriage. The women did not dress so elaborately as they do now, but, on the other hand, each costume was then much more expensive. In fact, the cheapening of food and clothes and the other necessaries of life, is the outstanding feature of the last thirty years, and, although this explains much, yet life was very much simpler in the seventies. In the arrangements for dinner, there were fewer flowers, less decoration generally, and not the present custom of plaoing a superabundance of silver upon the table. < <{ One must remember that the time of which I am speaking was ten years after Queen Victoria became a widow. Her retirement made a great difference, for the present King and Queen had not taken tip their position as the bead of society as they did later on. PRESENT-DAY EXTRAVAGANCE. " The tendenoy of to-day is for most people to try to live up to the standard set by those better off than themselves. This applies to all ranks in life, and as the standard of expenditure has become so high, this tendency has a very bad effect on people with small incomes. The 1 ich Americans and those who have made money in South Africa spend a very great deal, and everywhere there appears to be a desire to emulate those who are wealthy. Many of these rich people have come into English society, and I do not see that there is any reason why they should not. In so many instances they have paid handsomely for their footing. "Then, again ? invitations to-day are sent out in a different way to that of twenty years ago. Miss K. is a goodlooking girl, and a hostess will* say, ' If she comes to my ball its eclat will be increased.' Consequently Miss K. is invited in a roundabout way, although she may not be acquainted with her hostess. Money seems to be the one thing that everyone wants, and people will go anywhere to be amused, and the richest people are those who give the finest entertainments. RISE OF THE ACTRESS. | " The actress is received into English society in a way whioh I believe is not the case in New York. I remember many Americans, when they first came to England, expressed their surprise at meeting actresses at dinner in fashionable circles. The prejudice against the actress took some time to die in this country, and for a long time Queen.Victoria was very strict about receiving them, but adopted a different view before sho died, as she always invited the leaders of the theatrical world to her garden parties at Buckingham Palace. Princess Henry of Battenburg was very fond of the theatre, and encouraged theatricals in the, Royal household, and thus it happened that the Queen. used to receive players after the performance was over, giving them presents, shaking hands, and chatting pleasantly with them, so- that no One could protest after that. Personally, I believe that the English actress is usually the most exemplary woman, and thafc the tone of private life of most actresses is very high indeed. " Then, again, society has changed very much in admitting to its circles not only the man of ability, the literary ' lion ' of the old days, but his women folk: as well." POSITION OF CHILDREN. "I was brought up," proceeded Lady Jeune, " with what would now be described as severity, and in my mothers girlhood no child would sit down in the presence of • her parents and address them other than 'Sir,' or 'Ma'am/ and from this strict, discipline mothers have gone almost to the other extreme, j I brought up my own children with as j little restraint upon them as- possible. Indeed, it may be said that these are the days for the young. It seems to me the better way, "for it is a great thing to have treated your children from an early age as frie.nds ; so: that you and they look j back to nothing but happy memories, and to a time when their lives were without cloud or sorrow. "It is true that English children do not live with their parents in the way that American children do, and perhaps this is just as well. So many American children are allowed to monopolise public attention . that in their presence grown-up persons are unable to maJce themselves -heard. One has noticed this very much with the children of American parents whom one has met in. foreign hotels. One wa3 not favourably impressed with the self-assertivenees of, these children, with the ready way m which thejt contradicted their fathers J

and mothers. There may bo faulijS m the way of training our children in inland, but, at all events, v/o make tnem keep quiet."