on the pianoforte, though not brilliant, was very | and manly observer, who has mixed in what sweet and graceful, and her taste faultless. is termed fashionable society. Still more Her performance over, she was rewarded as in the would-be fashionable society; for, she resumed her seat at the table, by a 'thank you, my dear, very pretty,'-uttered in a condescending tone by her aunt and a murmur of approbation from Mr. Livingston, who never uttered a louder demonstration of pleasure after the musical displays of any but his own daughters.

"How exquisitely Gertrude plays,' exclaimed aunt Elizabeth, addressing her sister; and Amabel too. I don't know which of their instrumental music is the most delight

ful.'

"I think,' said Mrs. Livingston, 'that of the two, Gertrude's is perhaps the most brilliant execution. Amabel certainly has the finest

voice.'

"Yes, they are really to be called musicians, pronounced aunt Annie with emphasis. So they have a good right to be, Miss Annie,' said Mr. Livingston; they have had the first masters. I was always resolved they should have every advantage that money could procure; and I I think they do no discredit to the sums spent on their education.' "No, that they do not, indeed,' exclaimed aunt Elizabeth. There are few girls so universally admired.'

own,

"Amabel's voice and mine suit remarkably well,' replied her ladyship in a languid tone. "I wish you would go and sing something, Susan,' said her lord and master, breaking

though we often meet with affectation and
pretension even in the ranks of the peerage,
it must be admitted that, generally speak-
ing, the best and highest breeding is to be
found in the highest circles, where its ab-
sence, indeed, would be least excusable;
the border-clans, uncertain of their exact
position, anxious to be included among the
somebodies, invariably contain the greatest
number of insufferables; that is, as far as
society is concerned, for you often meet in
these circles individuals of high merit, and
who have risen by talent and honorable ex-
ertion; but their striving, or that of the
younger branches of their families rather,
for fashionable distinction on one side, and
the haughty efforts too often made on the
other, by second-rate fashionables, to keep
them out, tend greatly to introduce a very
indifferent tone of manners.

Now in all the intercourse between these

It

different parties, from highest to lowest, the Sliding Scale, as detrimental to good man"It is a pity,' said Mrs. Livingston, 'thatners as to good feeling, is invariably resorted you have not heard Lady Susan's fine voice to; and after all from mere ignorance. to-night; but I hope you may ere long have is no doubt painful to speak thus of my that enjoyment. Your duets with Amabel are fashionable public, which contains in its charming, Lady Susan.' ranks so many really charming persons, and, what is more to the purpose, so many pretty girls; but truth must be told at times, and I repeat that the Sliding Scale of manners, now so generally in vogue, is only the result of deplorable and downright ignorance; nor is it an ignorance of which any will boast, when once fairly exposed, as exquisites formerly boasted of being unable to write their own names. The ladies and gentlemen of the Sliding Scale are courteous to persons of high rank and station, as indeed they ought to be; they show that they can behave well, and yet they cool down in manner towards others of inferior

silence for the first time since tea.

"I can't sing to-night, George, my voice is quite gone.'

"Come,' interposed Mr. Livingston, ‘I won't have Lady Susan teased any more about singing. Surely it is time the tray were brought up,' &c. &c.

"If we go on as we have begun to-night, Ferneylee will prove but a dull residence, thought Eleanor, as she seated herself by the fire in a small but comfortable chamber allotted to her, &c. &c.

"She thus, during the first ten days of her stay, enjoyed ample opportunity of observing for the sake of future comparisons, the difference made, in a large country house, between Nobody and Somebody, as visitors beneath its

roof."

station, exactly in proportion to the grades the Nobodies may chance to hold on the scale, and descend from polite courtesy to polite rudeness-the most impertinent of all kinds of rudeness.

It is, indeed, highly diverting, at times, to Now here we have various gradations of behold the active working of the Scale, and the Sliding Scale admirably displayed, as its rapid sliding from one degree-from one well in the conduct of the party generally, extreme even-to another. We recommend as in their conduct to the wealthy and high-the curious in such matters to take a born Lady Susan, on the one side, and to our poor heroine, Eleanor, on the other. Nor is the picture exaggerated; we could draw fifty of the kind, and so could any fair

favorable position in the drawing-room, and observe the arrivals and the receptions guests experience at any fashionable party; it will well reward the trouble. Notice

the lady of the house in particular; for, though gentlemen are in fact greater sliders than ladies, the latter do things more gracefully, and with a prettier air. You will there see the delight, however subdued, that is evinced in receiving the high in rank, station, or fashionable reputation; the easy and friendly manner that falls to the lot of those next on the scale; then there is the pretty empressé courtesy of pleasure, the profound courtesy of hate, the graceful courtesy of indifference, the sliding courtesy to the right or left, according to position-which says, "Pass on." There we

show that it is only condescension on their part, nothing more, and never intended it to pass for genuine coin, which is always reserved for very different parties.

Now all this, when not simple and silly affectation, is the result of mere ignorance to give it the gentlest name possible; for persons behaving in this manner wish, in fact, to be thought something distingué, elevated in sentiments, feelings, intellect, or mental refinement, the very reverse of what their manners, which, if not founded in ignorance, must be looked upon as ignoble and low-minded, prove them to be. And for the best and cleverest of all reasons, that every person of true worth, endowed with generous sentiments, with the kind, noble, and lofty feelings men are proud to possess and ashamed to want, delights in being courteous and polite, and never resorts to an opposite line of conduct, unless where cases of open and avowed personal hostility place all social intercourse entirely out of the question. If

see both hands extended to receive " dear Lady A.," one hand held out to greet Mrs. Nabob B., and three fingers given, with a familiar nod, to Miss Nobody C. Nor is this all, for we have the sweet little head leant over to the left when a younger brother is advancing from the right; and a word or nod to Sir John, cast over the right arm, while acknowledging parson Lackliving's formal bow on the left. There are a thousand pretty little tricks and ma- this last proposition is just, and it will nœuvres besides, all equally graceful and expressive, though impossible to be rendered by description. A good observer will easily distinguish the groups who are invited to give éclat to the party, those who are only invited "because they must be invited," those again who are to be delighted and astonished at every thing, and the odd rank and file called in to fill places and no more.

or.

Nor are the guests behind the hosts in tactics; far from it, for many would have you think that they only come to confer an obligation, some even to confer an honThe vapid exclusive affects to lounge in merely to kill time, and, looking round on the crowded rooms, seems to ask, "Is there any one here?" while many, on the other hand, show at once that they come to act the part of regular sycophants. In general, the young girls are the happiest on such occasions; and, though you see some who have no idea beyond being admired, they still bring the greatest portion of hilarity and cheerfulness with them into company, and cast, indeed, when not spoilt by fortune-hunting mothers, or the heartless and artificial tone of modern manners, the principal charm over the so-called brilliant and fashionable society of the day.

Nor is there any concealment affected in this transit from one degree of the scale to another. The sliders, indeed, if they gild over actual coarseness, deem it right to

hardly, we think, be disputed, the sliders have only the choice between the ignorance of which we have in our gentleness accused them, and that rottenness of heart, from which, where there is knowledge, rudeness and bad manners can alone arise. Q. E. D.

Nor must it be supposed that a mere absence of coarse language and rude manners is sufficient to constitute the degree of courtesy due to society, and to the individuals of whom it is so composed. Very far from it indeed, for, with ordinary good feeling, courtesy of manner is so easy, so absolutely natural, that a mere absence of discourtesy can save none from deserved reproach. And as it is as easy to answer an inquiry respecting the hour of the day, in a polite, as in a rude or indifferent manner, the first only must be expected from persons making any pretensions to good breeding; for, though a Nobody should chance to be the questioner, there is not, as so many persons seem to think, the least derogation from dignity, in replying courteously even to Monsieur Personne.

Many will, I fear, conclude, from these premises, that rudeness and want of courtesy are necessarily, when evinced by educated persons, proofs of envy, bad temper, or selfishness, of that rottenness of heart of which we have spoken. But this, I think, would be a harsh conclusion, for it is very evident that a great deal of it results mere.

ly from silly affectation and ignorance. My entered the room and placed himself at one opinion is, indeed, that society should toler- end of the tea-tables, lady after lady, and ate neither the one nor the other, and never dandy after dandy, rose from their seats and permit the use of the Sliding Scale of man- joined other parties. The stranger looked ners under any circumstances. But what a little surprised to find himself thus left can be done, when so many worthy persons alone, but took no notice of the rudeness, will not perceive its existence, and always and proceeded very calmly to help himself declare the condescension of great people to the best things present. The fine ladies to be the very pink and perfection of ele- and gentlemen of the party did not take gant and refined courtesy, talking incessant- things so quietly, and though a single look ly of the kind and considerate attention might have satisfied any one that he was a shown by "dear Lady A." to all her guests, gentleman, they despatched a secret mesand of the "frank and delightful hospitali- senger to the landlord calling for the immety of Sir John B.'s splendid mansion;" and diate expulsion of the supposed tailor. Mine that too, at the very time when every one host was of course forced to obey, and sent knows that Lady A. and Sir John B. prac- his waiter to inform the obnoxious guest tise the Sliding Scale to an extent that that Mr. Thomson wished to speak with none of their own footmen can equal. him.

him, looked up and asked the meaning of all this anxiety to get rid of him. Mine host, thus driven to the wall, was obliged to confess that the drawing-room was not intended for gentlemen of his profession.

"My profession!" said the stranger; "and pray what is that?"

Mr. Thomson was evidently confused and desirous of evading an answer, but the new guest would not let him off.

"Speak out, man," he said, "your house is your castle, let us hear what my profession is; if it is a good one, I promise not to disown it."

ding Scale, however, accounts for all; for it shows us crowds of persons who can never be too little before the great, and others again, who can never be too great -or in too great a hurry to be so-before those whom they think little.

And yet what a delightful change would come over the world-how cheerful, buoyant, and exhilarating, would be the sunshine in which we should constantly move, if ladies and gentlemen would only feel convinced that their friends and neighbors see as clearly as they do themselves, and that society at large are never long imposed upon "Why, a tailor to be sure, since you will by acting of any kind. Affectation and have it," replied mine host, thus forced pretension, the bland but heartless smile of upon his mettle; while a roar of laughter, malignant envy, the mighty frown of wouldin which the young gentleman joined right be greatness, whether of wealth, power, or heartily, burst from the whole party. The intellect, the humility of pride or of meansupposed tailor, having regained his gravity, ness, are all seen through with equal facilipointed with a nod to his hat, in the man- ty. ner of a person accustomed to be waited upon, and having received it from mine host, who handed it in proper courtesy, said, with perfect good humor,

"Pour paraître honnéte homme, en un mot, il
faut l'être,

Et jamais quoiqu'il fasse, un mortel icibas
Ne peut aux yeux du monde, être ce qu'il n'est
pas,"

"Well, Mr. Thomson, let us now look at this room of yours. I like the situation of your house, and if you can find good sta- says Boileau, and very truly; for men are bling for my horses, and quarters for my physiognomists, bongré, malgré, even while servants, who are not so easily pleased as I they deny the accuracy of the science, am, I shall probably remain a few days with which is only an imperfect one because it you. I suppose you will want my name for confines itself to the lineaments of the face, your book; there's my card,"-Lord A. B. whereas character is displayed in every "And let me give you a piece of advice at attitude and gesture, in the voice, tone, and the same time: whenever you see a tailor, manuer of every word uttered, as well as travelling with a batch of horses and servants, in every step, bow, look, or move, of the shut your eyes to the goose, man-shut best-drilled follower of fashion. Children them close-otherwise the world will say are physiognomists, dogs are admirable that you are the greater goose of the two." physiognomists; but ladies and gentlemen A burst of laughter followed this sally. are not, because they dare not always avow The gentlemen, who from mere envious mo- the moving springs of their actions and mantives, from not wishing to have a good-look-ners. Few would wish to confess that their ing young man added to the circle, had hearts are fairly open to scrutiny, though, represented our new guest as a tailor, van- in most cases, we should probably discover, ished without being even missed; while his after all, more of weakness than of wickedlordship became the very soul of the party, ness muffled up in their folds. though they hardly deserved so much cour- It is affecting to think, indeed, that at a tesy at his hands, for a very little observa- time when steam-boats and spinning-mation would have shown them that he was chines have made such rapid progress, the evidently a gentleman of the first water. A far more important art of polishing manvery little reflection ought also to have made ners-or its result, the art of pleasingthem sensible of the impropriety of behav- should still be so far behind; for though the ing with, what was in reality, extreme rude- world is some 6000 years old, there are, as ness-and would probably have been con- we see, many points, essentially affecting sidered as such by a man of inferior cast- the ordinary intercourse of society, of which to a person of whom they knew absolutely my fashionable public are still in utter nothing, and before they could even take darkness. I might say in deplorable darkthe trouble to inquire how far they had any ness, for, among the classes to whom these cause of complaint against him. The Sli-papers are more particularly addressed, a

great deal of the so-called happiness of life | greater sacrifices of individual sufficiency depends, after all, on the mere manner in and pretension, than suits the fashionable which the most ordinary acts of every-day public of the nineteenth century, need not intercourse are gone through; if the parties be argued here; as it is enough for our we meet and transact business with, wheth- purpose to know-what is, indeed, sufficienter for pleasure and amusement, or in the ly apparent-that the art of pleasing has pursuits of ambition or profit, are agreeable been completely superseded by the science or disagreeable in their manners, are profi- of etiquette. This science, the wide-spread cient in, or ignorant of, the art of pleas- study of which, particularly in our own ing. country, so strongly marks the real spirit Though I have seen an Arowak Indian, of the age, could hardly fail to obtain nuadorned with blue paint and parrot's feath- merous followers the moment it obtained ers, striving hard to act the agreeable to- influence; for it is easily acquired, suits the wards the copper-colored belle of the tribe, meanest capacity, and enables the most perand know that there is a system of eti- fect mediocrity to act-what it fancies-a quette observed at the court of Ashantee as part, by merely following prescribed mewell as at the court of St. James's, it may chanical rules natural to all persons of good yet be true that the so-called useful arts breeding, but absolutely worthless by themprecede the agreeable ones. Certain it is selves, as they only form the frame, and the that the latter only extend their influence ungilt frame, indeed, of the portraiture as knowledge advances, as society becomes which the Art of Pleasing can alone fill up more polished and refined, and as our senti- and render valuable. And yet it is within ments and perceptions of what is due to this worthless framework, fortified by these conduct, character, acquirements, senti- silver-spoon rules, that so many person ments of honor, learning, and intellect, think themselves entitled to sport their Slito the nobler and better qualities of our na-ding Scale manners; a scale that certainly ture become more generally and universally admitted. In educated society we are each and all forced to claim a certain portion of these qualities-they constitute our ticket of admission; and, claiming from our neighbors the respect due to us on these grounds, we are certainly bound to give them the same amount of credit, and treat them accordingly.

But have we fulfilled our duty in this respect? and are refined manners-or, to simplify the term is a due attention to the art of pleasing properly enforced by society? We suspect not: the very existence, indeed, of the Sliding Scale of Manners shows how far we are yet behind, though the importance of the subject has been long perceived, as is amply proved by the books and codes of instruction to which it has given rise.

In 1637 Baltasar Graciano, of Catalayud, in Arragon, already published an advice to courtiers, entitled, el Oraculo Manuel, y arte de prudencia. In Paris, Bellegarde, Vaumoriere, and others, followed in the same line, till, in the next century, England eclipsed all foreign nations by the glory which Chesterfield acquired as master of ceremonies to the very graces themselves.

Whether the study of the graces, as recommended by the accomplished peer, required gifts of a higher order, more refinement and mental cultivation, or, above all,

tends to lower the general tone of social intercourse, and though it rarely imposes, even upon the foolish, furnishes invariable amusement to the mischievous. It is really afflicting to think how some of the grandest Sliders in the land are occasionally laughed at by wicked wags, that were thought to have been almost annihilated by the superlative bearing of the very objects of their merriment. "It is too bad."

Now do not misunderstand what I have here said about etiquette, which is very well in its way, and perhaps indispensable. In this country it is, at all events, very useful; for we have so many able, excellent, and deserving persons, constantly rising from the humbler ranks to wealth and station, by pursuits that precluded them mixing early in polished society, and becoming acquainted with the manners of fashionable life, that it is of advantage to have some fixed rules laid down for their guidance; rules that shall prevent them from crossing their legs Yankee fashion, over a dinner table, or picking their teeth with a fork à la Française. But this is to give no sanction to persons of any class, whether nouveaux riches or aristocrats of the oldest standing, to assume the slightest particle of merit for a knowledge of and adherence to mere rules and forms, more easily learned than the duties of the footman who waits upon them at dinner.