CONTAINING MUCH INSTRUCTIVE MATTER IN RELATION TO GOOD SOCIETY, WHEREBY
THE AMBITIOUS READER CAN DETERMINE WHAT ARE HIS PROSPECTS OF ENTERING
IT.
Three days after I had established my uncle in his new house, the fair
Miss Smith was married.
It was a great blow to me, and I mused with melancholy on the
fickleness of the sex, wondering what it was in woman's nature that
enabled her so easily to change from one love to another. I considered
myself very badly used; and the more I thought of the wedding-present,
and the seventy thousand dollars in bonds and mortgages, the more
deeply did I feel my loss. I read the announcement of her marriage in
the newspaper, cursed her inconstancy and hard-heartedness, and gave
myself up to grief the whole morning. She had certainly used me ill,
but by dinner-time I remembered I had served her pretty much in the
same way.
Besides, my cousin Pattie (I always dined with my uncle Wilkins,
of course, and intended soon to live with him altogether) looked
uncommonly handsome, and "Who knows," said I to myself, "whether she
won't have _more_ than Miss Smith, after all?" In addition to this
great consolation, I had another in a few days; and the two together
quite comforted me for the loss of Periwinkle's daughter. But of this
in its place.
In three days' time, as I have mentioned, I had my uncle Wilkins in his
new house, and was busy polishing the family. But the task was harder
than I supposed. The rusticities of my uncle were inveterate; and as
for Sammy, the only change I could effect in him was such as the tailor
effected for me. I found him a clown, and a clown I left him. I should
have given him up after the first day, had it not been that his father
kept him pretty well supplied with pocket-money; which was an advantage
to me, for I never could borrow any thing of my uncle. I therefore
treated him civilly, and carried him about to divers places, taking
good care, however, that he should not fall into the hands of my friend
Tickle, or any other poor dandy.
My cousin Pattie was more docile; and I perceived that as soon as I
should cure her of a mischievous habit she had of playing tricks upon
everybody in the house, and myself too, upon occasions, she would be
fit for any society.
As soon as my uncle had procured a carriage, (and I took care it should
be a good one--I made an effort to buy my fine old thousand-dollar
bays, but Mr. Doolittle would not part with them), I took her out
airing and shopping, to teach her how to behave in public; and I
contracted with Mrs. Pickup, who lived close by, and who it was
supposed, on account of her six balls, would make a favourable
sensation, to chaperon her for the season. I took care to bestow her
patronage among the aunts and sisters of my tradespeople in such a way
as to advance my own credit; and thinking it would be to my advantage
to have such a friend near her, I recommended Nora Magee to her for a
maid, although Nora was not quite so genteel as I should have wished.
In short, I did every thing that was proper to prepare her way for
the approaching season; and as soon as I thought her fit to receive
company, went round among all the leading fashionables, and requested
them to visit her.
It was here that the invaluable nature of my services on behalf of my
country kinsfolk was shown, as I took care to make them understand; for
without me to help them, or some other equally genteel person, my uncle
and cousins might as well have tried to get into Congress as into good
society. My request was not granted until I had answered ten thousand
different questions, and removed as many scruples, on the part of the
monarchs of the mode. There were a thousand reasons why my uncle's
family should be denied admission into that elegant society they were
so ambitious to enter; and nothing but the force of my recommendations
ensured them success.
My labours on this occasion made me familiar with the principles
upon which republican aristocratic society is founded; and as these
principles are not universally understood, even in America, I think
I can do nothing better than explain them, for the benefit of all my
young and aspiring readers.
The pretensions of any individual to enter the best society of the
republic depend upon his respectability; and the measure of this is
determined by the character of his profession, if he have one--if
not, by that of his father. I never knew even the most exclusive
and fastidious of examiners to carry his scrutiny so far back as a
grandfather; for, indeed, all our grandfathers in America were pretty
much alike, and the sooner we forget them the better.
The first profession in point of dignity is that of a gentleman, who
has nothing to do but to spend his revenue, if he has one. There are
some gentlemen well received in good society who live upon their wits;
but they are born in it. Poor gentlemen, not already in society, had
better not try to get into it; for rich men who have romantic daughters
are afraid of them. A gentleman, then, always stands a fair chance of
being admitted; and if his father was of a respectable profession,
he is received with open arms. The preference accorded to this class
is just, since founded upon nature. All occupations are more or less
disgraceful; a strong proof of which is found in the fact that all
primitive nations, such as the Hottentots, and North American Indians,
look upon them with contempt, considering idleness and war as the only
business for gentlemen. Providence, indeed, ordained that men should
live by the sweat of their brows; but it is horrid ungenteel to do so.
The next profession in point of dignity is law; and lawyers, as I may
say, form the true effective nobility of America; for though the mere
gentlemen deem themselves higher and purer, they are pretty generally
considered by others as only the lady-dowagers of society. But the
lady-dowagers sometimes consider the gentility of lawyers doubtful.
The third profession is that of arms, which owes its consideration
mainly to the women; who, although the ministers of love and mercy to
man, are wondrous fond of those who deal in blood and gunpowder. These
are the only respectable professions in America.
Divinity, physic, merchandise, agriculture, and politics, are the only
others from which a man is occasionally allowed to enter good society.
But they are considered low, and it is only peculiar circumstances
which can give any of their followers a claim to rise.
I have said that the claim of the gentlemen to consider themselves the
highest class is founded in nature. They form the nucleus of society,
and around them, as they are admitted, the members of the other
professions establish the grand order of fashion. According to their
creed, law is a respectable profession, because it keeps down the mob,
or people, by keeping them constantly by the ears, and because it makes
money; and arms they hold to be reputable, because it does the same
thing, and paves the way to the presidency. Divinity and physic they
consider to be naturally low occupations, since their provinces are
only to take care of dirty souls and bodies. Merchandise is denounced,
since it consists of both buying and selling, whereas, buying is the
only part of traffic that is fit for a gentleman. Agriculture is
contemned, because there are so many clodhoppers engaged in it; and
politics, because it demands consociation with the mob.
In these five professions, however, certain fortunate circumstances may
give a claim to notice. Parsons (who are often doctors of divinity and
always reverends) and physicians are titled gentry, and this counts in
their favour; and the same thing may be said of politicians, when they
rise to be secretaries of departments or foreign ministers, or become
renowned as orators: great distinction will secure them favour, for
they are then people that people look at. Merchants are allowed to be
respectable as soon as they are worth a million, provided they have two
or three daughters and no sons, and are willing to be splendid in their
entertainments. An agriculturist of our own latitudes can never expect
to be made respectable; but a planter of cotton or tobacco, who owns a
hundred negroes, and puts the name of his farm or the county he lives
in after his own, has as good a chance as any.
All other classes are vulgar and mechanical, and therefore ineligible.
Men of science and genius are excluded on account of their manners,
which are outlandish, and their arrogant display of superiority, which
is disagreeable; and as for the actors, dancers, and singers that
are sometimes met with, the two first are admitted, because they are
foreign and famous, and the last, because they bring good music for
nothing.
From this exposition of the code of society, it will be seen that my
uncle Wilkins could boast but slender claims to an introduction. His
occupation had been vulgar, and he had not made money enough to ennoble
him. I trebled his two hundred and ninety thousand, as is usual, but I
could not deny that his son was named Sammy, and his daughter Pattie.
But what spoke highly in his favour was, that whatever had been his
profession, he had now abandoned it, with the praiseworthy intention of
living a gentleman during the remainder of his life; and what was also
advantageous, he had pursued it at such a distance from the haunts of
fashion that his new friends might, with the greatest propriety, affect
an entire ignorance of it.
His having a daughter, too, and but one son to divide with her his
eight hundred and seventy thousand--that is to say, his two hundred and
ninety--was also a strong recommendation to those mammas who had sons
to provide for; and his determination to indulge the fair Pattie in
as many balls and parties as she desired, was another circumstance to
propitiate favour.
But, to crown all, _I_ countenanced him; and that settled the matter.
In a few days' time there was such a rattle and trampling at the
brewer's door as had never been known before. The whole square was in
commotion, being choked up with carriages; and such was the throng of
genteel people rushing into the house, that an unsophisticated dealer
in second-hand furniture, supposing there was an auction to be held,
stalked into the parlour, and electrified everybody by wondering, in
the way of a question not addressed to any particular person, "when the
sale was to begin?"
In short, the thing was settled; my uncle was dubbed a gentleman, and
every occurrence went to show that in the approaching season his rank
would be confirmed, and his daughter recognised as a belle by everybody
in town.
But before that time a change came o'er the spirit of my fate, and--But
I shall confess the whole affair to the reader.