4
THE BATTALION.
century may well feel proud of the fact,
for it is an indisputable truth that never
since the creation of mankind has the
world produced such a highly civilized,
such an enlightened, such an enterpris
ing people as those who characterize the
present century. They have exceled
those who lived before them in almost
everything. Our predecessors mav have
taken many steps in the road to progress
and improvement but it has been reserv
ed by an all wise Providence for the
present age to not only add to and per
fect all the crude beginnings but to pro
duce and utilize new inventions and to
advance original theories, some of which
have altered the customs of the entire
world. Among other things in which
the nineteenth century eclipses all pre
vious ages there is one in which her jite-
eminence stands forth strikingly mani
fest, namely, her society. Place our
modern society side by side with that of
the most brilliant and cultivated period
of which history gives us any account,
no matter whether you go to ancient
mediaeval times or even to the years im
mediately preceding those of the pres
ent century, to find one comparable to
it, the result will be that our high order
of intellectuality and of true knowledge,
will place us far ahead of all would be
competitors.
Every young man and woman must
necessarily occupy some position in so
cial life and of course each one has an
ambition to reach that point of advance
ment beyond which he can go no further.
Some faint heart may long for an ex
alted place in society but he or she pos
sibly thinks that it would be useless for
them to try to enter a social world which
is so remarkable for its high state of cul
ture and elegance* The question which
naturally arises in the mind of every
sucli aspirant is, what must I do in order
to fit myself for the position toward
which my ambition leads me? There
are almost numberless requirements
which every one should meet, many ac
complishments which they should pos
sess, but among all of these it will be
found that the basis upon which they
are founded lies in a few all important
conditions which seem to furnish a
foundation from which all the minor de
tails are derived.
One of these is a thorough literary ed
ucation. This is an essential attribute
which every society man or woman who
lays well-founded claims to an honora
ble place in society must possess, and
the lady or gentleman who is well up in
the literature of the past and present
possesses that which will prove a source
of pleasure to themslves and instruction
to others. Upon this, in a large degree,
will depend their conversational powers,
for no matter how richly endowed one,
may be in this particular, if they do not
possess a liberal knowledge of things
literary, they can -never reach that de
gree of perfection and excellence which
they might otherwise have done.
To pos.-oss true conversational ability
is to command that which many seek
after but few there be indeed that find,
and the man or woman who is thus gift
ed by nature and who has cultivated
and improved his or her talent, manifests
his accomplishments continually, wheth
er in the drawing-room debate, the after-
dinner speech or in that most porten
tous moment of his life when he pours
out his tale of love into the ears of the
woman he loves.
The manners of one who aspires to
reign in society must be perfect and it is
absolutely necessary that they should be