XIV.
3.—“... lostling ...”
Between the most cultured hetairai and the poor outcast as here shown, were many intervening or coalescing grades. Instance, as one of the phases, the following sketch of an Indian courtesan:—“Lalun is a member of the most ancient profession in the world. Lilith was her very-great-grandmama, and that was before the days of Eve, as everyone knows. In the West, people say rude things about Lalun’s profession, and write lectures about it, and distribute the lectures to young people, in order that morality may be preserved. In the East, where the profession is hereditary, descending from mother to daughter, nobody writes lectures or takes any notice.”—Rudyard Kipling (“On the City Wall”).
Id.—“... worse than brutal woes ...”
Dumas fils, who knew well whereof he wrote, tells of “Les femmes du peuple et de la campagne, suant du matin au soir pour gagner le pain quotidien, le dos courbé, domptées par la misère:” of whom some of the daughters “sortent du groupe par le chemin tentant et facile de la prostitution, mais où le labeur est encore plus rude.”—(“Les Femmes qui Tuent et les Femmes qui Votent,” p. 101.) As historical instance of depth of wretched degradation, conf. mediæval privilege of “scortum ante mortem,” conceded to some of even the vilest and lowest of criminals condemned to capital punishment. Though such a condition is barely more than parallel to the pitch of infamy of modern times, as instanced in a quotation reproduced by John Ruskin, in “Sesame and Lilies,” p. 91, first ed.:—
“The salons of Mme. C., who did the honours with clever imitative grace and elegance, were crowded with princes, dukes, marquises, and counts, in fact, with the same male company as one meets at the parties of the Princess Metternich and Madame Drouyn de Lhuys. Some English peers and members of Parliament were present, and appeared to enjoy the animated and dazzlingly improper scene. On the second floor the supper-tables were loaded with every delicacy of the season. That your readers may form some idea of the dainty fare of the Parisian demi-monde, I copy the menu of the supper which was served to all the guests (about 200) seated, at four o’clock. Choice Yquem, Johannisberg, Lafitte, Tokay, and Champagne of the finest vintages were served most lavishly throughout the morning. After supper dancing was resumed with increased animation, and the ball terminated with a chaine diabolique and a cancan d’enfer at seven in the morning.”—(Morning Post, March 10th, 1865.)
To which perhaps the most fitting comment is certain words of Letourneau’s:—“It is important to make a distinction. The resemblance between the moral coarseness of the savage and the depravation of the civilised man is quite superficial.... The brutality of the savage has nothing in common with the moral retrogression of the civilised man, struck with decay.... The posterity of the savage may, with the aid of time and culture, attain to great moral elevation, for there are vital forces within him which are fresh and intact. The primitive man is still young, and he possesses many latent energies susceptible of development. In short, the savage is a child, while the civilised man, whose moral nature is corrupt, presents to us rather the picture of decrepit old age.”—(“Evolution of Marriage,” Chap. V.)
If M. Letourneau will apply his strictures as to senility and decay to so-called “Society” and its system, rather than to the individual, he will find many thinkers, both of his own and other nationalities, agree with his conclusion. Yet not death, but reform, is the righter event to indicate. And by what means that reform may be ensured is, at least in part, clearly set forth in the following passage from a paper recently published by the Women’s Printing Society:—
“My positive belief is that women, and women alone, will be able to reverse the world’s verdict, but they must change their method of reform in two important matters.
“First and foremost, every mother must teach her daughters the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about the relations of the sexes, the condition of social opinion, the historical, physiological, ethical aspects of the question. She must train herself so as to be able to teach the young minds these solemn, serious aspects of life, in such a way that the world may learn that the innocence of ignorance is inferior to the purity of right-minded, fearless knowledge. She must strengthen the minds and form the judgment of her daughters, so that they may demand reciprocal purity in those whom they would espouse.