riority to the many, and which in reality sets examples for the many, should be open to the criticism of the many. And the same of individuals. There seems an instinctive and natural law of compensation, by which we have a right to be reconciled as far as possible to the superiorities of this world, partly by knowing truly the drawbacks to their lot, and partly by making them more responsible for their use of what we are deprived of. The private life of a very rich or very fashionable person is as much more legitimately a subject of public criticism, in proportion to the public deference or admiration he receives, as is the life of an author or a public man. Our readers will remember that we expressed great pleasure, not long since, in the promise of a series of articles by M. de Trobriand, in his French Review, on the gossip and gaieties of New York society. What we said then was based upon the feeling we have expressed now, and upon the prospect that the work would be done, as it rightly should be-by a man who is himself part of the society he would sketch, who would treat it fairly, and describe it truly, and who, at the same time, is enough a citizen of the world to detect local absurdities, and has plenty of talent and satire at his command to hit justly, and reform while he should amuse. In the transfer of his gay and brilliant pen to the Courrier des Etats Unis, the idea seems to have been dropped; but we trust to hear of it again. While nothing is more necessarily unjust, and more to be frowned upon, than criticism of any sort of distinction, either of society or individuals, by the ignorant or merely envious, there is great propriety, as we have above endeavored to show, in its being done by those who share, or have a right to understand it. It was on this ground that we copied, last week, the "Sketches of New York Society," by Mr. Bristed. That clever article, written with "rather venturesome freedom," as we said, directed its artillery against positive evils of society-against improper dances, American excess of family quarrels, American excess of slander, married women's smoking and flirting, and the arbitrary and tyrannical exercise of exclusiveness. We repeat that there should be no class so privileged in a republic, that such faulty and dangerous examples should not be publicly criticised.

We have not yet spoken of the formidable evil at which the article in question strikes an indirect blow-an evil upon

WATERING-PLACE ABUSES.

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which we are glad to see war made, in any shape, and which we hope to see assailed more definitely by the same leisurely and effective pen. With no time or space at present to enlarge upon what we allude to, we will briefly mention it, as the fashionable exclusiveness, exercised so insultingly and tyrannically at American watering-places. This is carried to an extent which would be incredible in Europe, and a tithe of which would not be ventured upon by the nobility assembled at any Spa of Germany. Thousands of most respectable persons avoid Newport and Saratoga, from disgust at the assumption of a few ruling fashionables, their monopoly of everything in the way of privilege, and their systematized plan of creating an exclusive circle, to whose favour every visitor must either be subject, or suffer marked disparagement and inconvenience. With all due allowance as to the right of every one to refuse his acquaintance to whom he pleases, it is a right which should be exercised modestly and unobservedly. Those who go to a public watering-place in America, go to meet the public on what is equal ground. However exclusive at home, they have no right to let their exclusiveness offend any one there. The introduction of a dance which offends the sense of propriety of the many-the concerted refusal to stand up, if a lady not of "their set" is on a certain part of the floor-the altering of the arrangements of the house to suit the habits and wishes of a fewthe expensive and glaring ostentation-and the thousand trifling tyrannies and impertinencies by which fashionable supremacy, at Newport and Saratoga, is, each year, more and more asserted and maintained, form an evil which it seems amazing should have existed so long. We have annually tried to find time for calling attention to this subject, and one of the chief reasons for our eagerly copying the article we speak of, last week, was its able picturing of this very oligarchy so extraordinary in a republic.

USAGES, ETIQUETTE, ETC.

THAT etiquette in London need not necessarily be etiquette in New York, is an assumption that our adolescent country is now old enough to make. The absence of a Queen, a Court, and orders of Nobility, gives us a freedom from trammel, in such matters, which would warrant quite a different school of polite usages and observances of ceremony. Yet, up to the present time, we have followed the English punctilios of etiquette, with almost as close a fidelity as if we were a suburb of London.

The almost, in the last sentence, points to no very definite difference—but there is one little beginning of a very good novelty of usage, which our distant readers may be amused to hear of, perhaps, but which we should like to see ripen into an American speciality of politeness. We refer to the manner in which "distinguished strangers" are looked up and invited to parties. Let us detail the process, and the position of the gentleman who holds the stranger's key to New York society, with the circumstantiality which the custom, of which it is possibly the basis, properly deserves.

The first thing which a lady does, who intends to give a fashionable party in New York, is to send for " Mr. Brown." If there are any of the more distant of our fifty thousand readers who have never heard of Mr. Brown, it is quite time they had. This out-door Manager of the Stylish Balls of our great city, is a fine-looking and portly person, who, in a certain sense, is Usher also to the most select portal of "another and better world," being the Sexton of Grace Church, the most fashionable and exclusive of our metropopolitan "Courts of Heaven." Mr. Brown, we should add, is a person of strong good sense, natural air of command, and as capable of giving advice, upon the details of a party, as was ever the famous "Beau Nash," of Bath, to whose peculiar functions Mr. Brown's are the nearest modern approximation.

Mr. Brown comes, at the summons, and takes a look at the premises. Whether the supper is to be laid up stairs or down; where the music is to be bestowed, to be best heard and take the least room; what restaurateur, confectioner, and

florist are to be employed; where to find the extra china, silver, and waiters-these are but the minor details upon which he gives his professional counsel. He is then consulted as to the guests. His knowledge of who is well or ill, who is in mourning for a death or a failure, who has friends staying with them, and what new belle has come out with such beauty or fortune as makes it worth while to send her family a card, is wonderfully exact; and, of course, he can look over the list of the invited and foretell the probable refusals and acceptances, and suggest the possible and advisable enlargements of acquaintances. But this is not all, and we have mentioned thus much, only to explain the combining circumstances that give Mr. Brown his weight of authority. Besides all this, he makes a business of keeping himself "well booked up," as to the strangers in town. How he does it we have no idea; but, upon the quality, manners, place of belonging, means, encumbrances, and objects of travel, of all the marked guests at the principal Hotels he can give you list and programme, with a degree of prompt correctness that is as surprising as it is useful. Of course it is the list from which invitations are made, and (as no man who can afford to give a Ball can afford also to make morning calls) Mr. Brown takes the cards of the father of the family and leaves them "in person" on the distinguished strangers. A man of more utility, or in the distribution of more influence, than our friend Mr. Brown, could hardly be picked from the New York Directory. It will explain, by the way, a phenomenon about which questions are constantly asked, to mention that the piercing whistle, which is heard every few moments outside the door during a fashionable party, is Mr. Brown's summons to the servant standing within. His own stately figure, wrapped in his voluminous overcoat, is stationed on the front step throughout the evening, and he opens carriage doors, summons the house servant with his whistle, and ushers in the guests, with a courteous manner and a polite word that would well become the nobleman who is the " Gold Stick in Waiting" at the Court of Her Majesty. When the party breaks up, he knows where stands every body's carriage, and it is called up, as each one appears on the threshold, with an order and prompt readiness that is no small improvement upon the confusion and cold-catching of times gone by.

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Our readers will perhaps have agreed, as they have kept

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along with us, that Mr. Brown is an excellent Institution." We should never be sure, of course, of getting so able and discreet a man to succeed him, were his duties fairly organized, (by the time of his deprecated decease,) into a regular profession; but the experiment would be worth while. Hospitality to strangers is a principle, for the exercise of which we should be proud to see a regular system first invented in America. The Hotels are never without agreeable people, whom it would be delightful to be able habitually to approach, (vid Brown,) and so spice and vary our society, while we treat strangers with a courtesy and kindness that would do us honor.

It is not without proper modesty, and deference to higher authority, of course, that we offer the foregoing facts and suggestions as topics of conversation.

ETIQUETTE, USAGE, ETC.

AN answer to the following letter might be given among "notices to correspondents," but, as it touches a general principle worth saying a word upon, we quote it as a text to a little sermon on propositions of acquaintance. A "sub

scriber" thus addresses us:

"Will you give me your opinion upon a point which has caused no little discussion in our family circle? A party of ladies are passing through New York. While stopping at a hotel, we call upon them; they are strangers personally, but connected in a family relation, which makes our call upon them desirable. We find them out, and leave our cards. They leave town immediately, but send cards, with written messages of regret. We subsequently visit the town in which they reside. Shall we send cards apprising them of our visit, call upon them, or wait for them to discover it by some sort of magnetism?

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'Being an old man, and rather antedeluvian in my ideas of etiquette, one daughter governs me sometimes, and then again another. Upon this point I agreed to leave the adjustment of the affair to your decision, to which my daughters both agreed, having full confidence in your judgment. Yours, truly, A CONSTANT SUBSCRIBER.”

To get rid of imported superfluities of etiquette is the first thing to do, (we venture to premise,) for the proper understanding or regulation of American politeness. Things are right or necessary in London and Paris, which are wrong or ridiculous in New York. Most of our books on etiquette,