Towards democracy

26 Towards Democracy

When I hear and see the droning and see-sawing of pulpits; when the vision of perfect vulgarity and commonplaceness arises upon me—of society—and of that which arrogates to itself the sacred name of England;

The puppet dance of gentility—condescension, white hands, unsoiled dress, charitable proprietorship—in the street, the barracks, the church, the shop, the house, ths school, the assembly,

In eating drinking and saying Good morning and Good night—of the theory of what it is to be a lady ora gentleman ;

Of exclusiveness, and of being in the swim; of the drivel of aristocratic connections; of drawing-rooms and levees and the theory of animated clothespegs generally ; of belonging to clubs and of giving pence to crossingsweepers without apparently seeing them ; of helplessly living in houses with people who feed you, dress you, clean you, and despise you; of driving in carriages; of being intellectual ; of prancing about and talking glibly on all subjects on the theory of setting things right—and leaving others to do the dirty work of the world; of having read books by the score, and being yet unable to read a single page; of writing, and yet ignorant how to sign your name; of talking about political economy and politics and never having done a single day’s labor in your life; of being a magistrate or a judge and never having committed a common crime, or been in the position to commit one; of being a parson and afraid to be seen toping with Christ in a public; a barrister and to travel in a third class carriage ; an officer and to walk with one of your own men;