THE SNOB'S CHRONICLE.

Observer, Volume 4, Issue 82, 8 April 1882, Page 57

THE SNOB'S CHRONICLE.

BY A SNOB. * No. I.— The Snob Clericai,. Society as it is, was, or ever Bhall be, lias presented ah everlasting theme to tlie caricaturist and the satirist. The weirdly ways, of men and women in society can only excite laughter— a laughter not wholly unmixed with scorn, or- 1 it may be with sorrow. To be in society, as with inany,r they bewail and rob all their existence, not to be' in society is to be almost out of the world. And yet to most sober-minded persons, it ' becomes obvious enough that the "game is not worth the candle." For what can it profit bodily •or mentally to lounge about in a ball room, or it may be dancing, and perspiring, eating and drinkingj up to 3or 4 o'clock in the morning. There may be occasionally rational conversation, but it is rare. Of course there are other attractions of a different sort, flirtations, &c. Thus might the cynic argue, but we are not cynical. We like to '.■' see people enjoy themselves, and although we \have an uneasy suspicion that the means are scarcely calculated to obtain the end, still so long as they, i.e., people in society, fancy that this end is gained, it is not our business to call them fools. It is rather with the elements which compose this mixture, which we call society, that we have to do. From our own observation we are inclined to. speak in reference to society here not in. terms of high commendation, although, in fairness, we may say that Auckland society does not differ very materially from that of other colonial towns. If we were asked our opinion as to the feature which is most distinctly marked in all colonial society, we . should say emphatically snobbishness. Just as there are all sorts and conditions of men, so are there all sorts and conditions of snobs. There are harmless and offensive snobs. We remember once hearing an altercation between two militaryoflicers, when the one said to the other " A fellah — haw — who wears silk linings — haw — in his dress coat — who is a: snob!" The. other had his dress-coat gorgeously lined and puffed out with coloured silk. Now we would scarcely endorse our military friend's opinion. At all events this was a harmless kind of snobbery. Snobbery is in some way closely allied to bad manners, and bad manners may be due to defective education and training. There are any amount of this class of snobs in colonial society. They are, for the most 'part, quite unconscious of the part they are playing. They simply don't know any better, and must *be tolerated and dealt with leniently. The snobbery which is most difficult to tolerate is that which rises from arrogance rather than ignorance. Just as persons in a sinful state of mind are unfit to go to prayers, so persons of an • arrogant state of mind should not go into society. •This kind of snobbery is not peculiar to any class, but is just as often to be found in the gentleman by birth, education, and profession, as in the successful shopkeeper, timber-merchant, or land-speculator. The snob who is a compound of arrogance and ignorance is by no means un- : common. We do not require to invoke the shade of Michael Angelo Titmarsh to assist us to draw their portraits. Vulgar, ostentatious, loud, and boisterous, with a strong tendency to "blow/ these are truly a common enough type in our society. We know men who are decent enough fellows in their proper places — behind the counter or in the street, or in their offices, but who, when in company or receiving company in a swallowtail and white waistcoat, undergo a curious sort, of transformation; loquacious when they ought to be reserved, fussy when they ought to be cool, familiar where they ought not, and generally incurring the charge of being snobs. " One's natural position is alike suited to us and easily filled," says Montaigne. We have often wondered that men of this type give parties at all, or«make a habit of going to them. It certainly is not their natural position, and they fill it badly. One of the most generally admitted causes or sources of snobbery is the worship of money, or moneyed men, and we sometimes see this in classes of men who, from their profession and character, ought, one would think, to be the least likely to be influenced by it. There is in this connection the clerical snob. Although generally professing to live up to a higher standard Of morals, they are by no means free, as a class, from a very offensive species of snobbery. This is, perhaps, most frequently v displayed in an intolerance of opinion. They are apparently unaware that gentlemen may ■dispute without thinking it necessary to quarrel. This is doubtless due, in a great measure, to the -' special character of their calling. In these days when all sorts of opinions are frequently discussed, the cleric in society is a snob who quotes ■Scripture and demands to knbw — "Do you believe the Scriptures, sir?" ; In our opinion this type is not uncommon in society., But .another aspect of the clerical ' snob is, the . Ttendeney to adulate and fawn upon the rich, vulgar parvenu. It is a curious fact that -although the Christian religion is essentially a religion for the poor, it has not yet succeeded in ' -the course of twenty centuries in, creating in the .breasts of its votaries a dislike to the rich. '.Dogmatism was happily defined by Douglas -Jerrold as puppyism grown up; and the clog- - "lnatic cleric in society is not uncommon, although ,w§%MnlcQiim less culpable than he who pays a J- .grovelling deference. No the man of money or v wealth, f is) irrespective of, his character. The •vulgar rich/man is norie the less vulgar even if lie r^kenpsxjfir^keiJridge,''«ahd the educated man of re.who pays, j homage to our wealthy «f tsiiob, 'ia a snoiflhimgelf.^ While, there is an kind or self -esteem/ yet the truth

seems to be that we must honestly esteem others, and not the man or ;;womanitfor adventitious qualities, but for those: qiialitiesHvhich are morally or socially estimable. Self-conceit and arrogance are the natural foes to good society, and these are just as often found under a clerical disguise as any other. There is an intemperance in learning as in everything else, and to this kind of intemperance, and its consequent snobbery, parsons in society are peculiarly liable. There, for instance, is the Rev, Mr Duek — prim, trim, and debonair, with a faultless neckcloth, faultless fashionable Burtout, clerical drabs and patent boots. He is quite at home at select (small) tea-parties, extremely deferential to all the ladies, and rather shy of the gentlemen. He is the curate of All Scents'— rather High Church — is quite inimitable in genuflexion, has a trick of throwing up his right hand and passing his fingers through his perfumed hair, and while attentive to the formularies and ceremonies of hfs church, is suspected of having little interest in the poorer sort of his parish. In fact his visits to the humble are as angels' visits are said to be, few and far between— and so he plays his part of clerical snob as an amusing kind of creature in society something ; but as a servant of his Divine Master — a sham. Then here is the Rev. Mr G-oose, solemn and magisterial both in deportment and language, has a faint recollection' of having learnt the Grreek alphabet, but is generally very reticent when any point of scholarship is under discussion. He thinks Robert Burns was a wicked reprobate, and characterises such ones as Goethe and Shelley as infidels; (reads prayers with a portentous unction) ; likes a good dinner, and is rather given to sleeping after it ; full ;of solemn common-places ; reads his sermons from a stock selected many years ago ; has the common reputation of being a good man, although really devoid of ability, and without sincerity. His snobbishness is begotten of the conceit that the oil of consecration had . the special virtue of sanctity apart from good works. Then there is Mr Old-bird (not to be caught with chaff) whose talents would have better fitted him to succeed as a money-lender of the 60 per cent, species. He is wholly given under a thin disguise to the loaves and fishes— is first rate at collecting subscriptions, and always jocular and off-handed—, pleases some. Generally looks out for a good salary. Invests his money ; for he seldom spends, and like Diogenes, thinks another man's wine is the best). Dosen't believe in making converts unless they are rich. In supporting a commercial Christianity, indispensable, but in other respects a sham and snob.