I myself,
though a heavy smoker from an early age, never touched tobacco in
any form before going to a dance, out of respect for my partners.
Incredible as it may sound, in those days all gentlemen had a very
high respect for ladies and young ladies, and observed a certain
amount of deference in their intercourse with them. Never, to the
best of my recollection, did either we or our partners address
each other as "old thing," or "old bean." This, of course, now is
hopelessly Victorian, and as defunct as the dodo. Present-day
hostesses tell me that all young men, and most girls, are kind
enough to flick cigarette-ash all over their drawing-rooms, and
considerately throw lighted cigarette-ends on to fine old Persian
carpets, and burn holes in pieces of valuable old French
furniture. Of course it would be too much trouble to fetch an ash-
tray, or to rise to throw lighted cigarette-ends into the grate.
The young generation have never been brought up to take trouble,
nor to consider other people; we might perhaps put it that they
never think of any one in the world but their own sweet selves.
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