Morals

Been in London for a few days which always takes forever to achieve anything.
The highpoint was a trip along the Regents and the Grand Union Canal on Thursday afternoon with the " Jason"- decidedly pleasant if a touch chilly, even in the sunshine. Lunch on another narrow boat in Little Venice was delightfully eccentric.
Catching up with the post on my return, I chanced across a magazine from The Alliance Trust of Dundee, which was talking about a Trust it invests in called Charter Trust & Agency.
Founded in 1907, there was a list of founding shareholders.
They are a fascinating mob - a count, a baron, Jesse Watson from Edinburgh ( married woman & clearly seriously wealthy), Barrister, butcher, the list goes on.
But the most interesting entries are side by side. John Anderson, reverend, from Loughborough, has 6 shares, and beside it Marie Burel, from Neuilly, France has an interest in these as well. Her profession is described as " Madam"
Now please note this is not Madame as in French married woman, it is Madam, as in a person who runs brothels.
Either she gave the rev. the shares for his good works, or he gave them to her in payment.
Or they bought them together.
In any event, I feel we were more honest about relationships then than we are now. They might have been hidden from gaze more, but people took responsibility for their actions. Nowadays we have an extremely expensive agency which does a very bad job of tracking down errant fathers. Then, the father made provision.
In my own family, coming from the wrong side of the blanket, the first of our line was educated and supported as was his serving maid mother by the 63 year old Lord who fathered him.
It's what was considered right & proper.
Now, everyone just tries to escape the consequences of their actions.