Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-04-03
rluorHY xCrU0MB,s LETTER
T0ssSOlJNlx M emo, 8.

The aro born SO. One can kick them
roukdly and soundly, and they will not
refuse to smile, if 1t be done good ma
turedly. They dodge all corners by a
necessity of their nature. If their
soulS only had corporeal volume, we
eodld sse thcm, like nice little spaniels,
making their way through a crowd, sea-
ring nobody, running between nobody's
legs, but winding along shrinkingly
and gracefully, seeing master IN ev-
cry man, and thus Aatterins every
mans vanity into good nature, but re-
ally spelling their reputation as reliable;
dogs by their indiscriminating anu
universal complaisance. This runs the
thing into the ground. There is sell
forgetfulness which is SO deep as to be
below self-respect, and such instances
as we occasionally meet with should be
treated compassionately, like cases of
idiocy or insanity, except when found
IN connection with the post office de-
partment, or among hotel walters.
@But puppyism is not real poIlteness.
The genuine article is as necessary to
success, and particularly to an enjoya-
. BILE success, as integrity, or industry, or
any other indispensable thing. All MA
chinery ruins itself by friction, without
the presence of some Intoxicating tlmd.
?oliteness, or civility, or urbanlty, OF
whatever We may choose to call 1t, Is
the oil which preserves the machinery
of society from destruction. We are
obliged to bend to another-.to step
aside and let another pass, to ignore
this and that personal peculiarly, to
speak pleasantly when Initiated, and to
do great many things TO avoid abra-
sion and collision. In other words, III
q world of selfish interests and pur-
suits, where every man Is after his own
special good, we have got to mask our
real desi gns in studied politeness, or to
mingle them with real kindness, in or
der to elevate the society of men above
the society Of wolves. Young men,
generally, would doubtless be thorough
" astonished if they comprehended at a
single glance how greatly their person
81 happiness, popularity, prosperity
and usefulness depend on their man
ners.
1 know young men who, in the dis
charge Of their duties, imagine that if
they discharge those duties literally,
they are doing all they undertake to do.
You will never see a smile on their
faces, and by the manner i'll which they
discharge their labor, one would not
imagine that they were doing anything
more human than feeding hogs. Peo-
pie hate such fellows as they do the dew
il. They recoil from all contact with
them. if they have business with them
they close it as soon as possible, and
get out Of their presence. Aman who,
having got his vessel under Roadway on
the voyage Of life, takes a straight
course; minding nothing for the man
of-war that hes in his path, or the
sloop that crosses his bow, or the fish.
ing smacks that find game where he
seeks nothing but'a passage, or inter-
posing rocks or islands--will be very
sure to get terribly suubbed before he
gets through and he ought to be.
1 despiso servility, but true and uni
form pollteness, is the glory Of any
young man. II should be politeness
full of frankness and good nature, I'M
obtrusive and constant, and uniform in
its exhibition to every class Of men,
The young man who is overwhelmingly
polite to a celebrity or a nabob, and
rude to a poor lrishman because he is
q poor Irishnan, deserves to be booted.
That style Of manners which combines
self-respect with respect for the rights
an 4 feelings of others, especially if it
be warmed up by the fires Of genial
heart, is a thing to be coveted and cul-
tiyated, and is a thing that pays, alike
IN cash and comfort.
The talk of manners introduces us
naturally to dress and personal appear
ance. I believe in dress. I believe
that it is the duty Of all men-young
and old-to make their persons, so far
as practicable OF possible, agreeable to
those with whom they are thrown into
association. | mean by this that they
shall not offend by singulalty, or by
sloyenliness-that they shall make a
conscience Of clean boots and finger
nails, change their linen at least twice
a week, and not show themselves in
shirt-sleeves when they can help it
Let no man know by your dress what
your business is. You dress your per
son, not your trade. You are, if you
know enough, to mould the fashion Of
the time to your own personal peculiar =,
ities-to make it your servant, not
your master. Never dress in extremes.
Let there be hint always in your dress
.hat you know the style, but, for the
:est of reasons, disregard its more eX-
IRENE demands. The best possible I'M
preston that you can make By your
dress, is by making no separate impress
sion at all, but by so harmonizing its
material and shape with your personal
ity, that it becomes tributary in the
general effect, and so exclusively trib-
utary that people cannot tell afer seeing
you what kind Of clothes you wear
They will only remember that you look
we'll, and somehow dress becomingly.
/ suppose that shall be met here
with protest from employers and a
Kind Of protest from the employed
Counsel to dress well is dangerous, is
it? But everybody now dresses extrav-
agal,tly; and, as extravagant dressing
is usually very far from good dressing,
l think that the danger Of exciting
greater extravaganza is very small -