The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1870-08-25
Ciyility.

The fact that C civility costs nothing" is
probably the secret of its unfashionableness
A thing that every one can have few think
worth having.
Men of industry, of integrity, Of respecta-
Bile intellectual gifts, are met at every turn !;
but your purely civil man is rara aois. We
are not speaking of people in their social re-
lations, but in their intercourse with the out
side world Many men who are every thing
that is genial and courteous in the home circle,
become cold, brusque, or irritable the moment
they enter their counting rooms, Offices, Or
place of business, whatever it may be. The
playful, indulgent pate, tanailias of half an
hour before, suddenly changes into sury
orge, who snaps his little pale faced clerk as
if he would make supplementary breakfast
Of him. Under such a master it is no wond
er that the clerk in turn finds it impossible to
be civil to any stranger whom the chance of
business may throw in his way.
AS a general thing clerks in mercantile
houses do not stand in need of ungracious
examples. Much dealing with complicated
accounts seem to sour the disposition. Fraction
beget righteousness. IF you desire fine,
healthy specimen of irritability, take an an
Gent book keeper at the time he is making
out his balance sheet, and ask him the slight
est question not connected with his calcula-
tons. But for all people engaged in strictly
sedentary occupations one should make gen.
erous allowances.
| As class, the clerks in retail stores are re-
markably courteous, considering the tests to
which their patience is constantly subject
| Id W. oh tO
it, but women make the very worst retail
clerks in the world. In most cases they seem
unable to separate their sex from the business
in hand IF their customer is a man, they
| ike or dislike him at glance, and are pro-
| portionately attentive or Indifferent. When
| dealing with woman-and this is wise
woman's testimony-hey are apt to be curt,
impatient and disobliging. IF woman dis
tastefully or absurdly dressed enters the store,
business receives furtiyc stroke of paralysis,
the new conner is instantly inventoried, dis
sected and-so to speak-sat upon by the
female coroners of the shop whose verdicts
| are delivered to each other across the counters
| by system Of eye-telegraph not understood
by man. None of these peculiarities attach
| themselves TO the masculin clerk. His faults
are of different order. He is rarely down
right rude: he is often more overwhelmingly
polite and Killing very bad form Of Incl
Witty
Men who hold positions which bring them
into contact with the public, and place the
public to certain extent at their mercy, have
no right to be anything but civil. The tick
ct master at the railroad station has no right
to snub you because you do not happen to
know on which track your train is The con-
ductor has no right to regard you with look
of disdain, mingled with commisseration, when
| YOU ask him the name of the next station
You were not born on the road, and if your
interrogation convnces him that you are not
a natural idiot he ought to respect your mis-
fortune and not betray it to the other passen
gers. The hackman who gloomily awaits you
at the terminus of your journey has no right
to hustle you as if you were part of YOU
own baggage. The hotel clerk, the natura
humility Of whose disposition lies buried I'M
der that monumental diamond pin, has nj
right to treat you as an inferior. Yet wh'
that has Travelled has not met all these form
Of incivilty? This. to be sure, is only on
side of the story The traveller is almost a
likely to be as exasperatipg as the employe o
the road or the clerk Of the hotel But, then
the traveller is not paid for being civil, AM
the other gentlemen are.
It costs SO little and is worth so much +? 4
young clerk with civility already has stocl
of goods Of his own. Regarded IS a mer
nolicy it is the next best thing to honesty
and, like honesty, it is good for its sweet sell
An uncivil man is necessarily discontente
man, discomfort to himself. We beg leav
to add new sentiment to the py-book c
the period: Be civil and you will be happy
Never purchase love or friendship by gifts
when thus obtained. they are lost as soon 8