The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-09-01
Men and their Hats.
by ELZEY Hay.


by ELzEY HAY.
A mans hat is the most characteristic
part of his dress. No matter whether it
sits jauntily upon tho owners head, or
rests idly in his hand, or hangs neglected
on the wall, there is something about every
well regulated hat by which an observant
individual it belongs. OF course, do not
allude to new hats, fresh from the mer-
chants shelves but one that has been used
reasonable length of time always con-
tracts certain air from the wearer, which
marks it indelibly as belonging to one of
his species. 1t is strange that ladies' bon
nets, with all their, beauty and variety, do
not possess half the power Of expression
that resides in a common old felt hat. You
may sit and study whole congregation of
oonness, any Sunday morning, through o
three hours Germ on, and you cannot identi-
fy single woman by her head gear, unless
you have seen it before but stand at your
window any fine day, watching the various
hats that pass in the street, and SEQ if you
cannot tell at glance, what sort of man
each one belongs to- Who, for instance,
could be the owner of that tall, old-fash-
Toned, grey beaver, with the nap beginning
to rub of, but an antiquated country par
son, who can drive sharp bargain with
yen Saturday night, and hold forth against
little Derby" with its narrow rim and
round CROWN looking 80 briskly, on the
other side of the street, can be worn by
none but . Yankee drummer" who will
cheat you If lie can while that broad
brim med, palmetto, with the low crown,
to an honest country farmer, who has corn
to sell its companion, the broad brimmed
straw, with a tall crown, rim turned up be-
hind, and slouchng little before, covers
the head of rustic who is going to meet a
creditor. The sleek old gentleman over
there at Dryreading's bookstore, with the
shiny black beaver; as tall as a stovepipe,
Presby terrain divine, much addicted to
lengthy discourses; and the musty old fell
lew, in the tall hat, beside him is professor
in . theological seminary. Here come
three or four very brash looking glazed
hats, oat Of the door of a second rate
belonging to railroad conductors and ex-
press men. Yonder goes "ma's dootiful
son." under thst low crowned beaver, 60
mathematically proportional, and as scru-
pulously brushed, with a studied little curl
stealing from under it, and falling over the
temple. A staggering old felt hat comes
next, with q slouchy rim, and tall peaked
crown, smashed in at the top; you have
seen it q hundred times at cross-road gro
ceries and rustic taverns; it marks the
country politician. We all know that fell
low across the street yondep with the
sneaky, mortified hat, that looks like tur-
nip top running to seed, and slouched over
his eyes so that you cannot get an honest
lock into them he carries lean carpet
bag under one arm, a cotton umbrella un-
der the other, and pirates nightly about
his mission. Give him wide berth, as lie
passes, aud look we'll to any small change
you happen to have about you.
I,1ar 81 hof f1hot I 10 lNact
of all. 1t is good round felt, somewhat
the worse for wear, and careless usage
Just enough battered, in fact, to give n
slight dash of rowdyism to it's expression.
1t is worn with little rascally set on one
side, as who should say, 'what the deuce
of independence against oil unreasonable
conventiOuslities. The wearer of that hat
is q Jolly good fellow, who is never ashamed
to look you in the face. He was as trnsty
a soldier as General Lee ever had, and
doesn't mind the smell of gunpowder, any
more than you or would .ai'whif of
Lubin's best. tt.
Somehow, have always had fancy for
rowdy looking hats-provided there re
nothing essentially Fowdy about the ap-
nearance Of the we0reE. A woman must
always be more particular about her bon
net than any ether part Of "her outside
dress, but bic hat is the one thing aoeuG
which gentleman can afford to oe care
less. There is an air of coxcomory. aooat
a trim, spruce, bran new hat, which 10 tar
from com maudiug the same respect shSs
ladies feel for q new bonnet. Let maB
be we'll dressed in every other Particular,
and 4 little touch of FOwdSness aeoat h'e'
/ hat, like q daeh ofred Or{yettow sometimes,
in 8 ladyss- bohnet, -:reaeens h IN rom top
EpoFYy aud gives u dOH't care Nook ottiaaS-
ees qua ottCVtFtRsas6S, SVtsFghs 10 FAR
snsfo astraopi - ehatn NeESaiiA Of sttSEOgsS ana
prudery that turks 'under q solemn, two
csforiad haaHar. an. glad that orr South