Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1873-03-01
A GENTLEMAN.
The Rarity Of Courtesy I'm business Life.

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1 was in gentleman's Office, few
days ago, and, as I sat there talking
with him, stranger called and in
quired for some one whose Office was
near at hand. My friend directed him
as well as he could, and the stranger
departed. In short time he returned
and said he had not been able to find
the place he wanted, and thought he
must have misunderstood the direction.
My friend at once arose, and, asking
me to excuse him moment, went with
the stranger and showed him the place
he wanted to find, and returned to me
and resumed conversation as if no in
terruption had occurred. He seemed
entirely unsuspicious Of the fact that he
had been guilty of act of gcntlemanly
courtesy vary rare in this latitude.
1 looked at him in astonishment, but
lest he should be frightened at the
knowledge of his eccentricity and hasten
to overcome his popularity I restrained
myself and left him in his innocence to
practice his old-fashioned gentleness
Upon the next henighted stranger who
should fall in his way.
/ I have often thought upon this sub
ject and wondered how it was that in
this city, and in these times of greatest
charities, a stranger could travel the
city over, and, except he bought his
friends, never find one, when friend
liness was SO cheap and kindness SO easy.
Will some student of the social life
of our people please rise and explain
how we have grown into this brusque
abruptness of manner which We put on
Us Il suit of armor, or take up as a
weapon, when we enter our offices and
places of business, as if business was
the campaign, and all men were ene-
! mics to he suEdued-a manner as shock
ing to the quiet sensitiveness of gentler
men as downright insolence?
Bat better still will he tell us how,
having grown into it, we may grow out
of it, and be plain gentlemen again.
A certain young man WAS sent by his
employers to collec. Il bill of few dol
lars from a prominent citizen in this
city. Walking ditiidently into the ele-
! x,4ts Of tl,p ho
he presented the bill and said: Can
you give us c'lcck for that to-day 2"
Bristling with offended dignity at what
he chose to consider question of his
ability to meet any amount for which a
bill might be presented, he courage
ous.y proceeded to brow-beat the young
man for his impertinence in doing his
duty, until he was glad to escape with
out his money.
Any Bohemian of the family of Jen-
kins who might have occasion to speak
of this boor in broadcloth would be
certain to speak of him as "the ur-
bane, the aflable, " the gentleman
ly," etc. And so he is, but being a
coward, he is only urbane" to whom
lie has occasion to court or fear.
You step into Justices Office. A
young man sits near enough to the
desk to make foot-rack of it, reading
a paper. You are after the Justice,
and you ask in tone greatly mod,,lated
by experience of former rebuffs if he is
in. You stand in waiting until the
young man has finished his paragraph,
when he kindly gives you the benefit of
a casual inspection, and resumes his
paper, incidentally remarking that he
thinks not.
Put upon, but not discouraged, you
resume:
When is he likely to be in"
Feebly, "can't say" devouring an
other parasrawh about boy being
chawed up by q dog in Iowa. In doubt
whether you may safely ask another
VuesIAoh, you suI4 uuStcr up courage 10
inquire:
Where will I be likely to find
him ?"
Without looking up, "In Milwau-
kee."
Irritated atthis cool triAing with your
time and patience, you demand:
"Could you not have said as much
at first ?" ...
Imperturbably, " If I'd been asked,
old boy, I could" f.
And you. who had thought yourself
able to- stand before kings, retired from
the presence Of this bold, bzssssy boy,
discounted.
A gentleman of my acquaintance, of