Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-07-14
Manners.

Mr. Fulton of the Baltimore American, who
writes Interesting letters from Vienna to his
paper, speaks in one OF them of the flowing
courtesy of the Iienuoise. He says:
'No Que thuks of entering Il store. an office,
ar place of business without taking off his
hat. and keeping it off, as we'll as exchanging a
nolite bow on leaving. 10 keep the head
covered is deemed extremely rude and often.
sive If a stranger max kes Inquiry ou the street,
either of maR or boy, the greatest pains IS
not only taken to give the right direction, but
they will even follow you to see that you make
no mistake, and when you stop to look around
in perplexity you will generally mud the same
kindly stranger at your elbow to point the way
again Even on entering cate or restaurant
all the walters bow to you, and SO on entering
or leaving a store the proprietor follows you to
the door and the clerks make obeisance to you
with all the grace of dancing master.
There may be something of exuberance 10
these manifestations Of courtesy, but they mark
a high degree of civilization and refinement,
which other people, especially those OF the An
,Io-Saxon stock, would do we'll to imi-
tate. There is too much sullenness, cold
ness and rudeuess among the people
Of that great family, our Americans in
cludcd. Their manners are not pleasing.
The bulk of them do not take the trouble to be
noiite. Parents do not set their children the
example of politeness. Careless, indifferent
and otjentmes rude, their children grow up in
the same way, and thus bad manners are perpe-
trated from generation to generation. Gentle,
sensitive natures in which pollteuess is lngran-
cd are shocked by the almost brutal salu;atlons
Of the great majority OF their acquaintance.
These sautatiops are made up either OF sort
of scow! and hurried '''how are YOU! or OF
au almost impercepuble toss OF the head unac-
comnunied by word. Such salutations are
hateful, being little better indeed than positive
insults. \ considerable number OF people do
rot even take the trouble to bestow any notice
whatever upon those they meet and have ac
ouaiutauce with There are others whose bad
manners are unequal, half the time not speak
ing at all, and the other half finging look OF
defiance aud brutal 'how are you at those
they encounter asif they regarded any notice
tax and an imposition. People thus treated
frequently stop speaking to such unnannerly
creatures, or turn their own ungraclouS saluta-
tions upon them--b becoming reluctantly as
churish as themselves These short, curt, dis
agreeable iuterchanges are almost savage
Some people seem to calculate to what extent
they can carry their offensive manners, with
impunlty.
\ genuinely polite person will be polite un-
der all circumstances-at his place OF business,
on the street, or iu his own house. But in an
Inbred community it often happens that ma
turally polite person becomes so disguised by
the bad manners Of those he constantly meets,
as TO addict himself as much as possible to Sc
clusion, or, if of combatlve nature, he retail
iates by greater display Of rudeness;
Much of our happiness in this world H. pcuds
,,n., - obco pon nf tho a,ncri,i..s of life
We do not here speak of that formal, long
drawn out, and ridiculous etiquette which some
affected people cultivate, but of that politeness
which expresses itself IN pleasant smile, a
kindly word, and that genial manner which
would conciiate the most brutal nature. Good
morals will not atone for bad manners. So far
as our intercourse with the bulk OF mankind is
concerned-those we meet casually and remain
with but a short time-their manners are Of
more concern to us than their morals. A good
part of life is made up of such meetings. If
uinety-nine out OF every hundred of the people
We have short acquaintance with or transact
business with, or stop to have word or two
with, should be people ofdisagreeable manners,
imagine the amount of wretchedness we should
nave to endure. all that would be bad enough,
but suppose in addition to it one has to encoun--
ter bad manners 10 his own household: Io
sensitive nature the burden would beintoerabe.
There are people who value themselves upon
their brusqueuesss,. or, IN other words, upon
their brutality. 70 such, the soft, sweet cour-
tescs of life are subjects of derision. UDabe
to r Sc to them, they would be glad If they
could reduce everybody else to their own level.
-Ruhnonl Wig.
PUTTING Up A New SIGN.-Our new sign
has caused some excitement. 1t ought to. 1t
caliSed caused considerable when it was going up:
" lien new sign is being put up the general
Impression, among the neighbors, is, that you
arc moving away and when they find you amt
ABOUT one half Of 'em volunteer to help. A
stout young man with long pole offered to
steady 1t. We thanked him and be with great
accuracy pokcd his pole into the ear of one of
the printers who was peacefully looking on
liom an upper window He apologized and
cllauged his pole SO as to plant it in the eye of
;e que OF the proprietors. He was young man
n,a. "'h bob tailed coat, and mustache, and was
~asAl'iui, and so we urged him to deslSt. He
;al iS very red IN the face and said be had stead
ts u d Thousand he said a thousand, signs in his
J"wn c.I1Sing his remarks by running his pole
i,S J"~n the throat of Mr.. Campbell, our next
wv, uuur nel9ghbor. Mr.. Campbell was very ap-
m,jo ,j auo after splitting out the splinters
h.
C"sns TO be ia ken away from the man, and that
sbom"g "g cents ne would do it. The young man
ins ", great indifference to threats, and squint
nn a" at ;ne end OF the new sign, pushed his pole
,pa asalu, gum scoopiug two painters off the ladder
w;na iu ataus'ng the carpenter to scramble into the
!, ;,"ruo" 10 great haste. Several bysauders said
Stoas was the young man himself that wanted
auylng. This seemed to mortify him, and
IHss Ias,ns MS pole carefully against the nose ola
.;.s Systander he put on his coat. The sign was
s" s"uns up and miserable reporter who had been
rUncealed In neighboring alley with lead
pe1c'l I waiting tor the young man to kill some
S"uy went Oft round the corner There was
ao'ne s diversity of opinion about the sign. One
ssn'leman remarked that it was very hand
s' spule affair." but neghbor called it that ID
to hide his sign for We We had always W thought p t
'nat II, man belonged to the church before that.
-Staunton Tu{icotoy