The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-09-30

| srRyrr CAR sEIylsHsEsA-There can
be no doub. that the view one gets Of hu-
man nature in our city railway cars, b by
no means flxttering one. Somehow, the
street car seems to be just the place where
human weaknesses and imperfections are
ap, to crop outmost freely. It Is true that
the better traits Of character are frequent
" met with, but these, whilst relieving
the picture in q measure with their bright
tints, only render the more conspicuous
the lamentable common, exhibitions OF
traits that are the very opposite Of those
which are inseparabls tromt character
is,ics Of the trne gentleman or lady. Pos
sibly the portrayal ofsome ofthese exhi-
billions occasionally in our local columns,
NAV do good in the way Of enabling GER
tsin people TO asee themselves as others
see them" Not to refer to some Of the
grosser offencesag against Uncommon rules
Of propriety, 1t win serve The present pur-
pose to give the following illustration
drawn from real life OF o phase OF grasp
ing unmitigated selfshness, which b not
BY any means uncommon in our street
cars: Enter, well dressed young moth.
er, in full health and yigor, with several
small children able to stand alone. The
car Is crowded, and people standing up.
A kind hearted man gives up his seat 70
the young mother, expecting that she viii
occupy the seat herself and possibly take
one Of her children on her lap. But not so.
Without as much as "thank you, sir"
the mother sppropriates the seat by
standing little John Henry and his
two.year old sister, plump upon the cnsh.
ions, with their muddy little feet 50 that
the little dears can get Q first.class view
Of the outside world from the open car
window. Having thus appropriated ono
seat, the selfish woman takes o deliberate
survey Of the surroundings, prospecting
evidently upon the chances OF getting an.
otter seat for hersef. Morris she mistaken.
A meek, elderly gentleman, with bun
die on his lap-one Of your true gentle.
men, made up rot merely Of outside chow
in the way Of fine cloth, snowy neckties
and glitteriDg jewelry, but one whose
claims to the gentlemanly character are
sabstan,iated by acts that spring out Of
though,iulness and consideration for 9TH
ers-seeing one of the weaker vessels"
standing, could not endure it, and so he
considerably vacated his seat to the
young woman, who, so far as age went,
might have been his daughter, and brave
" stood up. bundle and all, that she
might occupyit. Now, !! any one sup.
poses that we are about TO say that the
Young woman declined the preferred seat
and said. sob, no indeed, l thank you,
sir" they are very much mistaken.
Not she, indeed. Down she Topped with
an Dir Of entire dissatisfaction that
was refreshing to witness. Nor did
sns even stop to thank the elderly
gentleman, but addressed herself to the
business Of spreading out and making her
self comfortable! Indeed, to look upon
her benign countenance, one might have
supposed she had just performed some
generous deed, for q more thoroughly self
satisfied face could scarcely be found.
Nor was this the end Of her seliishness.
In lew moments more . lady who sat
next to the children began to show pre-
monitory symptomsof getting readyto get
out. Her greeiy eyes took in the situa-
ton with q glance, and at the very first
moyemeu, she was eagerly showing her
|eldess child, q boy, into the expanding:
cancy, notwithstanding her two benefsc-
tors who had vacated their seats for her
benefit, including the elderly gentleman
with the bundle, who was old enough to
have been her father, were still standing
Now, iisny reader supposes this to have
been an extraordinary or uncommon ex-
hibi,ion Of selfishness, the reporter regrets
to say Nay, not sol This and the like
may be met with almost daily in our
crowded street cars. II the reader doubts,
Just let him undertake the task Of study
ing human nature as 1t shows itselfin our
city railway cars.