The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1876-07-13
gentlemen.

doubt upon the subject. People are not
disposed TO accept the verdict Of The
poet that a gentleman is an individual
who never does a mean action and never
tells a lie, but conscientiously performs
his duty by his neighbour. Nor are they
prepared to accede TO the assertion that
a gentleman is beng who comes of q
being who comes Of q noble stock, and
soils not his hands by selling calico bv
the yard or tea by the pound. Yet, if
they were asked 10 define what gentle
is, the majority would, probably, only
be able 10 say that a gentleman ia
gentleman; or, in other words, an indie
Unable something. Nevertheless, they
seem 10 be able 10 instinctiveiy point
oat those whom they consider to be
gentlemen. Now, of what sort are the
persons who are honored by their favor
;tc verdict Well, it is to be feared that
the fortunate ones are judged principal
ly upon the score OF their eXteriors and
their clothes. A man may be notori-
oGsly a hard swearcr, deep drinker,
and lmmoral-he may DO known to be
utterly wrapped up in himself and TO
have coarse and vitiated tastes,-yet his
claims TO the title CT gentleman arc
often readily admitted, provided that he
keeps his face cleaner than be does his
conscience, that he has a certain air, and
that ho modulates his speech IN a partic-
ular manner. On the other hand, peO-
pie who are virtuous, well-rcad, and Of
temperate habits, are placed among the
common herd unless they are masters
Of those little arts which look so simple
and are yet SO difficult of requirement.
IT matters not what garb they have on
unless they wear their magnificent APP
parei with n peculiar grace. Indeed,
you may dress two men alike, and
and when they are sent into pTomiscu-
Gus company one VIII be set down as a
gentleman and the other as something
else. Yet neither may commit posi-
tive breach Of manners or 10 anything
exceptionally brilliant in the way Of po-
iitcness. They are judged upon the
principle that : straw suilices 10 show
which way the wind blows. The angles
at winch they hold their arms, the man
Der in which they shake hands, the way
10 which they walk and stand, the meth,
cd which they adopt Of using their
pocket handkerchieis and other little
things, all tend TO form the judgment
which is passed upon them. At thc
same time it is doubtful whether the
Judges, unless they are Of strongly
analytical turn Of mind, note in aetail
the signs upon which the verdcts are
formed the signs, so 10 speak, being
more palpabio TO the instinct than TO the
understanding. The signs that we have
indicated are, OF course, supplemented
10y others. When men talk they arc
bound to show, to greater or less eX-
tent, the stuff of which they are nade.
Thus, after the two persons in question
have relieved themselves of their senti-
monts, and have joked for certain
time, the grounds upon which they ore
Judged become somewhat clearer than
they were at first sight. 1t will be found
that one individual is prone to indulge
in loud laughs or awkward smirks,
while tho tone of his conversation is low
if not absolutely coarse, and tends to in.
dictate that he possesses q somewhat
petty disposition. The other, however,
though he may be petty and coarse,
pettiness and coarseness to himself, and
TO assume that he does things on grand
scale and looks at matters in grand
way. Nor will you find him giving ut
terance to sentiments which, though
possibly laudable in themselves, are apt
10 incur ridicule. 1t may be asked how
IT is that it is easy to make some people,
shabbily dressed and not particularly
blest by fortune, pass for gentlemen
with very little trouble, while apparent
ly more favored individuals can by no
means be made to DO so, however much
they may be drilled. Is there any diff
ference between the blood and bone of
one man and those of another? Ger.
tainly the being who has short, SQUAD
10y figure, pug nose, and coarse,
moist skin, is liable TO be set down as
being of plebian origin. But he need
not of necessity be stigmatized, there
being many men who, though thus heav-
lily handicapped, are freely accepted as
gentlemen. AT the same time il must
be stated that the individual WHO'S slim
and gracefully built, and has "A straight
nose and bright skin, stands much
better chance of being declared gen
tleman than does such a parsonage as
the one whom we have referred 10
above. This, however, by the way
The truth appears TO be that certain oc-
equations and associations tend to form
IN people faults Of person, manner and
thought, and that the faults become SO
ingraincd IN the persons whom they az
fict, that they grow almost incradicable,
and are transmitted from generation TO
generation. Thus, the man who has TO
indulge in much rough labor becomes
utterly slouching in his gait, whilo he
who is given to small transactions in
barter loses sight of large matters in
petty calculations. Besides this, il is 70
be feared that those whose liyclihoods
are dependent upon others acquire n
trucking demeanor which mover leaves
them, though it may be set off with
disposition to play the tyrant TO those 10
whom it would be simply waste of
time, in pccuniary sense, TO be sub
servient. Thus, when they leave their
shops, Offices and warehouses behind
them, they carry with them, uncon-
sciously perhaps, a disposition 10 pay
homage in quarters where II can but he
cut OF place and excite contempt OF