New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-06-18
Gentleme en-.

Gentlemen.
"Perhaps gent leman is rarer n. Al Sa"n 'oAAo
of us think fOi."-ThaeAeiay'
What is a gentleman The question nss s
been put and answered more IMAM onoe' ;h us
there remains considerable doubt upon the
subiect. People are not disposed to accsp1
| the verdict of the poet. that gentleman Is
| an individual who never does mean acllEu
and never tells q lie, but consclennousy
performs his duty by his neighoor. Nor are
| thew prepared to aecede TO the contention
| that q gentleman ia q being who comes oi =
noble stock, and soils not as manu-
by selling calico by the yard or tea
by the pound. Yet, if they were
asked to define what gentleman u
the majority would, probably, only he aDle
| to say that gentleman ia gentleman, or
in other words, an indefnahle something
Nevertheless, they seem to be able to IN
st,nctively point out those whom they COZ.
slider to be gentlemen. Now, OF what SORT
are the persons who are honOred ~ tneic
that the fortunate ones are judged p!ln-
cipally upon the score of their exterlors
and their clothes. man may b. not0rIously
q hard swearer, q deep dlinker ara lni-
moral-he may be known to be utterly
wrapped ND in himself and to have COARSE
and vitiated tastes-yet his claims to the
title of gentleman are often readily 40
mitted, provided that he keeps his face
cleaner than he be does his console nce. that
he has certain air, and that he mOdulstes
his epeech in particular manner.
On the other hand. people who are vlr-
tuouss. well-resd and OF temperate habits.
are placed among the common herd unless
they are masters of those little arts which
look go simple and are yet 80 difficult OF
requirement. 1t matters not what garb
they have on unless they wear their mag
nificent apparel with peculiar grace. In
deed, you may dress two men alike. and
when they are sent into promiscuOus COM
pany one will be set down as q gentlemen
and the other a. something else; yet neither
may commit q positive breach of manners
Or do anything exceptionally brilliant in
the way of politeness. They are judged
upon the principle that straw suits
to show which way the wind blows. The
angles at which they hold their arms,
the manner in which they shake hands.
the way in which they walk and
stand, the method which they adopt
of using their pocket handkerchief and
other little things, all tend to form the
judgment which is passed upon them. At
the same time, it is doubtful whether the
judges, unless they are of a strongly analy-
teal turn of mind, note in detail the eigos
upon which the verdicts are formed, the
eigne, SO to speak, being more palpaOle to
X
signs tn At we have indicated are, of cOurea,
supplemented by others. When men talk
they are bound to show, to a greater or
lesser extent, the stuff of which they are
made. Thus, after the two persons in ques-
ton have relieved themselves of their cen
timents, and have jokej for certain time,
the grounds upon which they are judged
become somewhat clearer than they are
at first sight. 1t will be found that
ind 20 On sr.l Ill, =
loud laughs or awkward smirks, while the
tone of bis conversation is 10 v, if not abeo.
lutelv coarse, and tends to indicate that he
possesses . somewhat petty disposition.
The other, however, though he may bs
petty and coarse minded, has the good
sense to keep his pettiness and coarseness
to himself, and to assume that he does
things on . grand scale and looks at mat.
tiers IN Q grand way. Nor will you find
him giving utterancs to sentiments which,
though possibly laudable in themselves,
are apt to incur ridicule. It may be aeked
how it is that it is easy to make some peo-
pie. shabby dressed and not particularly
blest BY fortune, pass for gentlemen win
very little trouble, while appare ntly more
favored individuals can by no mesps
Dc made to do 80, however much
they may. be drilled. Is there any
difference between the blood and bone
of one man and those OF another? Certainlv
the being who has short, squabby figure,
9 pug nose, and q coarse, moist skin. is
liable to be Get down as being of plebeian
origin. But he need not of necessity be .o
stigmatized, there being many men who.
though thus heavily handicapped, are free.
~ accepted as gentlemen. At the same
time 1t must be stated that the individual
VINO 's slim and gracefully built, and has
straight nose and bright skin, stands a
much better chance of being declared a
gentleman than does such a parsonage as
the one whom We have referred TO above
This, however, is by the way. The trntb
appears to be that certain occupations ana
associations tend to form in people faults of
person, manner and thought, and that
these faults become so ingrained in
the persons whom they stfiict that
are transmitted from generation tn
generation Thus the man who has to
indulge in much rough labor becomes nj,
terly slouching in his gait, while he who !.
gwen to email transactions in barter loses
sight OF large matters in petty calculations.
Besides this, it is to be feared that thosa
whose Hve!ihoods are dependent upon
otners acquire q trucking demeanor which
never ,U;ts leaves them, though it may be set of
those to whom it would be simply a waste
OF time, in pecuniary sense, to be subser.
went. Thus. when they leave their ehon.
Ghces and warehouses behind them. ,hav
carry with them, unconsciously perhs d.. a
disposition to psy homage in ouarters
where 1t can but be out OF place and excite
contempt. OF course, the children who are
unaer thelr care are affected by the exam
PIE wnicn Is set them. and thus the taint
that We have explained clings to families
with what seems singular but Is really
perfectly natural tenacity. From ali thi.
IL Will De seen that the tendency n ths
age is to dub gentlemen those who d;sniav
the most taste rather than the beat morais
ana greatest sterling worth. This NAV 10
ground for satisfaction or It NAV NOT: Int
there Is some comfort in the thonrht the.
those whom society 10 pleased TO honor ar.
A!tor iasnlon, the best trained of their ana,
cles. 1t may be urged that there il an m.
aue tendency to consider trivialiliea At tho
expense OF great ones when men are in
question; and this is undoubtedly Az Rat
u may be replied that the instinct vh;ch ~
luces men to do this is . natural rathsr
Than An acquired ono. For inatanca a "".
termonger who has NO love fnr .ri.,.c. w..
~, MN, me ABSTRACT will. in spite of himself nav
;u0n mote reference to one whom he reco1.
o LIZ ss gentleman than to an individnal
wno' ne feels, claims kindred with him. A. |
Fly rate: very obvious lesson NAV ~
earned from all THE, and that leescn =
tnls-tnose persons who wish in tia fn.,.
20 stand we'll in the eyes of the World m,,se
n0t eechew selt-culture while thav 80 q"
pursuit Of weslth.-London Liberni R~r;.. :.