The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-07-10
Modesty of Women.

1t is strange how different civilization
looks upon the same matter. In Japan,
for instance, men women and children
battle together without a vestige of
clothing, and with no thought or -sug-
gestion of indecency. There is in the
United States even. wide differences in
the views which different sections enter
tain in respect to what constitutes an
insult from man. Il is uudeniable
that, at the North, degree OF contact
and familiarity is tolerated without Il
thought of improperly, which, in the
South, is resented as an impertinence
and insolence The recent tragedy at
Richmond, Va, in which Charles c.
Curtis was shot dead by John Poindex-
ter, is case in point The murdered
man had complimented Miss Isabella
Cottrell, Poindexter's sweetheart, on her
pretty form, and had, as the young lady
declared, squeezed her arm rather warm
ly in helping her into the carriage
With this as a pr)vocation, Poindexter
cowhided Curtis and then shot him
dead, and the jury could not agree that
PoindeXter had committed Il crime in
taking Curtis life.
A New York girl the other day in
vited her aunt from Savannah, who was
visiting her, to enter Il Broadway shoe
store with her. Araminta the niece,
much to her aged relatives horror, pro.
jected her pretty foot across the clerk $
knee, had her old boots removed and
submitted interestedly, holding her
dress conveniently cut of the way, while
the clerk began the process of encasing
the fair ones neither eXtremities in a
new and extra long pair of tifteen-dollar
"high- buttoners. The Savannah aunt
was shocked beyond expression at her
nieces strange immodesty in exposing
her stockinsed' foot q to male gaze, and
when the shoe clerk, beginning ut the
lowest button, gradually progressed up
ward in his work. Georgia modesty and
propriety could no longer endure the
shocking spectacle, and down came the
sun umbrella on the shoe clerks head
with IL whack, and her fingers, tingling
with shame, made busy with his hair.
1t was to no purpose that Araminta ex-
planned that such occurrences We're the
regular thing in New York This is
undoubtedly the truth. and the reporter
who las been interviewing New York
bellies, apropos of the bloody tragedy at
Richmond, doubtless correctly reports
the views which prevail among women
in Gotham. He says:
| asked one of the bellies of the Fifth
avenue if she allowed shoe clerk to
put on her shoes.
"Why, of course | do she said, ''and
lace them mp, too. That is what the
shoe clerk is for. Only silly woman
with country ideas, or a common woman
who looks upon the clerk as probable
sweetheart, would object to a shoe clerk
putting on her shoes. Every well-bled
lady in New York expects the clerk to
lace new pair of shoes"
But suppose the clerk should re-
mark, You have pretty foot, or Your
foot Is small, would you be indignant p
Certainly not | should consider
the remark the same as ii a servant had
made it. If this Miss Cottrel of Rich
mond had been true lady she would
never had made such silly fool of her
self and if Poindexter had not been a
harum-scarum goose, without true
gentlemanly instincts, he would not
have killed Mr.. Curtis. the simple and
innocent shoe clerk"
'Do you allow young gentleman
clerk to put on a new kid glovel r.
"Yes; in Paris The glove clerk always
puts on a new glove for you. While l
would not allow a young gentlemen
friend TO put on my glove, J consider it
highly proper for glove clerk to do it. ="
Suppose gentlemaH at a party in
your own set should squeeze your hand
in the lancers, what would you do p
''Now, that is a different thing ii he
were an intimate friend, should take it
as a joke; if he were my lover, / should
returY it; but if he were casual ac-
quaihtance, and I thought he squeezed
my hand impertinently, would cut
him dead | shouldn't tell anyone, but
the man would suffer silent punish
ment."
"Would you 90 back to the same clerk