Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-07-25
A Question OF MOdesty.

1t is strange how different civilization
looks upon the same matter. In Japan,
for instance, men, women and children
battle freely together without vestige
of clothing, and with no thought or
suggestion of indecency. There is, in
the United States even, wide differ.
ence in the views which women of diff
ferent sections entertain in respect to
what constitutes an insult from man.
It is undeniable that, at the North, a
degree Of contact and familiarity is toll
Grated without q thought Of impro-
priety, which, in the South, is resented
as an impertinence and insolence. The
recent tragedy at Richmond, Va, in
which Charles G. Curtis was shot dead
by John Poindexter, is case in point.
The murdered man had complimented
Miss Isabella Cottrell, Poindexter's
sweetheart, on her pretty foot, and
hat, rs the young lady declared,
squeezed her arm rather too warmly in
helping her into the carr age. With
this as provocation, Poindexter cow
hided Curtis and then shot HIM dead
and the jury could not agree that Poin-
dexter had committed crime in taking
Quits life.
A New York girl the other day in
Wit. d her aunt from Savannah. who
was whiting her, to enter Broadway
shoe store with her. Aramintu, the
niece. much to her aged relatives hor-
ror, projected her pretty foot and ankle
acruss the clerks knee, had her old
boots removed and submitted interest
eddy, holding her dress conveniently
out Of the way, while the clerk began
encasiDg the fair ones neither extremi
ties IN new and extra pair Of fifteen
dollar " high buttoners." The Savan
nah aunt was shocked beyond express
sion ut her niece s strange immodesty
in exposing her stockinged feet to male
gaze, anu when the shoe clerk, begin
ming at the lower buttons, gradually
progressed in his upward work, Geor-
gia iuodesty and propriety could no
longer endure the shocking spectacle,
ana down came the sun umbrella on
the shoe clerks head with whack,
anu her fingers tingling with shame
made busy with his hair. 1t WAS to no
purpose that Araminta explained that
such occurrences were the regular
thing" IN New York. That is undouht-
eddy the truth, and the reporter who
has been interviewing the New York
bellies apropos of the bloody tragedy at
Richmond. doubtless correctly reports
the views which prevail among the
women in Gotham.
At the South, however, there is no
immediate prospect OF the adoption Of
the views or the degree of freedom
from men which is tolerated in New
York and elsewhere in the North. Nor
cau it be denied that the looseness
which many shoe clerks, hack drivers,
Car conductors, policemen and others
exhibit ut the North in handling women
is, from the Southern standpoint. very
shocking. Some of these fellows are
insuilerable. They find a breastpin
sixteenth Of an inch further out than it
should, or q lock of hair astray, or y
watch slipping out of belt, or a gather
of dress has started the stitching, or
flower in the hat droops tritle, or
} the shawlpin doesn't hang just SO, and
they insist on fixing these matters, and
keep fumbling and paving and picking
away ut lady until attention is drawn
to the performance and annoyance Is
the result. One of these fellows will
put his arm under u lady's elbow to
lift her over straw on the walk or
across six-inch gutter, and, when 60
ing up rise of two or three steps, will
insist on putting his hand upon hel
waist aud partially lifting her up. If
he helps her into carriage, he wants
to lit her in, and, in assisting her to
alight. he makes her jump into his
arms, where he holds her us long as he
dares. While riding with her he always
has his hand on the seat behind her,
ready to seize her waist every time
there is u jolt big enough to give him
an excuse for doing so-in fact, he
seems to be continually aching to paw,
in one way or another. every lady into
whose company he is thrown. 1t may
not DO improper between people pretty
we'll acquainted with each other, but 1t
doesn't look we'll, and ladies', while they
don't like to appear annoyed, still feel
SO, and wish to be let alone.-Proui.
denee, Il. l., Dispatch.