The daily gazette., 1880-01-07
Some English Habits.


Most Enelishmen Of the lower middle
class and the lower class In cities have
way Of walking which 10 distinl nj hing
habit of common life. had OBJ erv I'd II
in Englishmen Of this sort In the st eets
Of New York, where ! could tell them
by it as far as could see them. Tney
lay themselves out In their wall Ing, as
If they were doing days work. Tney
walk moi only with their feet ard legs
but with their hips and their shoulders,
and their arms, not swinging the latter
but archiDg them out more or less from
their sides, and putting them forward
stifiiy as they step. Withal they look
conscious of their walking, and seem
well pleased that they are doing the cor
rect thing. This gait and carriage OF
body is most remarkable in the soldiers
that one sees about the streets of Lon
don and of garrison towns like Canter-
bury, and iI the Vulgar creature who has
come to be known by the generic name
OF AIRY. You will meet two soldiers
tightened up to the extreme of endur-
ance In their scarlet shell jackets, with
little fiat caps SO far down the sides of
their heads that you cannot see why
they hesitate at coming down all the
way, and these two fellows, ,one of whom
is pretty sure to carry rattan with q
jaunty air,will take up the room of three
men by the set-out Of their four arms
from their four sides, and will walk as If
their locomotion, instead of being by
human muscles, were by clockwork and
steam.
The number Of their imitators cannot
be told; but an English gentleman has
none Of this toilsome swagger. He
walks quite easily and unconsciously
and generally with good manly stride,
just as man of corresponding condition
OF life In Boston, New York or Philadel-
phta will walk. But In those places you
VIII not see in ypers0ns of inferior con-
dition that strange mode of locomotion
which have endeavored to describe.
Gentlemen In England have q very
general fashion OF wearing rings in what
seemed to me o very lady like way. A
signet ring, engraved with q cipher, .
crest or beautiful design, seems fit and
becoming upon the hand of man who
can afford to keep 1t clean and out of
danger OF knocks and blows. Nor are
we unaccustomed 10 see examples Of an
nuiar orgeousness-notably vast anne
thysts-upon hands which are not 30
cared for. But this in not the ring wear
ing gentlemen In England. There small
rings set with stones are In favor. Dia-
monds set In heavy hoops, rubies as eyes
n the heads of golden snakes which coil
three or four times around the .fnger,
diamonds and rubies, diamonds and
saphires, In alienation, are seen upon
the fingers of most OF the men who are
above the lower middle ciass-nob blemen
clergymen. army officers, university
dons, bard~headad men of affairs, mer-
/ chants
Not one ring only; indeed, q single
ring upon mans hand IL rather excep
ional. You shall see big fellow, with
Oig brown hands, or an elderly man OF
statd business habits. with three or fouI
Jewelled rings upon bis fingers; not un
frequently there will be two upon one
finger. The turquoise, is In great favor
the most unmanly and woman proper
81 all precious stones, in my judgment;
most suitable to the fairest and softest OF
the sex. 1t is frequently alternated with
the diamond on heavy hoop, q wide
space being left between tho stones. The
fashion impressed me as quite incongru-
Gus with manly dignity and simplicity
But perhaps this was merely because j
was unaccustomed 10 It. know that saw
a nian with diamond ring and plain
hoop on one finger, and a ruby eyed
snake whose coils covered one joint Of q
third whom, l knew to be a gentleman
and had good reason to believe thorough
ly man If these men had not been o
my own blood and speech 1 should no
have thought this habit remarkable; buI
thus it strikes a stranger who is yet no
a foreigner.