Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1881-06-16
Bows and Bowling.

GA bow" says LaFcntaine, "is a
note drawn at sight. You are
bound to acknowledge it immedi.
ately, and to the full amount 81
According to circumstances, it
should be respectful, cordial, civil.
or familiar. An inclination of the
head is often sufficient between
gentlemen, or a gesture OF the
hand under some circumstances.
or the mere touching of The hat ;
but in bowling to lady the hat
must be lifted.
If you know people slightly, you
recognize them slightly; if You
know them well, you bow with
more cordiality. The body is not
bent at all in bowing as in the days
OF the old school forms of polite
ness; the inclination Of the head is
all that is necessary. Ones own
Judgment ought to be sufficient as
to the Importance Of the saluta-
ton Tn bowing to lady, the hat
is lifted well from the head, even
held out at arms length.
If smoking, the gentleman man.
ages to withdraw his cigar before
lifting his hat or, should he hap
pen to have his hand in his pocket,
he must remove it. Gentlemen
who are driving are often embar-
rasscd by bowling acquaintances.
They are obliged to keep a tight
hold of the re:ns and that is i'm
possible if they remove their hats.
A wellbred foreigner would never
dream of saluting lady by rails.
Ing his whip to his hat. English
gentlemen have adopted this Gus
tom, but it would be still better if
they would set the fashion OF bow
ing without touching the hat or
raising tbs hand when occupied by
their driving.
Our ideas Of what constitutes
politeness in such points are entire
ly controlled by custom. and il it
were an understood thing that gen
tlemen who are driving are not ex-
pected to take off tEeir hats, the
simple inclination of the head a
trif1e lower, perhaps, than when
the hat Is lifted, will soon be ac-
cepted as in good form by all sen :
sible people. 1t certainly is a
more respectful form of salutation
than raising the whip, which shocks
those who have notkeco,ne habitr.-
ated to this modern innovation.
A wellbred person instinctively
bows the moment that he recog-
nizes an acquaintance-at the in>
slant Of the first meeting of the
eyes. According to the rule of
Courts, and of good society every
where, any one who has been in
troduced to you, or any lady to
whom you have been introduced,
is entitled to this mark of respect.
A bow does not entail a calling ac-
quaintancc, and to neglect it shows
neglect IN early education, as well.
as deficiency i'll cultivation and
in the instincts of a gentleman ).
SO that the Truth of Saint Loup's
assertion, that the bow is the
touchstone Of good breeding, is
made good.
A gentleman walking with la
dy returns bow made to her, lift
ing his hat not too far from his
head. 1t is c;vility to return a
bow, although you do not know
the one who is bowling to You.
The more cultivated a person is.
the more prompt he will be in such
ciTilities.
Either the one who bows knows
you, or he has mistaken you for
some one else. In either case, you
should return the bow, and proba-
bly, the mistake wifi be discovered
to have occurred from want of a
quick recognition ON yonr own
part, or from some blance
that you bear to another. In eth
ell case the bow costs you nothing,
and the Withholding of it shows
yo,l to be either awkward or rrs1e.
Young people often wait for the
recognition Of the elder, having
been instructed by the books tina:
it is the place of the elder to shcw
the first recognition. No books
can replace the training OF parents
in such matters, or the instincts OF
kind hearts. Better not know at
all thar be badly informed.
The one introduction that enti-
ties to recognition having been
once made, it is the duty of the
younger person to recall himself on
herself to the recollection Of the
elder person by bowling each time
of meeting, until the recognition
becomes mutual. AS persons adj
vance in life they look for these at
tentions upon tile part of the
young, and it may be in some hi'
stances that it is the only way
which the young have of show
ing tlleir appreciation of courtesic'
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