The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-05-29
Bowling on the Continent.

Perhaps one of the most Acquiring incidents
of foreign travel is the practice Of universal
misunderstanding with ones hat off out Of
doors, when addressing lady, or in the pres
ence of government funkies. Gaping people
you never knew because they happen to know
the friend you are walking with, bowling to the
shoeblack at your hotel, to the scullion in the
yard, to the chambermaid on the stairs, to the
secretary, to the shop-girl, to the indefinite fe'
male character seated at the desks in all the
cafes, to the people at the table d'hote, in the
sides Well, I thought all this was understood
abroad; L went about saying, "How beautiful
is this customi how much we have to learn in
politeness!" did little of it with great diff
iculty myself, and pretended to like it, and
looked surprised and shocked when any one
voted the whole business borel Judge, then, OF
my establishment upon reading the following
note in the Paris Figaro:
"Onght one to salute on entering a railway,
omnibus, etc? This question, which we have
submitted to our readers, has been answered
differently by many correspondents. Out of
twenty, eight are affirmative, twelve are mega
tive; we select the following replies. Affirma-
tive: When you get into a train, you enter a
private or public place, whichever you may
choose to consider it. In raising your hand to
strangers who will do the like to you when
they alight; tbs simple rule of good compa-
n.y.
"Here is the negative
"'Never whilst livel have paid for my
place. 1 take it and occupy it like the rest
they are prepared to growl at me the instant
get in, it is needless to salute Them
"Here is another negative:
"'No; no more need to bow in railway
than at a cafe or restaurant; you might as well
o,u r,0f-n
who bow; they either look nervously timid,
silly or like people afraid of the police
But the most remarkable sentence is this
closing opinion of the Editor of the Figaro:
''This last negative opinion is, on the whole,
our own!" Now upon this truly awful and
complex subject Of Continental bowling al
most hesitate to pronounce an opinion, but one
of two things is clear. Either bowling is essen
ta to politeness, it is not if it is, the infu-
ence of the crude Briton is rapidly corrupting
the polite Frenchman, who evidently won't go
on bowling without a return, in which case the
Briton is an importer of bad manners; or if all
this bowling is not essential to politeness, why
then the Briton is public and courageous
benefactor, model of good sense, and the
Frenchman ought to be thankful for being cor
rected.
1 should like to believe this, but have some
qualms. AS naturally practised abroad, GER
tain almost universal grace of manner, of which
this owing is a part, seems to me to add sweet
ness and dignity to life. L don't think it can
be imported into England, but confess I
should be sorry to see the Frenchman or Ital-
ian give up his bow in imitation of the Eng
lishmen las the Editor of the Figaro seems to
propose), as ! should be annoyed to see the
English shopkeeper adopt the foreign practice
of haggling over his goods. Alas! how truly
has some one said, "When nations meet, they
exchange their vices, not their virtues!" Per-
sonally as to bowling at home, intend to err
steadily on the VI ong side; but when l am in
France and TIA J, I intend to do as much like
the foreigner as l can, short of wearing out my
hat or wagging off my head!