New-York tribune., 1882-04-23
BOBING on 4HE CONTINENT.
IT. p. Ho,reis in Eciqyor;o.

II. u. H0iccis IN BcigyGri0.
Perhaps one of the most agUnlzing incidents OF
foreign travel is c practice OF universal salutaon
standing with ones hat of out Of doors, when
addressing a lady, or III the presence OF government
tiunkies, Gaping people You never knew because
they happen to know the friend you are walking
with. bowng o the shOcblack at y0ur hotel 10 the
scullion in the yard, 20 the chambrruaid on the
stairs to the secretary, to the shopglr to the IN.
definite female character seated at the desks IN all
the cafes to the people at the table dhoe, IN the
railway or omnibus and | know not where besides!
We'll thought all tins was understood abroad; /
went about saving, How beautiful Is this custom.
how much we have TO learn III p0litencss" did
httle OF it with great difficulty myself, and PIE
tended 10 like it, ana looked surprised ana shocked
when anyone voted the whole business bore
Judge. then. Of INV astonishncnt upon reading the
following note IN the Paris FieGr0
Ought one 10 salute on entering q railway, onlnl-
bus 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 negative; We select the
following replies. AuIrnativc: W hen you get
into train, yOu enter private or public place.
whichever you may choose to consider it, In raising
vour hand TO vuur hat, Won simply act in polite
manner 10 strangers who will do the like TO you
when they ahght; It's Il simple rule Of good COM
pany.
"'Never whilst i live have paid for my place,
take It, and occupy it like the rest they are pre-
pared to gIowl at me the instant get III, 1t Is heed
less to salute them
" IicIc Is another negative:
"No; no more need to bow in railway than a.
n cafe or restaurant; you might as well bow on
entering a cifcus notice Tie people who bow they
either look nervOusly tlmld, silly or Ike 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 cur own Now
upon this truly awful and complex subject of
Continental bowng almost hesitate 20 pronounce
an opinion, but one of two things IS clear. Either
bowing is essential to politencsS or IT l. not if It
is the influence of the crude BrtOn Is rapidly cor
rupting the polite frenchman, who evidently wont
90 on bOwlng without return, IN which case the
Brton is an importer of bad manners; or If all this
bowIng is not essential to pOiteness why then the
Brlton is a public and courageous beneiactor
model of good sense, and the Erenchnan ought TO
he thankful for being corrected.
/ should like to believe this but have some
Guams As naturally practised abroad. a ceri4in
almost universal grace OF manner, ol Which thls
bowing Is "A part, seems TO me 10 add sweetness ana
dignity to life. | don't think 1t can be imported
into England bat | confess should be sorIy 10 see
fhc Frenchman or Italian give up his bow IN linta'
fion of .he Englishman las the Editor oi the fWlTo
seems TO propose as should be annoyed to see the
English shopkeeper adopt the foreign practice OF
harcng over the price OF his goods. Alas now
truly has someone said, " When nations meet, they
exchange their vices, not their virtues" Person
ally. as to b0wing at home. ! intend TO err steadily
on the wrong side; but when ! am ID France and
ItaIv intend to do as much like the foreigner as
can short of wearing out my hat OF wagglng OIL my