The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1883-05-10
A Talk with a Dude.

Up and down Fifth avenue stages |
rumbled and roared, and carriages
whirled. The doors of the hotel
slammed necessarily, brightly dressed
women tripped by, men strobe bIiskly
to and fro, laughing nurse-maids led
groups of frolicsome children to the
park, and even the cabmen whistled
and sang as they went about theirwork
1t was cheerful scene.
The youth did not seem interested in
anything. Men who passed glanced at
him somewhat contemptuously, or with
palpable sneers; women looked admir-
ingly.
He was narrow chested, and his legs
were lank and wavering. On his head
was bell-crowned English beaver, with
mourning band two inches wide, and
around his neck he wore collar of pre-
posterous height. A drab covert coat,
such as Englishmen wear when riding to
a ''meet," was buttoned closely about
his far from robust figure. The gar
ment was so short that the ends of his
spike-tailed coat fell far below it, pro-
ducing weird and eerie effect. His
trousers were SO tight that the uneven
contour of his legs inspired pity, and
his feet were squeezed into long and
narrow shoes. Over his breast dangled
single glass, and he wore English dog
skin gloves, the color Of ripe brick dust.
He held a silver-tipped cane under his
arm, and stood with one foot far in adj
vance of the other. His hat was'tipped
back on his head, his hair brushed for
ward at the sides, and he displayed evil
dences of vapid mustache. But the
most noticeable thing about him was
the expression of his face. He meant
to appear naughty. Instead he looked
| insolent.
He was a dude.
Presently anotheryouth swung around
the corner. He was the counterpart of
the first, and their attire was precisely
similar, even to the brick-dust gloves,
They approached each other solemly,
and then the newcomer drawled;
"How are you, my brave boy?n
"Ehp Oh, | cawn't say as I'm too
brisk, don't chew knowp I'm freakish
to-day
"You look a bit queer.
"Yaas, I've been in the eating-house
here trying to worry down bit of a
chop with some shandygaff. How are
youPn
"0h, I'm fine, you know. | took a
tub this mawning, then tooled me new
cart up the avenue, and had a good an
petoit for breakfast
'Rathah decent fun
"Yaas.n
"See You at the club later"
Upon which the newcomer, with q
face expressive of great exhaustion,
ambled away. The first youth still
stood in front of the hotel and gazed
indiiferently about him. For a long
time he stood there, while the Su'l re.
porter remained in the background re.
garding him with reverential awe, and
rejecting that the dude was the only
thing in all the world that had not beer
interviewed A little time passed and
then
81 beg your pardon said the re
porter.
"OwP" asked the youth, slowly.
81 beg your pardon. ("
"Oh, said the youth, and after CLAN
cling casually at the reporter he con
tinued placidly: II don't remember +,
have met you"
''No," said the reporter, thoughtfully
while the youth gazed upon him will
yon question or two about matter o
great Importance.
"Oh, you don't say! Rather an art
full idea, Pm sure. What did you wisl
to ask aboutP"
1.-The dude, !"
The youth started, glanced sharply a
the reporter for an instant. and then re
sumed the air of Indifference as he said
"Wellp'i
There is a widespread rumor dow
I town that cat chased dude up Fiftl
avenue yesterday at sundown."
, '0h, / say" said the youth, with
! tranquil smile, "It's quite too bad
don't chew know, to put il upon the
er-aw-dude, y'know, loike that tn
dudes not hawf as bad as painted
Chased by cat-Hawl''
mo truth in it at all?n
/, "Whoy, I'd lay quid to a bob an
: tonne that it's pure guy said tn
= youth, with some animation; ''and l.
= tell you what he continued, "the
! aw-dude, don't chew know, is wretch
edly misunderstood y
What is dude?"
"a dude,'' answered the youtf
I slowly, lis a gentleman. A cad ca
. never be dude. He must not be i
4 trade, but must have money. dar
= say there are dudes who have very littl
\ money, but then they have BLOOD
4 y'know. But the point of the, thing
. that the dude is the embodiment--er-
y of the-ah-triumph of the gentlema
J. over the cad. You take what was ono
!. known as a swell, or fop, or dandl
4 and it was never absolutely necessar
for him to be gentleman. The pc
particular god Of swelldom was Bea
l. Brummel, don't chew know. and yet b
!. was not gentleman according to OIL
! English acceptation of the term. Still
h he snubbed the Prince of Wales"
o Would he not have been quite I
II effective as dudeP"
n "By no means,a said the youtl