Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1883-05-19
A Talk With a Dude.


languid, somber and inert.
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 briskly
to and fro, laughing nurse-maids led
groups of rolicsome children to the
park, and even the cabmen whistled
and sang as they went about their work.
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
''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 a 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
a single glass, and he wore English dog
skin gloves, the color of ripe brick dust.
He held 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 a vapid mustache. But the
most noticeable thing about him was
the expression of his face. He meant
to appear naughty. Instead he looked
snsolent.
He was dude.
Presently another youth 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 boyp"
"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 a bit of
chop with some shandygaff. How are
youp"
"Oh, I'm fine, you know. I took a
tub this mawning, then fooled me new
cart up the avenue, and had good APP
petoit for breakfast.
Rathah decent fun"
"Yaas."
"See you at the club later"
Upon which the newcomer, with
face expressive of great exhaustion,
ambled away. The first youth still
stood in front of the hotel and gazed
indifferently about him. For long
time he stood there, while the Sun 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 been
interviewed. A little time passed and
then
~ beg your pardon" said the re-
porter.
"Owp" asked the youth, slowly.
II beg your pardon
"Oh," said the youth, and after CLAN
cling casually at the reporter he con-
tinued placidly: 81 don't remember to
have met YOU"
"No," said the reporter, thoughtfully,
while the youth gazed upon him with
immense contempt, "but | wish to ask
yon question or two about matter of
great Importance.
"Oh, you don't say! Rather an art
full idea, I'm sure. What did you wish
to ask aboutp"
''The dude"
The youth started, glanced sharply at
the reporter for an instant, and then re-
sumed the air of indifference as he said,
"WellP''
''There is a widespread rumor down
town that cat chased a dude up Fifth
avenue yesterday at sundown."
''Oh, / say said the youth, with
tranquil smile, ''It's quite too bad,
don't chew know, to put it upon the
er-aw-dude, y'know, loike that The
dudes not hawf as bad as painted!
Chased by cat-Hawr'
''No truth in it at ALP"
"Whoy, I'd lay a quid to bob any
tonne that it's. a pure guy" said the
youth, with some animation; "and I'll
tell you what" he continued, "the-
aw--dude, don't chew know, is wretch
eddy misunderstood.
"What is dude?"
"A dude" answered the youth,
slowly, lis gentleman. A cad can
never be dude. He must not be in
trade, but must have money. / dare
say there are dudes who have very little
money, but then they have blood,
y'kuow. But the point of the thing is
that the dude is the embodiment-er-
of the-ah-triumph of the gentleman
over the cad. You take what was once
known as a swell, or fop, OF dandy,
and it was never absolutely necessary