Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-06-27
MISTAKEN COMPLIMENTS.
Some Things That would Have Been
HCItnr IInAnId.


Better UnSnid.
1t is happily no logger necessary 10 enivcn
social intercourse with polite talsehoods in
the shape of open flattery, but the paying of
compliments is by no means extinct and ter
riblc bundcrs are frequently committed by
these who have learned the art imper.
fectly. PunchS sketches of 'things
we had rather have left uusaid" arc full
of this kind of mistakes. There
are many delightful historical instances of
mistaken compliments. There is the story
of the worthy French provincial Mayor see
ing a strange guest at one of his banquets,
and, DESTROYS to show cvility to the visitor,
asking his name. ole is the husband of
The celebrated Nine. de Pompadour,' re-
piled the person ntcrrogated Every one
knows that Nine de Pompadour was created
marchioness by Louis XIV. after quitting
her husband, and that her married name
was Nine. D'Eteoles. Court scandals, how
ever, had reached the cars of the good May.
or, who presently electrified the less innocent
| assembly by rising from his scat and gravely
proposing the health of chs houored guest,
Brun tells of an equally unfortunate blunder
committed by the cook of Russian Princess,
who entertained General Duroc when he
was sent on diplomatic business to St.
Petersburg by the First Consul. Mindful of
the nationality of the foreign guest the in
telligcnt mailre d'hotc complimentcd y the
Republican envoy by decorating every dish
with heur. deys, to the inexpressible conster-
nation of his mistress who feared Duroc
might consider this an intentional afront.
Sending for the cook after the banquet, that
he might apologize for his own mistake, the
chJ entered, expecting credit for bis astute-
ness. Madame la Princcsse secs that know
what is proper for great occasons"
There is a story that duriugth Franco Ger
man war the Crown Prince had occasion TO
compliment a certain regiment on their gal
lantry. It appeared that this regiment was
largely composed of Schcswig- IIolscners
"Ah, your Royal Iiighncss,' cried one of the
veterans regrctfuly, eff we had only had
you at our head in GA, no " we would have
beaten those rascally Prussans ~ It is al
ways dangerous thing to attempt to pay
compliments in a foreign language. "Voila
lie portrait de mon zero" (lcr0S), remarked an
English lady, pointing 10 picture of Napo-
leon, and was surprised that her French
guest did not appear graified by the remark.
Even worst was the mistake of the polite
trenchmln who remarked to an English
hostess that she was the pink of the company,
merely abiding to the color of her dress
and perceiving that the remark was accept
able, proceeded to apply a very uuflattering
name to her daughter, who was clad in
Quakerish gray, in bssfull ignorance that
the same word NAV stand for the name of
color and vigorous epithet not generally
used in drawing rooms.
Compliments to comparative strangers re-
qure to be carefully managed Sometimes
the compliment maker errs from over zeal,
like the depuatlOn Of French fishwives which
waited upon Louis NV. to congratulate him
upon the Dauphin's recovery, and commenc-
ed their address, "What would have become
of us if Our dear Danphin had died France
would have lost hcy all "a remark little
pleasing to the King, who was extremely
jealous of his own Importance. RochefOu.
cauld recommends Us to praise persons for
qualities which they 10 not possess and a
false compliment is often more acceptable
than a true one. Even great men have prid-
ed themselves on imaginary qualities
Rlchelieu would have been more accessible to
iiattery upon his literary attempts than upon
his craftsmanship Queen Elizabeth was
prouier OF her srant personal charms than of
her undoubted talents. Honest admirers of
the virgin QCeen's mental requirements
would have been less successful in gaining
her favor than the lllttercrs who could rave
about her loneliness at the age of seventy!
WOuld-be payers of compliments should be
careful to ascertain what real or imaginary
talents or quality the person they flatter
prizes most. Though,less people often COM
INIT strange slips of the tongue in the matter
of compliments There is a story of Louis
y q phn ,io q,
the quality of the wine Offered him on his
arrival. "Oh, your Majesty is to good thus
to praise our poor fare" said the Mayor,
Mustered at the unwon,ed honor of the visit,
and only thinking how to exalt the royal
condescensiOn. This wine is worth little
we have better in our cellars" (Which you
are doubtless reserving for a worthier guest"
remarked the King dryly During our first
expedition to Egypt the Arabs in Alexandria
frequently relieved their minds by addressing
opprobrlous remarks 10 our soldiers in the
streets, in many cases to the extreme salts
faction of Tommy Atkins who in his igno.
rance OF Arabic fanccd that compliments
were being paid to him by an admiring pop
llation. There often exists this kind ofmis.
taken compliment when the victim of sar-
castle remark is serenely ignorant that he is
being ridiculed, and accepts in sober earnest
he knocking fla,tery, Awkwardness of cx-
preston often transforms a supplementary
sentence into an unCivil sounding remark
There is story of a country foot hoy wait
ng at table and listening to the conversation
Of the guests Ole of the company was speak
ng of the differences occasioned by rank and
,ducation, and concluded by remgrking t hat
t all humanity was of one way there sill eX-
sted distinctions, as between porcelain and,
pottery. The foot-bpy, an intelligent lad
unprecedented the sentiment and when Dido |
len to call the nurse to bring the children
lessert, shouted up stairs eli Delft, bin
iown your little china ware