Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1885-07-07
rar ,hs IIomsmahsr., ooIamn.


odical, circulating among the most inas-
euiiAl el...c. IN Grat Britain. IL will
be vel tor u 10 rssd and ponder. ls.i.
IN our regard for Engli.h customs. ~e
fAll into the unoourtcOusness % apparent
In Enslsh social life:
mo one wishe. English women % lose
a line Of thu, straightforward truthful
ness born o. the courage u their ehafse'
ter. and the hardihOod Of their habits,
Which certainly distinguish them favot-
ably enough from their softer and more
slippery SISTER. u the cas-, and soaih.
We DO no, want q see our men shorn Of
their inhsrrn, elf respect We do no,
ask that their backbone. shall b. more
supple. their upper lips les. tiff. accord
ins 70 the American phrase, than these
are now. Nor 90 ~e want 10 see our
women degenerate into graceful creatures.
stuffed fall q the feathers Of hai,ery and
the sugar of lies. Ba, = the mos, siflle
.elf.rspeci incon.i.,en, Nth general 20
l,sns,s ia ,,ia upper lip necessarily
synonym Gus with brutality and mus,
women b. rude because they are straight
for~ard. and insolsnt Ia proportion TO
their courage
Englshmsn 10 their osn women arr
both helpful ard protecting, II little more
ma,ierful than some Of ,ho-e women
hle; generous and giving. u alwsys
mote than . little ovrrbesring 10 al ersa.
turr. that are ~eakrr than themselves.
When the ladies ~ party are their pfi-
vsie friends. or b.lons 10 their osn &c
ial family. they may rely on being ir,s''
"a Nth consideration. and protected
against annoy anoss, dangers. and the
cons. qasnos. u Their osn comparative
seaknss. When they ate strangers, and
~iihoui private claims. they sill fad the
tables. fof the mos, part, TUNED They
are more selfish than the ordinary fereisn.
- and they are not % polite. To Illus.
tra,e thu. self.hnsss The other day a
young a very pretty ~omAn. ~i,h eyes Of
ihe Kind supposed 10 BE- able - melt the
typical ice. VS. on the point q stepping
up into an omnibus where only one ssai
"a. left. A well-dr,s.cd. vel. goiien up
man q about thirty. pushed her fudely
aside a. BE- srpang up the steps ADD ioJk
the vsean, place
The annoyance. % which young women
travelling alone ate often subjected i
again BY no means a proof ,ha, oar 70.
hienss. = intrinsic. II lady meet. an
ordinary young EnglishmAn. ~ho does
not Know her. she meets some one ~hp-
f0r the most part, Ne must never forget
there are exosp'ions-docs no, hold her
~orthy OF polieness, and ~ho does no,
~ out Of b. Nay 10 shos her any II
~, BE- pretty h. s'ar,s o, tsr. psfhaPs
.milc-. perhsP' 'Pesks; Il she BE- Of no
personal atiracuseness. and has only her
~onAnhood a. her claim. be- leaves her
emphaucally TO herself Whatever she
may be about 10 do--,o pass through a
door~ay. enter a rsil~ay carnage. or sn
omniba.. be pu.hs. pas, her, though no
one i. hurried for time. and lets her fol-
low m.ekly after The elder men arr
mote Courteous. They retain s,ill q crf-
taiu .sor of The stately old times ~h.n
mauusf- wsfv part Of gent!smsns Edo.
cation, aud pOiiicnoss VAS one OF The
pOluts OF distinction Dstseen Cooftlyf
aud = bOor Il seems 80 strange - those
accustomed ~ other ways To see rupsrp
masasr come stridiug intO place where
ladies already srr. Win no more acknOwl
c1gmcnt II their Presence than N thyy wtft
so msny parcels from the dfap-ry establish
meut over the way lie scrspvs against
their feet. aud prooaDly leaves the MARI.
OF bis own on their skirts; pushes past
their faces. Threatening heir eyes With his
cane Or umorvlls; but he l. careful not 10
make IN apology, not ~ show that he has
Offcudsd against suy canon OF goOdbre,d-
igu, thlaking al. indid rcacc sll save sp-
pearances aud serve him as q cloud where
10 the shape of his misdemesnOrs will b.
obscufed. II there are too few seats for
passengers or sight-seers, the modern
masher would a. soon think Of saying sir
To bis father A. OF giving up his seat -
woman. lie does not see that ladies are
rtAndiug -celicste girls, fragile women.
old creatures past their Slgor. lie sits
there In that same sublime atmosphere OF
Indifference which he has cultivated ss he
has cultivated bis mgstache, and takes
care OF a. be takes care OF ais complexion
So be goes on his way. this stu backed
masher who dlsdsibs the smallest pretenss
Of courtesy To unknOwn ladies, and the
elders Of the generatlon, wonder aud think
that times were better when young men
dld not pat their hands In their pockets,
aud took their cigars cot Of their mouths,
and their hats of their heads while In the
presence OF ladies-when q woman was
sure Of chair In public places where young
men were seated and she was Standing
aud when there was some kind OF conyen-
tiOnal respect 10 st least simulate reality.
whether there or not. With women the
same lAmentAble lack OF courtesy obtains.
10 passing you Into q theatre or into
crowded csrriage-whatn ot-womem tum-
Ole along snyhow, disdsin the aids and
supports provided by the management, and
help themselves along by the shoulders
aud arms Of their fellow passengers. Bat
they are careful not 10 say "thsnk yoa"
for the loan Of q friendly hand Perhaps
some OF all this slAckness Of manner has
come about BY the women themselves, and
perhaps u Il they who have set the nrst ex-
ample. They smoke and dress, and try 10
be A. like 10 men ~ possible. They bet,
talk loosely, Joke broadly, and discass eve
cry Kind OF doubtful subject a. their grand
mothers might have discussed recipe for
making Jam. They are msnnish In their
ways, insolent 10 each other, and many OF
them sfect certain brutality ~ . kind OF
chic on all sides politsness Is ct discount
aud modern manners have drited from the |
standard Of Col. Newoome Just - his had
drited from that OF Sir Charles Grandson. |
IL Is pity. A little general courtesy and
the ackno wlsdgment OF common human
lty would do so much We need not be
dancing dogs nor performing monkeys nor
craven tosdles W be polite men and cour- |
teous won N 10 be considerate, unselnsh, |
and gracious. And 10 seems 10 rs that
slight recognition ofstransers hurts no one
and establishes . kind OF atmosphere oil
general suavity-whieh IL far better than
that Of general insolence and discourtssy."