The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-01-08
IN A. STREET CAR.
How Miss Barbara Discovered
the True Gentleman.

How Miss Barbara Discovered
the True Gentleman.
1--WE said it often, and l say it again,
that the women of u family have
always married gentlemen; yes, Ethel,
real gentlemen - not a rough boor
among the whole lot! As far back as
in the time of one of the Edwards there
was Sir Crawford, renowned as a most
gallant knight. And even in more re-
cent times, here in America, if we look
back, we shall find more than one Lord
Chesterfield-with much better morals,
though, than his lordship. But, for in
stance, there was Colonel Briarly Nor
ton. one of General Washington's Off
GERS, a most accomplished gentleman.
Even my father, the judge, was every
thing that could be desired in the way
of fine manners. Dear me! A gentle
man of the old school was he. Many is
the time I have seen him rise with
courtly grace and open the door for my
AAOu1CI W pass Out, pOWlhS do INV W
her as if she had been the Queen. So I
should think, Ethel, that the recollection
of what your ancestors had been would
keep you from bringing into u family
n who is as awkward as a plough
boy"-and having done her duty in air.
ing these sentiments, Miss Barbara Nor
ton, spinster, leaned back in her chair
and famed herself vigorously.
Ethel, her neutrality-suspicious., a
pretty, gray-eyed girl, with peach
bloom complexion and bronze hair,
looked up with an indignant expression
on her fair face.
Awkward as a ploughboy, did you
sayP Did you refer to Hugh Macdon-
aid, auntiep You do him great injus-
tice. He may be a trife reserved and
constrained in his manners, as men
who have been brought up without a
mother or sister generally are. but as to
being boorish, he most assuredly is
not"
ssBut place him beside Mr.. Lamar.
and see how he suffers by contrast?
Now, don't look so angry, Ethel. 1 am
an old woman, and have a right to my
sentiments. and a right to give express
sion to them. What / saw last evening,
too, convinces me that I'm correct.
Courtesy to old age, my dear, that is the
true test! l came in the parlor, you
know, while you were entertaining
your two gentleman friends. Mr..
Lamar sprang up, bowling as gracefully
as a French danclng-master. He in
quired with deepest interest concerning
my health, and paid me most delicate
compliments as to my looks. OF course,
I'm not so foolish as to care about the
latter, but 1 must say l do like to see a
man make graceful speeches. Mr..
Lamar's manners were just perfect"
You forget that it was Hugh who
who brought you a chair, and closed
the window behind you, when he saw
that a draught was blowing on the back
of your neck" said Ethel, dryly.
ibid he?'' rather nonplussed. 81
really didn't notice, ! thought it was
Mr.. Lamar"
Hugh never makes much parade
about what he does, and that is the
reason why he doesn't get the credit he
deserves"
Well, MI. Lamar brought me a
fo~otstool, anyhow! And he talks to
me delightfully."-. Your Hugh, as you
call him Il didn't know as you had
become so intimate as to call him by
his first name) sat as dumb as an oyster.
1 tried to draw him out about the last
opera, but he couldn't say a word"
at isn't to be expected that he
should. He's working very hard at his
profession, and spends nearly every
evening studying"
"Humph! 1t seems to me that YOU
know a great deal about his business.
He must make you his contidaut. But
profession or not, he ought to spend
some little time in improving himself,
so as to be able to talk intelligently or
social topics. I'm sure MI. Lamar
does, and l say again, Ethel, he's q
perfect gentleman. and YOU will dc
well to receive his attent. ons. Marx
my words, my dear, a man who is
courteous to an old woman is the mar
who is likely to make a good, kline
husband
A week or two after this, Miss Bar
bara went down town shopping, i
was a rainy, disagreeable day in the
latter part of March, and nothing but
a very important object would hav,
taken the good lady out in sucf
weather. But this object was nothing
less than matching a piece of blacE
brocaded silk which she was having
made to at an approaching re
ception, for, old as she was. Miss Bar
bara participated in and enjoved socia
pleasures.
OF course Miss Ethel, or Miss Stitch
all, the dressmaker, could have dom
the esrand just as well, but Miss Barba
IA. like many other persons of her age
was sure that no one could do it half S,
well as herself, and that unless she say
to It personally, there would be som
dreadful mistake in either design O
texture.
Accordingly, arrayed in an old wa
ter-proof and a black fur hood owe
which she wore a thick veil. for tn
weather was cold as well as damp, sh
sailed forth, armed with shopping-ba.
and an old Bingham umbrella.
Her appearance was neither becom
ing mol calculated to suggest affiuence
and the various dry-goods clerks, afte
the manner of these interes ting biprd>
treated her rather superciliously, an
showed no disposition to exert them
selves in behalf of their shabby custom
er, and it was not till they caught sigh
of a diamond ring under the coarse cot
ton gloves, and also the contents of
well-tilled purse, that anything lik
animation was restored to them. A
of which. being IL remarkably shrew
persos. Miss Barbara did not fail t
perceive, and her SOU was filled wit
wrath
''Hunph! Queer world. this sh
muttered to herself as she left the stor
and took her stand on Il windy stree
corner, waiting for u car. ''Quee
world! A rainy day and ,habby clothe
let one know just what one is wortl
Plague take those clerks! I'm sure
don't see why Darwin needed to hav
worried about his missing link!'
he'd just gone into a dry-goods stoI
he'd found lots of them! In my opil
ion, the average clerk is one grade bs