Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-04-10
Awkwardness In Society.

1t is curious how very few of the men in
society" know what to do with their
hands. To nine men out of ten the pres
ent custom of leaving both hat and walk
ing stick in the hall while making call is
matter of positive misery, and makes it
decidedly case OF abandon hope all We
who enter here" What difference be-
tween men and women in this respect
Watch a man enter drawing-room when
making an afternoon call without his hat.
After shaking hands with his hostess and
exchanging few cursory remarks, and
may be being presented to some people, his
hands instinctively seek his pockets and re-
main there until he is absolutely obliged to
take them out, while a look Of boredom
and helplessness comes over his face Mark
the same man enter the room with his hat
in his hand; it is only an inanimate OBJ
ject; thing of cardboard and silk; but it
makes world of difference to its owners
comfort and presence of mind at that I'M
happy moment; it is something to handle,
something to rely on, and if conversation
fails him he can anyhow smooth it, and
have something to occupy his hands. At
musicale he can look inside, and for the
thousandth time read the makers name
and feel happy, as it saves him from gazing
at the chandelier, while his auricular sense
is being assailed by what he does not IN
derstand
A woman, on the contrary, will enter a
room without even a muff, chat with her
hostess, and eventually sit down with an
at-home air, which at all events gives the
onlooker the impression of perfect ease.
Then, at a ball, not one man out of a thou
sand can walk across the room when the
floor is empty, and walk naturally and nm
consciously. Into his pockets his hands
go before half the distance has been tray
ersed, and the man is happy once again
and drops the attempt at "swagger," which
he had assumed. Until lately fashion
allowed men a sheet anchor at balls, by
permitting them to carry crush hats, the
maral support of which allowed them to be
at all events natural and seem at case.
Why can not they carry them now? 1t
gave them distingue air, which at present
is sadly lacking. Women have their fans
and can toy with them Why not allow
the male sex small something to relieve
their feeling.
II this respect women in New York de-
cidedly have the advantage over the men.
and excel them in grace, but in another
way the male very decidedly has the ad-
vantage over the female sex, and that is
the art of sitting down. While not one
man out of q hundred is at home with
nothing in his hands, not one woman out
of thousand is able to sit down in a chair
gracefully and elegantly. A few, very
few, sit down, and their opposite neghbors
can not determine whether their shoes are
of English French Or American manufac-
ture, but these are quite the exception, aud
in very small minority. In England all
young girls are as regularly taught to sit
down properly just as they are taught how
to play the piano and sew, and that is by
practice. Consequently female shoe-leather
is by no means so apparent as it is in this
country. AT dances, more particularly,
this is noticeable, as movements there are
| more hurried, and the place music and
conversation hinder attention to minor de-
| tails, and the display of ankle is somewhat
alarming and often by no means captivat-
ing. Very few women have really pretty
feet, and the best made and best fitting
chasure will fail to hide defects in the pedal
extremeties. Girls do not think of this
| when they flop" down into chair, as
| many of them do, and should practice
| the art of sitting down before a cheval
glass before they perform in public, At a
dance recently given in this city man
present took the trouble during the ger
man to walking around the room and
make a count of the various degrees of
open-work hose visible. Out of about
| thirty couples only about five girls knew
how to sit down, the rest showing more or
| less ignorance or indifference in or to the
art That men do not like to see girls sit
ting down like this is certain, as the re-
| marks that are made constantly testify.
and surely they need only be once told of
1t to rectify what detracts seriously from
the appearance of many sweet, pretty and
simple girl.-[New York Hour.