Wichita eagle., 1886-09-12
THE "JACK-KNIFE' BOW.
THE LATEST FAD OF THE vAcUOUS-
MINDED SOCIETY YOUTH.

THE LATEST FAD OF THE vAcUous-
MINDED SOCIETY YOUTH.
The Proper Way to Execute the Move
ment-Odd I'm q Dance and Positively
Grotesque in Ordinary Social Lie
Other Society Characteristics.
The society bow this year as rracticed
by men is amusing to the easy going ous-
slider, untrammeled and unimpressed by So
ciety observances 1t is curious how fashion
runs to extremes The courtly, elaborate
and graceful bow of the eighteenth century
has grown more and more abrupt, jerky
and uneven, until it has reached Its pres
ent stage. The proper thing in the way OF
bowling this season would surprise jig
saw. The society man first comes to full
stop and places his heels together with the
toes almost touching, it being no longer
fashionable to turn thu toes out Then be
resolutely faces the lady who is to receive
the bow, drops his hands Imply to his side,
straightens up, and with a suddenness born
Of innate nerve the body is bent forward to
an angle Of IS degrees, and suddenly jerked
quicker the movement the more fashionable
the bow. The head must never under any
circumstances be bent forward, and the
only movement is from the hips When the
body bends forward it is the natural in
clination Of the arms to swing forward too
The society man prevents this by Shaping
his hands fat on the seems of his trousers,
and holding his arms rigidly in that posi-
ton the main element Of the bow is
swiftness. 1t is apt to leave the man a
little flushed, but as this imparts an agree
able color to the cheek no fault can be found
with il. The effect is rather cold in q dance,
but it positively grctes4ue in ordinary
social lie.
One night at the opera this season q
rather young man was sitting in Mrs Coo
let's box chatting calmly with that distin-
guished leader of New York society and
glazing at her through single glass An
other tall and slim young man entered and
made another little bow and sank into an
other chair. Suddenly Mrs Goelet disCov-
cred the two men, who sat with their knees
touching, were not acquainted, 80 she waved
her fan and murmured a gentle introduc.
ton. She is an exceedingly graceful
woman, and the pantomime was distinctly
Ineligible to the people in the other boxes,
all OF whom We're looking toward the box
for some reason or other. After she had in
troduced the two men they sat and glared
at each other for g moment through their
single glasses, and then sprang aloft as
though shot from trap, dropped their four
arms to their sides, made two jerky and
perilous bows which brought their foreheads
within sixteenth Of an inch of one an
other, and shot abruptly back into their
seats again The whole maneuyer was SO
absurd that an audible litter went around
the house, but the face of the lady to whom
the two gentlemen were talking was as Sc
rene and as unconscious as though she had
not noticed the comical and awkward ma
ture of the whole proceeding.
ABSURD IN DRAwING-ROOM
Tho bow is equally absurd in a drawing.
room, for the majority Of men do not bow
at all when they enter the door, but stalk
majestically across the apartment toward
the hostess as though imbued with the idea
Of running that lady down When he ar
rives within three or four feet Of her the
guest stops, assumes rigid position, springs
forward and then back in place again with
q snap, and then falls into his customary
and natural manner.
The jackknifs bow is only practiced by
society men when they meet ladies' As
though to even things up, they do not bow
at all to men. This particular habit is Of
English origin, and was introduced to New
York social life by the two favorite society
actors, Kyrle Below and Herbert Kelley
Mr.. Kelley recognizes his friends by look
ing at them in dainty and dropping fash
ion for a moment, then slowly raising his
eyebrows and dropping them suddenly,
averting his gaze at the same time. The
expression OF the face Goes not change in
the slightest degree. Bellows bow is even
less enthusiastically denonstrative than this
He simply expands the pupil Of the eye,
throws a CLEAN Of welcome therefrom, and
drifts with eifeminate .anguor ON his gentle
way. New 1 ork men Of fashion have fallen
into the habit OF recognizing each other
solely by the eyes and eyebrows 1t is per-
haps welcome relief from the severely
acrobatic bow with which they favor ladies,
and in sharp contrast to the local politician
who commonly greets his friends with
grandi!oquent wave Of the hand, stentorian
tones, and a general aspect of noisy delight
While speaking Of thu manners OF fash
ionable New York men it may be said that
the reserved and INEXPENSIVE demeanor is
still considered essentially proper, and the
man whose face is least expressive is usually
considered in the best form. Not that there
is anything solemn or ill-natured about it
the main object being to mimic as nearly as
possible the manners and ways Of few
blase men of the world who are usually &C
knowledged models in social matters
The more material characteristics Of sOci-
ETY. mon are trousers of baloon-like proper
tions, long-tail coats, hats with sugar-loaf
crowns, and horn-handle sticks No man is
so questionable to-day as the dude, and
pair of tight trousers on Fifth avenue causes
visible shudder to pass along that great
thoroughfare from Washington square 10
Central pcrk.-New York Letter.