Wichita eagle., 1886-08-20
1ailsE gaele
THE "JACK-KNIFE' BOW.
THE LATEST FAD OF THE VACUOUS-
MINDED SOCIETY YOUTH.

The Proper Way to Execute the Move
ment-Odd in a Dance and Positively
Grotesque In Ordinary Social L;ss-
Other Society characteristics,
The society bow this year as practiced
by men is amusing to the easy going ou5-
Sider 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 a full
stop and places his heels together with the
toes almost touching, it being no longer
fashionable to turn the toes out Then he
resolutely faces the lady who is to receive
the bow, drops his hands Imply to his side,
straightens up and with suddenness born
OF innate nerve the body is bent forward to
an angle of 45 degrees, and suddenly jerked
back into an upright position again. The
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 slapping
his hands fiat 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 it. The effect is rather cold in dance,
but it i positively grotesque in ordinary
social lite.
One night at the opera this season
rather young man was sitting in Mrs Goe
let's box chatting calmly with that distin-
guished leader of New York society and
glaring at her through a 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, SO she waved
her fan and murmured 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 were 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 a 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 brooght their foreheads
within a sixteenth Of an inch of one an
other, and shot abruptly back into their
seats again The whole maneuver 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 So
o,,I a.
not noticed the comcal and awkward ma
ture of the whole proceeding
ABSURD IL a DRAwING-RooM
The 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 En-
rives within three or four feet of her the
guest stops, assumes rigid position, springs
forward and then back in place again with
snap, and then falls into his customary
and natural manner.
The jack-knife 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
AOh n SoCidl hAc ny luo Two laNOTlLe society
actors, kyrle Bellew and Herbert Kelcey.
MIR. Kelcey 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 does not change in
the slightest degree. Bellows bow is even
less enthusiastically demonstrative than this
Ho sir ha of tLo
throws a CLEAN of welcome therefrom, and
drifts with effeminate languor on his gentle
way. New York men of fashion have fallen
into the habit of recognizing each other
solely by the eyes and eyebrows 1t is per-
haps a 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 a
grandiloquent wave of the hand, stentorian
tones, and a general aspect of noisy delight.
While speaking of the 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 ac-
kncwledged models in social matters
The more material characteristics OF soci-
ETY. men 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 a
pair of tight trousers on Fifth avenue causes
a visible shudder to pass along that great
thoroughfare from Washington square to
Central park.-New York Letter
TRAPS for Catching Porpoiscs.
The trap commonly used to catch them
with is large net OF strong rope, which is