Telegram-herald., 1888-01-18
An ENGLISH CUSTOM
TIE N4sTesiEs OF '4AT ToUcrsG-
0aty YsseIs sf Dsnsrsat sseizl Grss<s
whs Fsseh - E.ss Oths<- Esiasstts
AZ s<Fs44fs Fks ossFpais csesza
-szs9s.ff8a Sf Ladies'

uni Fersal cEfsfo18 - k1S szzad, ent is -
Every oas indsizes tn if Eut 5efers l 20
further iss sse sxpisin thzs it Is only pet
pls Il dlsersat xraaes u society wSo touch
thsif has . sah otoer. L hss sl.siaEDiy -
saFrsd u sac tk4s Eais qasiifJins ststs<aeEt
= ascss@aTy for as - a ssion Il taess whs
might oiasrs.se thlak th4s gsatsesnsa
Jeueae.i s4slx haGs ~ e4z a eth@r. tlsdsss1lea
g. tfs.slsssne1. servants 70 servants aad -
9n II zsEf ienisn a.. a. Occasionally may te
poss.Ass it IS saly A. = scrt n mere elaborate
xays II he haad, % raising ef TOE salking
sfick nsn.ie sheu sssssRg seeh otssF ih
salksaz. or elevation of Tie wAip When rid
inz or iFiyiax At al sveats, It = not tie
Kind u hat touealnx | mean. or am here al
is4,iinx 20 The hat to4ealax 10 Which re-
tsr Il thar which IS mutually INDUCED ia BE-
sxeen superi0rs aud interiors
Of course. a nisns own men servants touch
thsif hzts 70 Ain. II they didn't tney would
loss their places. So a gcntlenisns servants
must touch their Aats ~ bear masters friends
Whenever they speaa - them. or ses them,
and this means wien they PAS thsm in
tee FosslS Il . ths sizn of a gntlsnans
servants. eid fashiOned peopis siii tell ygu,
Tor them u t0ui b fhslr hats 20 bis friends.
IL they aeat touch their hats, IL IS PRE-
umahie thar their master and MS friseds
are not real quality no matter how rieh he
may b. or hos sraidiy be may i've. He ard
they Vii BE- "a. down ss ssl0bs and n0uyeau
rcaes. who lack The mellow tone Of the true
gentry. All the labsFers on an estate and
the villagers In a country village touch their
hats 70 ''tns gentry" Whenever they meet.
The women snd girls ol village stop and
courtesy In ne roads % gentlemen 0r ladies'.
though this = not near 50 common as IL used
~ be. 10 the maids aud women servants
always COURTESY 10 the master aud mistress
vhsn they msot them cut Tradssmen, nv
which ars meaut the butchers. bakers, fish
uongers, green grocers and milkmen with
whom gentleman deals all touch their hats
- him
Tailor~, drapers. upholsterers, hosiers,
conse,tloners, etc. are a cut above nat
touching. and raise their hats 20 their Gus
TONERS. there being a vide range in the mat
Ter OF servillty between hat raising and hat
touching. To all this hat touching there Is
attached an obligation upon the person TO
whom the hat il touched He must touch
his hat IN return II he doesn't be Is not =
sentIeman. I doa't mean upon the broad
ground patent 10 every one--lack OF good
me ilinstrsts ! saw. the other day, a wealthy
tradssmsn. draper who Is much richer than
most Ct the gentry who are his customers,
and Inaa who would ordinarily pass for a
gentleman with people who didn't know him
saw this man have a laboring man touch
bis hat 10 him, and he didn't touch hts hat
back Had he been a gentleman be would
have done 80. OF course, ladies can't touch
-. - Irsa l. f,,~...
inclination Of tire head-hardly bow-to
either bat touching or courtesy. Nor do
ladies or gentlemen return the obeisances of
their own servants, either In or ont OF doors
except, perhaps, whsn the servant is met
In the street or road.
But gentleman isn't expected 10 touch his
hat in return to his groom or footInan when
out with him on horseback or in carriage,
though both servants may touch their hats
% him every FIVE minutes. So, when a cab
man 90 whom yon pay more than his fare)
touches has hat % you lin consequence you
are not TO touch yours back TO him. Nor TO
railway guards and porters who are aclxnowl-
el-iug tips, or hotel walters ditto. II, how
ever. you By any chance met and saw either
cabnan, guard, porter or waiter in the street
or road afterwards, and they touched their
hats 10 YOU in presumed respectful recoSni-
ton Of YOU, You mus. then return the salute.
I hope ! make myself understood. IL you
hadn't tipped Or overpaid them, the chances
are you wouldn't 10 called upon to do 80.
Among other people who touch their hats
/ 10 you are policemen and postmen That is,
the policemen ard posinen on the beat which
I includes your housc. But ono mustn't for
get the annual Christmas boxes which ara
expected on boxing day FOR the policemen
( and postrnen stop subscribing 10 these. one
I year, .nd SEQ hos mach hat touching you
/ will get. Suppose. too, you quarrel with a
+ friend, or nave tiff that stops your speak
Ing for time. Don't you think his servants
viii give Up touching heir hats 20 you wher
they see you. Il they can manage iti SO wii
/ yours stop touching their hats 90 him You
are therefore quits. But it II pitiful in it:
pettiness. the whole thing, when one comes &c
think Of u. Tc people who reflect at all, il
Is living in fools parudise-if one van al
the expression to such condition OF things
l going ON sxacting. accepting. and liking hom
az. that means no more than the fear of con
sequences, OF tn, hope OF gain in those who
I Yield 70, and imagining that IL means re-
spect.
do not mean 20 say that there are not
/ plenty OF cases where hat touching meani
what It is supposed to mean, aud ought Z,
mean But Who will dare say they are not
in the minority OF course every man. gen
/ tlefnan or not. should touch bis hat, If no
/ actually raise Sc. % bishop or other clergy
/ man. particularly IL be be of advance
yesrs. This is, of course. chiefly ont Of re
gard fer tae cclan-. though he man maj
be aiso entitled O. special respect. Ever,
one iifts his Rat and remains uncovered Il
the presence of the queen or nefnher o
the royal famliF VITA most people, thi
/ means only wheu sHe. IS tesy, drive past II
the ssreet. Si'r and they. en- such occasions
! aivaTs bow IN rgsnrn 81. shen tho Ma
tions.l Anthem IS played. every faan prs>en
takes or his bet and seeps it of tia th
band sfofe This Is whether th- queen. o
riefnbefs q The royal family. 10 present q
not Army sliiccrs. whether in Uniform O
not ~ known. are always s,zla5ea pa puldl
~ las soldiers of their own regiment. and
I believe, sf sny other regiment g.iarterssi 4
tae ssfne garrison. This, I think. exhaust
the hat totlehers Goo kaigne's' Loado
letter IN The ArgouaEt.