Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-02-10
AN ENGLISH CUSTOM.
A LONDON WRITER EXPLAINS THE
MYSTERIES OF HAT TOUCHING.

Only People of Different Social Grades
Who Touch to Each Other-Etiquette
of Servants-The Oyerpaid Cabmau.
Salutation of Ladies.
I have said that hat touching is an almost
universal custom in England, and it is
Every one INDUCES in it. But before go
further, let me explain that it is only peo-
pie of different grades of society who touch
their hats to each other. It has suddenly oc-
Cured to me that this qualifying statement
is necessary for the edifcation of those who
might otherwise think that gentlemen
touched their hats to each other, tradesmen
to tradesmen, servants to servants, and so
on. If gentlemen do, as occasionally may be
possible, it is only as a sort of mere elaborate
wave of the hand, or raising of the walking
stick handle when passing each other in
walking, or elevation of the whip when rid
ing or driving At all events, it is not the
kind of hat touching mean, or am here al
luding to. The hat touching to which l re-
fer is that which is mutually INDUCED in be-
tween superiors and interiors.
Of course, a mans own men servants touch
their hats to him If they DIDN'T they would
lose their places. So a gentlemans servants
must touch their hats to their masters friends
whenever they speak to them, or see them,
and this means when they pass them III
the roads. 1t is the sign of a gentleman's
servants, old fashioned people will tell you.
for them to touch their hats to his friends.
If they don't touch their hats, it is pre-
sumable that their master and his friends
are not real quality" no matter how rich he
may be OF how grandly he may live He and
they will be put down as snobs and nouveau
riches who lack the mellow tone of the true
gentry. All the laborers on an estate and
the villagers in a country village touch their
hats to 'the gentry" whenever they meet
The women and girls of a village stop and
courtesy in the roads to gentlemen or ladies,
though this is not near so common as it used
to be. So the maids and women servants
always courtesy to the master and mistress
when they meet them out Tradesmen, by
which are meant the butchers, bakers, fish
mongers green grocers and milkmen with
whom a gentleman deals, all touch their hats
to him
Tailors, diapers, upholsterers, hosiers,
confectioners ETC., are a cut above hat
touching, and raise their hats to their Gus
toners, there being wide range in the mat
ter of servility between hat raising and hat
touching. To all this hat touching there is
attached an obligation upon the person to
whom the hat is touched He must touch
his hat in return. If he doesn't he is not
gentleman. I don't mean upon the broad
ground patent to every one-lack of good
manners-but because it is the custom Let
me illustrate: saw, the other day, a wealthy
tradesman, draper who is much richer than
most of the gentry who are his customers,
and man who would ordinarily pass for a
gentleman with people who didn't know him.
l saw this man have a laboring man touch
his hat to him, and he didn't touch his hat
back. Had he been a gentleman he would
have done so. Of course, ladies can't touch
their hats Their return salute is a slight
inclination of the head-hardly a bow-to
either hat touching or courtesy. Nor do
ladies or gentlemen return the obeisances of
their own servants, either in or out of doors
except, perhaps, when the servant is met
in the street or road.
But gentleman isn't expected to touch his
hat in return to his groom or footman when
out with him on horseback or in carriage,
though both servants may touch their hats
to him every five minutes. So, when a cab
man ito whom you pay more than his fare
touches his hat to you Gin consequence you
are not to touch yours back to him. Nor to
railway guards and porters who are acknowl-
edging tips, or hotel walters ditto. If, 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 to you in (presumed) respectful recogni-
ton Of you, you must then return the salute
I hope l make myself understood If you
hadn't tipped or overpaid them, the chances
are you wouldn't be called upon to do So
Among other people who touch their hats
to you are policemen and postmen. That is,
the policemen and postmen on the beat which
includes your house. But one mustn't for
get the annual Christmas boxes which are
expected on boxing day for the policemen
and postmen. Stop subscribing to these one
year, and see how much hat touching you
will get. Suppose, too, you quarrel with q
friend, or have tiff that stops your speak
ing for a time. Don't you think his servants
will give up touching their hats to you when
they see you, if they can manage it? So will
yours stop touching their hats to him. You
are therefore quits. But it is pitiful in its
pettiness, the whole thing, when one comes to
think of it. To people who reflect at all, it
is living in FOOLS paradise-if one can fit
the expression to such condition of things
going on exacting, accepting, and liking hon.
age that means no more than the fear of con-
sequences, or the hope of gain in those who
yield it, and imagining that it means re-
spect
l do not mean to say that there are not
plenty of cases where hat touching means
what it is supposed to mean, and ought to
mean. But who will dare say they are not
in the minority! Of course every man, gen
tleman or not, should touch his hat, if not
actually raise it, to a bishop or other clergy
man, particularly if he be of advanced
years. This is, of course, chiefly out of re-
gard for the calling, though the man may
be also entitled to special respect. Every
one lifts his hat and remains uncovered i'll
the presence of the queen OF member of
the royal family. With most people, this
means only when she, or they, drive past in
the street. She and they. on such occasions,
always bow in return. So, when the Ma
tional Anthem is played, every man present
takes off his hat and keeps it off till the
band stops. This is whether the queen, or
members of the royal family, be present or
not. Army officers, whether in uniform or
not Gf KNOWN, are always saluted in public
by the soldiers of their own regiment, and,
believe, of any other regiment quartered in
the same garrison. This, think, exhausts
the hat touchers. "Cockaigne'sn London
after in The A roonaut