St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-08-24
COURTESY AND A MANS HAT.

COUEI ESI AND a MAN . h1A Il
A woman's role is to seem utterly obllv-
ious of her bonnet after the parting look |
into the mirror establishes the pleasing |
truth that it is settled safely and becom- |
ingiy. The man who forgets what he |
hiss upon his head is q boor, incoriglbly |
absent minded. The manipulation OF his !
hat is like spelling-lt must be learned |
early an thoroughly, or it comes hard, and |
is always a sklCJish possession.
A mother hahi'uatly indulgent to her |
children, cal her eldest born-a BOY OF
tea-back WI u he had left her on
street corner. Ihe lad covered under the
severity of eye and accent.
"Never dare 70 leave me in the street
again without raising your hat - said she
| 1t is token of respect you owe to every
woman, and never forget that your
| mother is q woman y
The reproof was double bsrhed. Asso
citation with mother ard sister is excellent
practice in an exercise that c3pnot be
| abated without injury to him who takes
the liberty. 1.-The fellow" who mods a
cavalier welcome or farewell to his sister
at the window or in the street, will, with
| the most gallant in sntions, some day, IN
a fit of abstraction, or when hurried by
business into forgetfulness of company
manners, nod as carelessly to some other
fellows sister, and score poir1 in favor
of the rival whose hand, from the iArce of
early habit and long usage, moves:anvol-
UNFAIRLY toward the cap brim at the
approach of any woman whose face is
familiar to him.
A nod is not bow.
To nod to a woman is open dlsrespect.
The mother who carves the two senten-
III, ort = hn mi n
of her boy builds 50 much better than she
knows as to merit the gratitude of her sex.
The bob or duck of the covered head which
salutes comrade of his own gender is
barely pardopable even in America. Stu
dents in foreign universities would be sent
to Coventry were they to practice it on
meeting in corridors or thoroughfare.
Equally general in older lands, where ex-
ternal courtesies rank higher than with us,
is the custom of dof1ing the hat on passing
a laoy-stranger or csuaintance-on the
staircase or in the halls Of hotel or other
public building In witnessing the effect
of the neglect of the gracious little cere-
mony in the country that furnishes the
best husbands in the world. it is impossi-
BILE to restrain the regretful sigh
J '"rhese things ought ye TO have done
and not to leave tAe other uDdone y
These undoings are carried to dis
graceful excess rs we descend the social
: scale. The lower we go the moro scanty
is The observance of the etiquette and NOR
sliJies of the hat, until we are forced to
/ consider the important adjunct to outdoor
toilet as an almost infallible barometer OF
. breeding. Respect the rules regulating
. its management in refined circles is the
last sign of better days and better manners
/ with which the decayed gentleman parts.
When his hand forgets the way to his
e hat brim, he is very near the foot OF
y the hill What slangy lad once called
in my hearing 1.-The hat-trick,' is like
t wise that which the self made man OF
g plebeian extraction is slowest to learn.
s have seen millionares forget to remove
II their hats in superb drawing rooms.
v One of the most Notifying experiences
:. of nv earlier married life was the visit tt
y our country-house of distinguished man
IS thsn whom the State held none ADLER o
u his profession. We had invited severa
. friends to meet him, and the dinner givel
n in his honor passed off smoothly. The liol
roared in perfectly satisfactory manner
e winning universal admiration. Coffee wa
served on the veranda, and the evenln.
IS being cool, the great man called for hi
or hat. He might have asked permission
t from the women present to assume 1t, W
70 thought, but orators must preserve thei
vocal cords from rust AS the chillines
he increased we adjourned to the library
ie where fire had been kindled. There, i
the assembled presence of our choices
," neighbors, the great man wore his ha
until the hour of separation The lnfel
Id ence born out by subsequent discoveries
was inevitable. He was a commoner c
lg the commonalty and vulgar ingram.
III ought to have been impossible for him
commit such breach of good manners
rs any circumstances The varnsh of su,
l face - and customed-courtesy, iB
1g other cheap and patent dressing, require
cd FREQUENT renewal, and cannot be warrante
to wear.
As a grateful contrast, / offer anoth'
authentic incident A true gentleman
an driving through the country with his Wi
and children, stopped at small tarn
g. house to inquire the way. A child on II
SO front seat of the carriage had view of nj
IN as he knocked at the door.
rk "Papa's talking to lady" chirped tt
little one | can't see her, but | know, b
|ly cause he took off his hat when the do
No opened, and he is standing with it in
til hand"
The Gladly" followed him to the steps
k he returned to the carriage. Her sleev
1st were rolled up to her shoulders she wo
ok a shabby calico gown without colaf. II
to hair was unkempt, her arms and han
dripped with suds. Her parting directio
,e, were shrilly nasal and ungrammatical. L
ng man who appeared beside her was prin
beside a serf, stood with his noble he
lex barred as in royal presence.
lex s.How could your" queried the quic
IBIS eyed occupant of the front seat. IS
er- wasn't bit of lady"
ssshe was woman, my boy; and q
tIernan is always gentleman for his o.
sake"
lor MEN do no end of pretty things W
1 is their hats" sighed belle to me. 81
: tn tactics of that useful article (maseuli
And are sciepce-one of the fine arts
m" two thirds of them don't half apprfci
hen their privileges in that line, or susp
to their possibilities"
/ saw a man who calls himself gent
heir man kiss his betrothed the other d
Ing with his hat set on his head as if it
"In grown there with his growth, 1
ace, strengthened with his strength?
al Fancy a condition of mind and b.
that could make such thing practice
by in Christian land, and the ninetee
oeo- century.
his
ther A Workingwomen's Society forme'
lany Detroit, Mich, ten years ago to care
min girls out of employment and secure sit
mon tons, has just dedicated magniti