Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-09-07
The Hog Family.
fu.xaar3s MapaziNai


The Hog family is not American, nor is
il by anv means peculiar 10 this country.
The Lady Mavourneen, who said with en-
thusiasm that she could trayel without In.
suit from the Atlantic TO the Pacific, and
that every American OF the other sex
seemed to make himself her protector,
said only what is generally true OF the
American. He Is is naturally courteous
and invincibly good-natured. Indeed; It IS
his good-nature which has permitted the
family Hog to develop to such proper
lions A man enters a hotel as II 1t be-
longed to him." VIII be not be forced TO
pay for his accommodation-and roundly
Shall he not take his ease In his Inn! Is
he not willing to settle for all the food,
drink, comfort, trouble. that he may re-
cure or occasion: Shall he put himself
ont for others? If No. does not look
out for itself, who will look out for II?
And to all this jonathan good-naturedly
assents. IL No. l takes more than his
share of the sofa Jonathan moves up, II
No. l puts his feet on char Jonathan
does not stare. ii No. still more grossly
demonstrates his porcine lineage Jonathan
dislikes to make trouble-until No. comes
10 despise those whom he insults, and PLAIN
ly expects every circle 10 bow 70 the soVer-
eighty OF selfshness. This is fatal form
of good-nature, but IL has not unklndiy
origin. Ii springs FROM social condition
in which everybody is expected TO help
everybody else, because everybody needs
help as in frontier community. indeed,
in many rural neighborhood still, TINS
spirit OF lending a hand is supreme.
Everybody expects TO submit TO neon.
yenience. because be knows that ne Will
require Others to submit.
But these refnements of mutual depend
ence must not be allowed to justify the
outrages of selfshness. The passenger on
the boat or the train who occupies more
than his seat. who sits III one chair. covers
another with his feet. and a third with
his bundles, and smokes and widely
suuirts tobacco-luice around him until
his vicinity is not "a little heaven" put
another kind of "h" below, is a public
nest and general nuisance, for whose
punishment there should be common
law OF procedure. But this can be found
only where there is q common contempt
and resolution which will deprive him OF
his ill-gotten seats in the first place, ana
make him feel in the second the general
scorn OF his neighbors.
But as we are told constantly and cor
rectly that we are reading people. IL Is
through reading that the members OF the
family which is hosts human 9e,ae,is VII
learn that they are the most detestable and
detested of the great families of the race.
You, sir, whose eyes are skimIning this
page, and who never give your seat TO
woman IN the street-car "on principle
the principle being either that woman
ought not TO get into crowded car, know
inp that she will put gentlemen to incon-
yeniences, or that the company ought 10
forbid the entry of more passengers tnan
there are seats, or that first come should
be first served, or that NO. i, having PAID
,sxl.t IN n
whatever other form the principle" may
sssnme-you are one of the host
against whom the crusade Is pushed. Thou
art the-well, for the sake OF euphony. we
will say man. but II is not man that Is In
the mind of your censors.
Or Won. madam, who enter the railroad
car with an air of right and . look or re-
proyal at every man who does not spring
10 his feet, and who settle yourseii into
the seat offered you without the ieas'
recognition Of the courtesy that oilers 1t
for Won il would be well If the urbane
mentor of another day were still here,
who. having given his seat TO dashing
younp woman who seemed unconscious OF
his presence, looked at her until she impa-
t,ently demanded If he wanted anything
and he responding said blandly. Yes
madam; l want to hear you say, thans
YOU" &C.,.
Both this sir and madam may learn from
the daily papers as from this page that
even in a car where they recognize no &C,
ouaintsnco . cloud Of witnesses around
bold them in full survey. and whatever Ia,
fashion or richness offheir garments, ano
however supercilious their air, perceiye
at once whether they. belong 70 tns
family OF ladies and gentlemen, OF 20 Una.
OF Charles Lambs Mr.. H." Thackeray'
hero could not have been more agnast q
see his divine 0ttilia consume with guste
the oysters which were no longer nest
than Romeo TO learn by his Juliefs ques
ton 20 that urbane mentor of other year
that his mistress must be Of kin TO the un
=. .,t ,cos hfs family