The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-06-15
BAD MANNERS.
A Lady Complains of the Lack of
Consideration Shown.

A claimed lady to gentleman en- s11an, who
and as she spoke held up to his gaze her
parasol
"What is 1t ?" he asked politely, although
at that moment he apparently could not
notice anything sufficient to account for bis
being so excitedly asked to observe the
article.
"Why, can't you see that it has been
broken, and that that woman who just
stumbled over it was the one who did it. l
declare, it's exasperating, the amount OF
rudeness that one meets with nowadays"
and the indignant lady paused to take
breath.
"How did it happen?" sympathetically
asked the gentleman.
I'm sure l don't know my parasoi was
not sticking out in her way, L can say that
much. But some people are so clumsy.
Instead of looking where she was going, or
thinking to lift her feet, she simply STUN
bled along, until she brought up against
my parasol. and now you see II, smashed
right across the point. Well, L suppose
that parasols are often in the road" con-
tlnued the lady. changing her voice and
giving nervous little laugh, as II ashamed
at having been betrayed into showing so
much irritation. Il often wonder II we
can cause you gentlemen as much annoy
you often do us with your walking canes.
Pray consider me too gallant to give Ut
terance to anything disagreeable, re-
sponded the listener; but l will say that
1t is as much as mans eyes or his new tile
are worth to walk alongside of some ladies
when they are sailing along under the pro-
tecting rays of full-Spread parasol AT
the same time | must admit that many men
don't know how to carry cane. and when
they're not sucking the handle they are
carrying it stuck through the crook IN the
elbow, so that if they make sharp turn or
a sudden step backward the cane will be-
come a great bore or battering ram, or
both at once. / think with you that there
is a great deal of unlntentiOnal dlsc0urtesy
in the world. l can't believe that people
are purposely impolite-that is, not all the
time. Often they are; but the majority OF
the happenings that yex US so are the re-
suit of sheer thoughtlessness."
You are right" said the lady. land l
earnestly wish that something might be
done to teach people to think. am con-
WINGED that the great mass OF people never
get over the streak of selishness that al
ways manifests itself in early childhood,
aud which is the object of so much dis
cipline on the part Of faithful teachers and
obseryant parents. Perhaps L was born
under Il particularly unlucky star, but l
seem to meet with great deal OF just such
an experience as this is.
Have you ever noticed how often two
ladies will stand on corner waiting 10r
carr 1t is easy to see from their attitudes
and glances, even if one be not near enough
to catch their conversation, that they in
tend to take the front seat on the dummy.
l have seen this again and again.
and then | have seen some great
man rush down from behind them.
swing himself into the coveted seat
before their very eyes, and comfortably
settle himself down to a selfish enjoyment
of room enough for two. while they are
forced to retire to the interior OF the car.
Then how often at party one is shocked
by evidences OF the groSsest rudenesS.
was at large reception gwen last winter.
and, do you know, one of the young ladies,
a member of an old and hitherto wellbred
family, made herself particularly obnoxious
to large number OF people by her en-
deavOrs to save seats at the supper table
for some Of her tardy friends. l always
blush Tor my sex when | see anything like
that. Then, at the Mechanics Fair how
often have seats been drawn back and self
ishly kept for absent friends while steady
parade of tired folk looked longingly-yes,
some even stopping and asking to be per-
nitted to occupy the seat for little while,
only to be told in the curtest of tones that
this chairs engaged
1t positively is not safe to stand before
a theater or the pavilion entrance in a
crowd, for there are always enough rough
spirits present who delight in pushing or
tlDUhlUB hllu pdLlC IL pOooLOio'
have had my pet corn trampled upon with
never a word of apology, although the pain
has been so eXcTuclatlug that L could not
fOrbear a Vince with its involuntary ouch.
Then have you ever noticed how so many
people force their way to their seats in a
theater? They come in late, and in pass
ing through the crowded spaces, they give
not thought to those seated ID front OF
them, but drag themselves and their wraps
to their places. and bump and knock the
hats of all who are in front. l wont stop to
say anything about the habit that some
have of going to the places of amusement
to hold Conversations. That is griey.
ance too well known to need more than
passing mention.
well. I'll tell you what dread good
DEAL" said her listener, "and that's the
flowing fringe on lady's garment, for it's
certain to catch upon button, and if it
should happen to become entangled upon
mans eoat-buttOn. the lady always looks as
if she thought the man ought to whip out
his knife and free her at once by sacrificing
the button"
~And have you ever observed" remarked
the first speaker. THAT a great many men
sit with their feet crossed in crowded cars,
so that every time a lady passes in or out
her skirts must wipe against the travel
soiled boot? | know that while you may
think that some ladies take up ever so
much more room in the cars than they are
entitled to, you must admit that they can't
compare with what a man can do in that
line when he really exerts himself. There
is a way that the men have of implantinS
themselves in corner aud pointing their
knees toward the diagonally opposite corner,
and it seems to take up enough room for q
lady and little girl.
But you must admit in your turn" said
the gentleman, that nothing can be more
uDgracious than the way some of the fair
sex act than when asked by & conductor to
I'D L nat thoxy np1d
not move up did he not stand and watch
them until they do. have often looked at
q row of them, scattered all along one side
of car, and wondered if they would make
room for some lady, but not one OF them
would bulge an inch. AT such time as
that it does me good to see lady assert
herself and demand her right by asking the
discourteous ones to give place. As for
moving so as to permit two people who nave
entered the car together to sit together, that
is absolutely out Of the question. They
wont do il"
"WelI," said the lady, although began
this discussion with growl I'm going to
end it pleasantly. and so III tell Of
courtesy that was extended to me to-day.
| entered a car with friend; she found q
seat and so did l. Then we spoke to each
other, speaking across lady who sat be-
tween us. And would you believe it, as
soon as the car stopped at junction she
said to me: Wouldn't you like to ex-
change seats with me so as to sit beside
your friend? l thanked her and took ad-
vantage of her offer. So you see there are
some good manners left after all"
az suppose good deal of it all depends
upon the attitude that we present to other
people," said the other, and the lady
agreed. DAZZLE.
A peculiar feature of Santa Cruz life for
nine years has been the annual rose fair, or
floral festival, held in May. The exhibit
ton last month was of unusual merit, as 1t
...4. In, e thrna anaunlant sncia.