Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-01-11
WOMEN'S MANNERS.
SAVAGE COMMENT UPON THEM by =
NORTHERN WRITER
A Richmond Society Lady Uses Our Cor
umns for Spirited
Reply.

81
mentsn there appeared an article called
"The Mannerless Sex" which dououeSs
ENJOYS tac sole distinction OF oelng .ne
most ill-natured and slsnderous charge
ever penned upon paper against woman
Though this may be the first hand 70
take up the gauntlet so ruthlessiy thrown
down. and the first tn uncouch the lance IN
defence of the rude attack upon her A'hu'
no reader of intelligent thought couio scan
those fines without curling lip OF scorn
and contempt of the littleness OF the argu-
ment that establishes an universal law
from some individual example OF extreme
cases, or the narrowness OF view tna' e,'-
IDENTIFY proceeds from some optical deiu,
sion-most likely from manneiiess
vision. in accord with the fact AL Is yell
low to the jaundiced eye."
FIAaRATT INJUSTICE.
II contains. moreover. expression OF sen.
timents which would mAngle the PRIZE o,
every sensitive woman with its peli-nen
orushinp of maledictions. but that al the
hrst rough touch of its fragrant in1usuce'
her spirit rises disdainful above enchiorces,;
And the arm of every chIvalrlc man wouln
he raised 10 strike and deny, but that IN
stronger and simpler defence, he has out
TO point to any true woman and say d.
hold it is false" :,
There is an old story of hoax which Is
famous because of having been atteinPteu
upon a famous man. On opening uoyu-
ment which had been sent TO MIN on tne
list day Of April, he found II 10 ,S Son, wnrds
April fool.n "Ahi" said he, cooiiy, 1
have often heard Of mans writing letter
and forgetting to sign his name, put never
before Of signing his name and forgetting
to write his letter" ..r
Very like this is our acceptance OF The
Mapnerless Sex We have often heard OF
a writer's revealing himself in his WORK.
but never before In his title.
THioKTRkY ON THE SEX.
Not Thackeray himself, the woman
bater in all the thick volumes OF bis orea-
tion bristling with the spleen Of criticism
on the sex, in fiery-tongued Becky Sharps,
simple. ally Amelia. and vain and selnsn
Reatrioe. has so offended womau's standard
of excellence as has this little, two PACED
squirt of over-bearing. ill-natured conl-
mountaineering more the symptoms Oh
grumbling dyspeptio than tho Just can
dor OF an adverse critic.
fender victim of jaundice and now de-
clarng him a prey to the glooms OF dys-
pepsia, | will make q more minute dag
nosis of the case, before rendering an
opinion of O com hcation OF diseases, Win
the advice, Physician, heal thtself."
woEuN's FoIBLEs.
In the first place the foibles which are 30
baeelv attacked are one and all merely
nettv buman Weaknesses, which, when per-
petrated. are 80 obviously without malice
aforethougbt or intent of evil that any
one with the smallest grain of charity
would feel that that were an easy test III
deed of their ability to Judge not"
For such, though, and upon impressions
based on exceptional cases, is woman ar
raigned and condemned. But eternal be
the praise that in this instance little
leavep of rudeness leaveneth not the whole
code of feminine society, nor one poisonous
weed in the garden argue that every flower
blossoming there IS vile. Yet almost with
ont reservation is this his first denounce-
ment: 81 have no hesitation in declaring
that the code Of manners followed in pub
lie by the average woman IA disgrdcefufp
inconsiderate, supcrldtirely selfish, and eras-
peratingly tnsoent."
THE BEAR.
After this somewhat foroible malediction
there is procedure of illustration in sup
posed verifcation of the wroth statement,
but which in point of fact proves nothing
40 conclusiyely as ahackneyed back-bltlug
of the typical specimen known as
bear wants the whole street-car to blm-
self: thinks that woman's knowledge
should be instructive. 80 she need not ask
questions; who brooks no interruption TO
his speech; no delay when he has called,
r. L,a NJ dutv itpnOrfant an0nQh
to detain her when man is waiting, and
she must have no opinion Of her own I'M
less it be of the mldest, most popular
flavor.
woMEN's DELAYS.
There il not point attacked in proof OF
the mapnerlessness Of the sex that cannot
be boldly parted, and without loss Of one
stronghold Of woman's true situation.
Among her horrible misdemeanors upon
which he dwells Is, THE needless delay q
woman often causes IN making her appear.
ance when visitors have called upon her"
In some instances when visitors have
called upon woman men have been
known to tilt their chairs, 70 toy with the
bric-d-brac, to pull the flowers TO pieces. to
lounge on sofas, 10 make other visitors
feel uncomfortablv out OF their topics. to
look at their watches and smother yswns.
MEMS MANNERS.
Does this establish the fact that men be-
long to mannerless sex?" Yet such
manners are considered trife moro of 0
breach of good form than delay, and
quite as frequently occurs.
Next is taken up "woman's behavior on
horse-cars." and her "senssless wrang-
ling" on the street corner after the car has
been hailed. Proverblal discretion" is
here not only the better part. but the sole
instance of this mans valor, for he
discreetly makes no mention Of the
known instance of woman, bun
dle-ladened, running to eaten car
all the men aboard see her run,
and though "disgrdcefttlly inconsiderdte VI
as the prerogative of the other sex, they
infringe upon 1t and do not think to touch
the bell but wait until the conductor like
wise sees her running. Then there is the
man of absorption who sits sideways in the
car and reads his paper studiously, while 0
fragile girl stands and swings uneasily 10
the strap above him. but this surely is not
evidence enough TO condemn the whole
sex, nor does IL.
ON RAILROAD CARS.
The railway station is another scene OF
illustration OF the mannerless SEX" and
there the mention il of fragrant in
stance of woman's rudeness," which is
nothing more nor less than her failing to
stand in line when procuring her ticket.
What would such a Daniel come to judy
ment have to say of the following case OF
few years ago?
A young woman in train was taking a
days journey alone, when a well-dressed
young man entered the somewhat crowded
coach, and seeing q vacant seat by her,
asked TO occupy it. She politely assented,
moved closer to the window and looked
oblivious of the stranger. Several times he
tried in vain to converse with her. and af-
ter awhile, stung by some unbearable i'm
pertinence, with flaming face she leaped
from her seat and called out I" Is there no
gentleman on the car who will protect q
lady from insult?n The next second the
william was pitched head foremost out of
the door, the train still speeding. Does it
stand TO reason because of this that all
men are scoundrels and deserve like fate
SPITE.
The next onslaught Of contempt is d.
rected at woman's spite, but it falls quite
rs fiat as stage champagne. As knowing
of no instance of reality forcible enough
for even the conviction of supposition, he
is compelled to borrow ammunition from
fiction for this load hence quotes = scene
from page Of Du Maurier. Two young
ladies are telling a friend that they will
attend fancy. ball as Cinderella's ugly