Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-25
SLOvENLY AMERICANS,
Some Observations Upon the Habits OF the
Male Portion of Our Population.

Some Observations Upon the Habits OF the
Male Portion of Our Population.
From the Cosmopolitan.
The American, and allude only to the male,
is lamentably untidy-I hesitate to say unclean.
but do not hesitate to assert, and to assert it
vehemently, that the first clause is true of our
men OF all classes, stations, vocations and de-
grees OF wealth. It's evidences parade them
selves in our palaces. where lack of means
cannot exculpate. In fact, cleanliness, neat
ness and money have nothing whatever to do
with each other. Animals can teach
men important lessons in self-respect. An
American lady residing in London part of
each year. when asked suddenly what especial
superiority she found in the British over her own
people, replied naively, "Oh, their men are so
cleanr The thrust was as unconscious as it
was unstuded. 1t were well for our men to
accept it as such. Take one of our morning
trains and ferries carrying an average Ameri-
can crowd to the city Of a morning. Here we
have fairly representative variety of types
and Of classes, and sorry enough spectacle it
is which presents itself to our view even at this
early hour. Spotted clothes, unbrushed shout
ders, frowsy hair and frayed shirt cuffs are not
uncommon. When this herd returns at O. clock
after the struggle OF the day we will draw the
veil.
If meet man in the late afternoon with
uncertain finger nails. depressed collar and
soiled cravat and he laboriously explains TO
me that he takes his cold-water bath every
morning at q ana sea dip upon his return to
his country home before his late dinner, re-
fuse to be impressed. His assurances carry no
conviction, even though l do not for an instan.
doubt their veracity. do not care to be in
formed that he was clean early and
aspect is none the less revolving. 1 desire him
to be clean now, while l am in the way with
him, and not poison my day with his present
American. He shutfics with his feet Ills
head is sunk and held low between his Shout
boys, busy in his conscientious delivery
OF the brown paper parcel II he bow
to you he will either give you a grin and an
imperceptible nod, or shove his head gear
back and forth on his head without dignity
Nothing less impressive and distinguished can
be imagined than an Americans salute There
has been good deal of righteous wrath cover
ing the ill-concealed pin pricks of foolish
leaiousy in the TRADES OF our countrymen
against the American woman's prediction for
foreign lovers and husbands Pray remember
my indignant gentlemen, that femi-
nine creatures always allured by
externals. The male bird found it out
long ago, if you did not. Nor have always
discovered 1t certain assurance of mental
briliancy and moral rectitude that the poor
body should be neglected. This, however, is
the prevalent opinion, and it seems hard to
persuade our countrymen that it Is an error.
1t may be said that our women. on the
whole, are extremely clean in their persons,
their clothes and their houses. They are even
dainty. Probably no establishments are
more scrupulously well kept, and this under
that peculiar restriction to a proper
number OF domestics, which remains a tradition
even in our upper classes, and which 80 greatly
increases the difficulties of housekee ping. This
is a DEPRESSION. II the American woman be
martinez in the ordering of her home and SO
careful In matter of her costume, is it not
lack Of respect for her fastidiousness that her
husband. father and brother should. as they
must do, SO constantly shock her dolicacy?
There is a much-abused creature going about
in our streets and drawing rooms, hooted,
jeered at, made the laughing stock of the club
and the scapegoat OF the theater. q harmless,
mild creature enough as to retaliation-possibly
because he is SO perfectly self-satisfied-the
dude. Now the dude has done for Us a great
deal more than we deserve, for all the abuse
lessness. The dude has helped to institute out
of-door life among Us, which is excellent. and
over and beyond this the dude keeps himself
clean. All honor therefore to the dude. say I.