San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-08-29
A KICK AT THE TIMES,

| AlNiNoA A@ANhis
An old couplet, now almost forget.
ten, ran as follows:
"When Adam delved and Eve span,
Who was then the gentleman"
And 1t raises doubt as to the cor
rectness of the Specification OF the
much abused term of gentleman"
No one word in the English language
has been more perverted, abused and
misapplied. The calling does not
render men gentleman. Nor does
wealth stamp man gentleman. L
am aware that fashion regards all
rich as gentlemen, and all poor men
as Doors; but fashion is not the foun.
tain head of wisdom, justice and
truth. Fashion deems farmers, work
ing mon, clerks, &c. as not entitled to
their callings and pursuits are not re-
garded as genteel and elegant by the
400" who claim to be the sole pos
SCISSORS of gentility aud refinement
and riches.
1t is far easier to define gentleman
by negatives than by positives. The
man who lies, cheats, breaks his word,
practices deception, trickery and
fraud and fails to pay his debts when
he Is able to do so Is certainly not q
gentleman, however refined, elegant,
and rich he may be. He Is scrub and a
scamp in spite of his gliding or enamel,
his costly clothes and his wealth, his
lordly pretensiOn and his supercilious
lnsolence The newly rich, who have
but recently emerged from the grub
into the gaudy butterfly, affect the
most intense exclusiveD ess and the
most excessive aristocracy, and AFRO
gate to themselves the proud dis
tinCtion of standing in the fore
front of gentlemen; but, they nave
still to learn that the traits
and qualities of the heart, and not
the trappings of wealth, stamp men
with the impress of gentlemen. No
gentleman is ever a brvte in his
instincts or boor in his manners. He
is neither poltrnon nor a bully. He
neither fawns upon the rich Dor brow
beats and hectors those who happen
to be poorer than huns elf He treats
all with highbred courtesy, and is
never iDsolent or rude. The gentle
man asks nothing but what is right,
and submits to nothing thati s wrong
The traits and qualities of the heart
constitute the gentleman, and in
toll for their daily bread" are far
richer than many who plume them
selves on being double distilled
gentlemen, in virtue of their wealth.
A king may make men lords, earls
and dukes, but he cannot manufac-
ture a gentleman. He has no recipe
for that. AS Burns said of friend
of his, gentleman "derives his
ia ent of nobility from God" 1t is in
the core of his heart, not in external
trappings, or money, houses or equip.
ages. SnObs are plentiful-upsiarts
are numerous-shams are abundant,
they spring up like mushrooms
money il the hot bed that produces
them, but when you seal CHI tor q Ren-
tleman, pass by the army OF snObs.
upstairs and shams, and look for one
who is honest, truthful, just, kind.
sincere, loyal in friendship, open in
enmify, without envy. back biting,
insolence and haughtiness, and
courteous to all with whom
be ia brought into contact, regard
less of their financial condition and
social rank. And having discovered
such an one, 'grapple to him with
hooks Of steep and spare no pains to
win his friendship. There is wear
and tear in him, in abundance. He
will not cheat you, deceive you. lie to
you. SANDER you, nor insult you from
a feeling of lordly superiority. He
will not constantly remind you, by
tone, looks, word and manner, that
it is an exhibition of ineffable condes-
cens ion on his part, to tolerate you
In his presence, or to accost you, in
the most supercilious way imagin-
able.
Snobs, UPSTAIRS and shams en-
deavor to conceal their gentlemanli-
ness by insOlence, haughtiness and
rudeness and pomposity, gentlemen
have no occasion for erecting a screen
in front of them, and they disdain to
stoop 10 an affectation of unapproa ,h-
able superiority. They have no ap.
prehension of being mistaken for
snobs, upstart', shams or scrubs and
90 demean themselves naturally,
pleasantly and cOurteously.
MOIIJF r