The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-06-16
SOME QUEER CUSTOMS.


from other parts of the world at the ex-
position. The Fort Rupert Indians,
after they had entertained a Boston
young lady till she had filled her note
book, said to her in fair English, Nov,
60 away" This is the custom among
these people, and a visitor would be
considered rude who should depart with
| out dismissal. And what a splendid
custom it would be in a land of bores
Next to the French, the Japanese are
the politest people in the world. They
receive all visitors on their knees and
fold their hands on their chests in an
attitude of prayer. When the words of
welcome, 81 am honored," are uttered,
the hands, still folded, are lifted to the
forehead. These people never shake
hands or kiss each other. A few days
ago Solo dancing girl saw two ladies
meet and greet each other in the Gus
tomary way and thought they were
fighting.
The Turks in greeting stranger bow
very low and remain silent until spoken
to. They will then shake hands in gen
uine American fashion. One Turk call
ing on another will never sit down until
after exchanging greetings, and not an
other word is spoken until coffee is
served. The Syrians, on the other hand
will not turn their facet to host before
being spoken to. When visiting a Syr-
ian it is the proper thing to take seat
with the back to the door and make no
move until the host enters and speaks,
when the visitor is supposed to rise and
bow
The Egyptians shake hands in a fash
ion of their own. The guest first grabs
the hosts thumb in his right hand, then
his fingers, with out moving the arm. If
well acquainted, he will, after shaking
hands, put his left arm under his hosts
right arm, reach over his left shoulder
and pound him on the back till he gasps.
The harder the pounding the more po-
lite. If he should be in need of a tenn
porary loan the pounding continues I'M
til the suffer can hardly breathe. The
proper thing for the latter to say when
the pounding has proceeded far enough
is 'What can l do for you?" On hear
ing this the response is like the follow
ing 1--WE quote it from the assistance of
those who are not successful at borrow
ing because they have not the gift OF
polite and timely specify:
do for me? Why my dear and hon
ored sir, your humble dog of servant
would not presume to ask favor Of one
so great as you. Thought of calling on
you yesterday, but it rained and feared
that you would not be in good Ihumor,
and might refuse me but then 1 want
nothing. Who am l that humble lol-
lower of Mohammed should dare to ask
of you my great lord and master, the
very slightest favor? And yet if it had
not rained yesterday should have been
fully inclined to ask you for temporary
aid, but to-day l would not think of
causing your highness any trouble.
Why should l, who am so lowly, ask
one for So for few days? 1t would be
an insult to you, one you could never for
get. What, you insist on itP l am to
to take this, am /? Now, really, as l
was saying, that one so low-but if you
positively insist,if you are sure you will
be deeply and terribly insulted if l do
not take it-but your dog of a servant
-"
That settles it. The borrower marches
out without thank you or goodby.
The same formula would be gone
through with for the loan of pound
of sugar. The Egyptians never say
word at parting. He simply gets up and
walks out.
The Algerian never bows; in shaking
hands the arm is never moved; in laugh
ing the muscles are kept rigid and the
sound comes from the throat. The AL
gerian women never kiss each other they
receive all their guests sitting down.
When young man calls upon fair Al
gerion, he is not to be frightened if she
let's forth startling yell, for it does not
indicate distress but delight
The greeting of the Dahomeyans is by
slapping the face, the visitor always
giving the first slap. If the visit is well
come the caller gets in return slap on
each cheek; if unwelcome there is no re-
sponsive slap. 1t should be explained
that love-taps la Sullivan-Corbett and
Queensberry rules are carefully barred.
The Americans get good deal of fun
out of these visitors, much of which is
not appreciated. They ridicule the
Turks because they wear Mother Hub
bard trousers, stare at the Algerian wom-
en- whose faces are covered, utter witt
cisms concerning the scanty raiment of
the Japanese women and the cost of
clothing in Java, while the barefooted
Dahomeyans come in for jeering re-
marks about natural footwear. If fat
man passes in sedan chair the whole
street is in an uproar intended to be hui
merous. In the restaurants the for
eigners complain of embarrassment in
eating because of American rudeness.
Not many of them are willing to concede
the superiority of American courtesy.
On the contrary it is not to be supposed
that many Americans care to exchange
their manners for some of the outland-
ish customs of the Orient.