The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-22
THE TAKING OF ARMS.
A COmmon-Sense Custom which Is
just Now Much Abused.

A COmmon-Sense Custom which Is
just Now Much Abused.
New York Press.
The following letter was received by the
known reason, the questions embodied seem
to be agitating the feminine mind, it is CIV
en- In full with the reply:
PLEASE say in your paper what you think
stead of offering his own. A faithful reader
Up. A. r."
There is only one man In the world who
can be pardoned for the atrocity of taking
a womanS arm, and he Is the policeman
who arrests her for shoplifting or tries to
save her from cable or trolley car.
some other form @ Of sudden death Any
good taste and good manners deserves-not
to be shot but to be designated "a gent"
Common sense and custom have estab-
lished the rule that after dark gentleman
shall give his arm to the lady he is with
This not only signifies to the public that he
its comments and jostling, but enables the
two to keep easily in step. There are also
occasions during the day when a rude
crowd, rough walking standing in the cars
or lack of strength makes manly arm
doubly welcome to a delicate woman. In
short. the courtesy is beautiful in its sig
nihcance of the attitude of man and woman
1t must be admitted, however, that many
men are so ignorant so careless in their
manner of extending this courtesy that a
sensitive woman would rather walk with
both hands in her muff or her pockets IL
she dared than avail herself of II. Walking
behind couple arm in arm one can gener-
ally guess at the mans breeding and his
relation 10 the woman. The anxious lover
Is as easily detected as the Indifferent hus-
band. The former holds his arm at angle
acute with hope and tenderness and admir-
ably adapted to the height of the angel who
trips beside him. When she puts her little
hand under his coat sleeve his heart goes
out with thump to meet it, and it is with
an ill-concealed effort that he refrains If
~ to his side. as he biesses Himself that the
cruel world does sanction this one sweet
unspoken mode of communication. AS even
the sparkling and murmuring stream, his
whole being leans toward the tender Great
qre at his side, and, with a courage that is
delicious to contemplate, he protects her in
her innocent little alarms from even the
shadow of mouse on the sidewalk.
Then watch the married man. not the
band OF the average wife. He stalks along
as nearly like the red Indian with his squaw
in his tracks as civilization permits. His
strong arm, crooked at the feeblest angle.
hangs Imply down, furnishing sort OF
sliding scale for the slender hand that in
vain seeks for a resting place. Sometimes,
In crossing walk or mounting q step. the
slender hand slips away altogether. and
uraI brutalitv inddfference or iII-Sreadine
he asks why the something she can't hold
on, or what the thing-a-bob she's trying to
do now. She signs and says nothing
Better il is to couple just in the
prime of life and who have climbed it's
heights together so we'll and so faithfully
that they walk with one gait, just they
feel, with one accord; he with shoulder
we'll squared to the world and a strong
arm that holds with tender firmness the
hand that came TO him with the truest
heart in all the world.
Best of all to see is the venerable couple
whose bent figures and snowy locks are
beatified by the love of q lifetime as, arm
in arm, they descend the hill of life into
the shadows of the peaceful valley.
To return, however, to the purely prac-
teal aspect of arms-giving, it is well to-
add that in certain parts of the country
IL has peculiar significance. For instance,
we are told that in Wisconsin for q young
lady to accept of a gentleman's arm In the
daylight is almost equivalent to the send
ing out of wedding cards. and we know
this TO be so in East Tennessee. Right up
in the Great Smoky mountains, which Miss
Murfree lovingly depicts, the stalWart
mountaineer. whose six feet OF Drawn and
muscle become as so much pulp, will ap-
proach his divinity at a camp meeting or
picnic with the agitating query: Have
wing?' This is the crucial test. If, from
the depths of a fascinating sunbonnet
issues the cruel words. Il wouldn't give
shucks for chicken" then the mountaineer
knows his doom. If. however, through
those Bingham frills is breathed the ten
der words. II don't care if L do''-then
bring forth the magnolia blossoms and
ring the bells.