The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-21
SLOVeNLY AMERICANS,


Scathing Words About the Appearance of
the Average Business Man.
The American, and allude only to the
male, is lamentably untidy-I hesitate to
say uncfean, but do not hesitate to assert
and to assert it yehemently, that the first
clause is true of our men of all classes,
stations, vocations and degrees of wealth
Its evidences parade themselves in our
palaces, where lack of means cannot ex.
culpate In fact, cleanliness, neatness md
money have nothing whatever to do with
each other.
Animals can teach men important les
sons in self respect, An American lady re-
siding in London n part Of each year, when
asked suddenly what especial superiority
she found in the British over her own peo-
pie, replied naively, "Oh, their men are SO
cleanP The thrust was as unconscious as
it was unstudied. 1t were well for our men
to accept it as such.
Take one OF our morning trains and fer.
ries carrying an average American crowd
to the city Of morning Here we have a
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, un.
brushed shoulders, frowsy hair and fraycd
shirt cuffs are not uncommon. When this
herd returns at O'Clock, after the struggle
of the day, we will draw the veil.
II | meet n man in the late afternoon
with uncertain finger nails depressed col
lar and soiled cravat, and he laboriously
explains to me that lie takes his cold water
bath every morning at and sea dip
upon his return to his country home be-
fore his late dinner, | refuse to be i'm
pressed His assurances carry no convic-
tion, even though | do not for an instant
doubt their yeracity. | do not care to be
informed that he was clean early and will
be clean again anon. His present aspect is
none the less revolving Ldesire him to be
rdean now, while am in the way with him.
and not poison my day with bis present
forlorn performance.
The average American. He shufIles with
bis feet, His head is sunk and held low
between his shoulders. His arms are car.
ried like the grocer boys, busy in his con-
scentious delivery of the brown paper
parcel If he bows to you, he will either
give you grin and an imperceptible nod,
or shove his headgear back and forth on
his head without dignity. Nothing less
impressive and distinguished can be i'm
agined than an Americans salute.
I There hos been good deal of righteous
wrath covering the i'll concealed pin pricks
of foolish jealousy in the Trades of our
countrymen against the American woman's
prediction for foreign lovers and hus-
bands. Pray remember, my indignant
gentlemen, that feminine creatures are al
ways allured by externals. The male bird
found it out long ago, if you did not. Nor
have always discovered it a certain as.
surance of mental brilliancy and moral
rectltude 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 per
sons, their clothes and their houses. They
are even dainty, Probably no establish.
ments are more scrupulously well kept,
and this under that peculiar restriction as
TO proper number of domestics which re-
mains tradition even in our upper classes
and which so greatly increases the difficult
ties of housekeeping. This is 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 hus.
band, father and brother should, as they
must do, so constantly shock her delicacyP
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 the.
ater, a harmless, mild creature enough as
to retaliation-possibly because he is so
perfectly self satisiied-the dude. Now the
dude has done for US great deal more than
we deserve, for all the abuse that is heaped
on his good humored defens,vssness 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 l.-Julien Gordon in Cosmopolitan.