Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-01-19
Arm IN ARM.
INTERESTING DISCUSSION OF n
SOCIAL CUSTOM.
A Beautiful Courtesy Showing tho
Attitude of Man and Woman-
The Lover and the IIus-
bands Way.


seem to be agitnting the feminine
mind, it is given in full with the reply:
To the Editor OF The Press
Dear Sir-Please say in your paper what
you think about u gentleman taking u lady's
arm instead of Offering his OVID. A faithful
reader, Z. A. IL.
There is only one man in the world
who can be pardoned for the atrocity
of taking II woman's arm, ald he IL the
policeman who arrests her for shop
lifting or tries to save her from cable
or trolley chr OF some other form of
sudden death. Any other man guilty
of such massacre of good tasto and
good manners deserves--not to be shot,
but to be designated ga gent"
Common sense and custom have es-
tablished the rule that after dark a
gentleman shall give his arm to the
lady he is with. This not only signi-
fes to the public that he is acting as
an escort, and saves hor from its COM
ments and iostling, but enables tho
two to keep easily in step. There are
also occasions during the day when u
rude crowd, rough walking, standing
in the cars or lack Of strength makes u
manly arm doubly welcome to deli
cate woman. In short, the courtesyis
beautiful in it's significance of the at
titude of man and woman.
1t must be admitted, however, that
many men are SO ignorant or SO care
less in their manner of extending this
courtesy that n sensitive woman would
rather walk with both hands in her
muff or her pockets if she dared than
avail herself of it. Walking behind
couple arm in arm, one can easily
guess at tbs mans breeding and his
relation to the woman. The anxious
lover is MS easily detected as the indif-
ferent husband. The former holds his
arm at an angle acute with hope and
tenderness and admirably adapted to
the height of the angle who trips be-
side him. When she puts her little
hand under his coat-sleeve his heart
goes out with II thump to meet it, and
it is with an i'll concealed effort that
he refrnins, if he does refrain, from
pressing it passionately to his side, MS
he blesses himself that the cruel world
does sanction this one sweet, unspoken
mode of communication. AS even the s
noblest, strongest tree inclines toward
the sparkling and murmuring stream,
his whole being leans toward the ten
der creature Mt his side, and, with
courage that is delicious to contem-
plate, he protects her in her innocent
little alarms from even the shadow of
mouse on the sidewalk.
Then watch the married man, not
the ideal married man, but the aver
age husband of the average wife. He
stalks along rs nearly like the red In
dian with the squaw in his tracks as
civilization permits. His strong arm,
crooked at the feeblest angle, hangs
Imply down, furnishing sort of
sliding scale for tho slender hand that
in vain seeks for resting place.
Sometimes, in crossing walk or
mounting step the slender hand slips
away altogether, and then, in accord
ance with his degree of natural bru-
tally, Indifference or ill-breeding, he
asks why the something she can't hold
on, or what the thing-a-bob she's try
ing to do now. She signs and says
nothing.
Better is it to see a couple just in
the prime of life and who have climbed
its heights together SO we'll and SO
faithfully that they walk with one gait,
just as they feel, with one accord; he
with shoulder well squared to tho
world and strong arm that holds
with tender tirmncss the hand that
came to him with the truest heart in
oil Che world.
Best of all to see is the venerable
couple, whose bent figures and SNOWY
locks are bentified by the love of life
time, as arm in arm they descend the
hill OF life into the shadows of the
Peaceful Valley.
10 return, however, to the purely
practical aspect of rms-giving, it is
well to add that in certain parts of the
country 1t has n peculiar significance.
For instance, we are told that in Wis
consin for young lady to accept of a
gentleman's arm in the daylight is al
most equivalent to the sending out of
wedding cards, and we know this to be
so IN East Tennessee. Right up in the
Great Smoky Mountains, which Miss
Murfree so lovingly depicts, the stall.
wart mountaineer, whose six feet of
Drawn and muscle becomes MS so much
pulp, will approach his divinity at q
camp meeting or picnic with the agi-
tatlng query, "Haye wing ~ This
is the crucial test. If from the depths
OF fascinating sun bonnet issues the
cruel words, ~ wouldn't give shucks
Tor chicken" then the mountaineer
knows his doom. If, however, through
those gingham frills is breathed the
tender words, II don't care if / .do"-
then bring forth the maguolia bios
SONS and ring the bells.-New YORK
Press. :,
Frost Torches to Project Vegetables.