Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-27
MANNERS TOWARD WOMEN,
A Young Woman of Observation De-
clares She Prefers Camaraderfe to
CourtIiness.

From the New York Sun
Some Of my dear sisters. 1 see," said a
young woman of observation to a reporter
have started in on one of their perennial
kicks against the decline in good manners
among men. Like the generality of us
they realize a condition, but go all to
pieces when it comes to definition. Man.
ners are not what they used to be, but they
have not declined: they have only changed.
Men don't walk for miles with their girls,
holding their hats under their arms and
writing quatrains on their shirt cuffs; but
then catarrh is a deal more prevalent now
than 1t used to be. You fellows don't wear
lovely white wigs; the beautiful parting in
your hair. that you have so carefully
worked out with rat-tail file, would be
all spoiled; and you don't know the differ
ence between a madrigal and trilogy. But
all the same, write it down, please, that the
professional rake is not quite common
now as he was in the days of the profess
sional courter.
But, say the kickers, men slap girls on
the back, smoke in their faces and call
them old fellows nowadays. That's right,
so they do; while in that tomfool time,
the good old days. they lay at their feet
and blew funny little love songs without
words into flutes, and carried their. en-
slavers' pattens, and sent them rosy
wreaths' with sentimental verses done up
in blue ribbons Well, and what of it,
Isn't the girl of today a good fellow? Why
should she object to a mans smoking in
her presence when she don't think she i'm
perils her own precious soul or her diges-
ton or her reputation by smoking a cigar
cite in his? I'm smoking a cigarette now,
but you don't think you've a right to in
suit me for that reason. / guess And why
should a man trip daintily half meadow
ahead of me to open a gate, when L can
jump over it? L mean crosswise, you know
-l.raff hn arm lafn
whom l gave one exhibition of high and
lofty vaulting' asked me that evening to
marry him.
so far as 1 am concerned and 1 think I
speak for quite number of girls, L don't
banker after all this sClicitude and courtli-
ness about which there is so much talk of
the dolefu and reminiscent order. I'd a
heap rather have good fellowship and be
Jolly companions every one L keep my
eyes about me, and you can take il for
granted that when men treat girls as
splendid chaps and 'dooced good company
they're not likely to treat them as toys or
appeti2erS.
Manners have changed, sure enough, and
they change with years just as much as
with places. But don't be alarmed we
girls know that there is just as much COM
panio' ship of and devotion to us today as
there ever was. There may not be so much
fal-lal, lace-cuff and fine saying about the
devotion, but when it comes it's as deep and
reYerent as any mother could wish; and the
champion ship may not be so Watteauesuue
and romantic, but it's considerably more
honest About the lest courtiness there
was good deal of veneer covering a good
deal of dry rot; about the camaraderie of
today there is good deal of rough timber,
but it's heart clear through.
You fellows have got lots of bad points
about you, but-pass me the matches, please
its my opinion that the closer we girls get
to an equality of companionship with you
the better it is for us. Cynthia was not half
as safe with courtly Sir Lovelace as the
tennis girl is with the jolly, decent boy
who calls her Jack"