The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-02
BCITS AND BUTS. 3"
japanese Politeness nd Prince Alfred's
Discount sy.

oIEeIoas 20 Great Britain. The former
are a necessity. az any rate TO modern
society. whereas the latter are in every
sense OF the word superhulty. The butt
is the target at which the Wit aims his
shaft. the target Of the good things which
aye recorded Of thls or that celebrated
talker. some brilliant wits have their
own particular butt. and are never seen or
heard at their bes1 unless be happens % be
pres nt 80 completely Is this recognized
That 40 one possessed OF any saToir-iaire
ln London would ever have dreamed OF lr-
wiling the late Lord HOushtoa, the late
Abraham Hayward or BerUal Osborne
either 10 dinner or 10 a house party
without asklns al the same time has Gus
tomary butt no matter what the origin CT
social status Of the latter In fact, there
is large number OF appallingly vulgar
all ridiculous people who have wormed
their way into the most exclusive circles
q society solely IN consequence Of thelr
being considered an indispensable ac-
Compartment TO famous wits
The but on the other hand. IS the
tactless individual who. whenever you
show him one Of your treasures. instantly
exclalms. Bat have something far bet
Ter than that.' who decries your posses
sions both living and inanimate. who
caps every story you relate and who prob
before The throne OF glory pointing out
10 the Recording Angel how infinitely SUI
pe-lor his conduct on earth has been 10
your own. Butts" are only 10 be found in
England. No other race apparently pos
sesses the requisite amount Of gall, OF
tactlessness and Of brutal honesty 20 III
the bill. The japanese, for instaLce-and
ID fact nearly all Orientals viii make
point CT docrylng everything they own
rather than 20 hurt your feelings in any
way, by leaving you under the impression
that they deprsciate the value Of your
belongings. Thus a japanese Offering you
a cigar. viii exclaim In the most cepra-
catory tones: Il know this cigar IS quite
too vile TO suit your taste. but such as 1t
Is. ] respectfully offer It 30 you"
And when presenting you 20 his wife he
WIFI. pointing with his thumb over his
shoulder at her remark IN Ike manner;
This Is my wife. She is awfully ugly
rTHcelgss and stupid. totally unworthy
70 ind favor in your exalted sight. Yet
such rs she is, / respectfully introduce
her TO you"
It's much lie same throughout the entire
Orient and even on the continet OF Europe
IL people do not so 10 such extreme lengths
as the Asiatica and Africans, they viii
remain silent rather than TO praise their
own at the expense Of yours.
Ia England. however, the but Is in his
ro-al family among his tribe. Tie un-
popularity Of Prince Alfred now Duke
cf Coburg-contrasting so strongly with
the pubic good viii enjoyed by his broth
ers ami s.sfers--is entirely due TO the fact
Of his being "a ''but." Time end again
ha1c l heard him at dinner parties given
IN bis honm, and at which his host has
pat All sails 70 the wind, regardless OF
expense. with the object of ahording him
pleasure. explain while slipping his wine.
how very superior thereto were the
brands in his cellars at Clarence House.
Then if any musical entertainment had
been organZed for his delectatiOn. and
celebrated artists engaged at great cost
to perform before him. ne would discon-
cert his hostess and disgruntie his host
by explaining to them that the singing
and playing We're all very well IN their
way. but that if they wanted something
really good and hrst-class. they ought to
have engaged other yrtuosi.
Another very distinguished but was
the late Sir Henry Layard, OF Nineveh
I exploration celebrity. with hf~, ~ woe
not so much the decrying Of his neigh
hors belongings as the LNe,eIato 4.....t
CT contradicting and disparaging tire re-
marks made by the persons with whom he
happened TO be brought into contact.
Not even a course of diplomatic training
they pitchforked him into the embassy
at Madrid of all places IN the world
could cure him Of this habit Of contradict
ing fatty every utterance made in his
presence, and of pointing out that either
the opinion expressed was away of, that
the news was not authentic, that the
anecdote possessed a flavor Of MARIAN
glace-in one word, that no matter what
you said. he was convinced that it was
not so; and when in rare cases, as for in
stance in his intercourse with royalty.
he did not venture to give free utterance
to his but" he looked it in d manner not
10 be misunderstood.
Yet another distinguished man. who
owed much of the ill-treatment to which
he was subjected by the British govern
ment TO the fact Of his being a but"
was the late Sir Richard Burton, the IA
nous traveller, and it was attributable TO
the fact of Lord Randolph Churchins be-
ing such persistent but" that Lord
Salisbury on one memorable occasion re-
ferred to him as a 'carbuncle." 1t was
just after Lord RanGo,phs astounding
coup de tete in resignins his seat in the
cabinet. Lord Salisbury was asked
whether he did not intend to patch UP his
i differences with his truculent young col
league and to restore him to his place in
the administration.
DO you think he exclaimed in reply TO
! his interlocutor, that when a man has at
! length succeeded in getting rid OF a car
buncle on the back OF his neck he is ans-
ious TO put 1t back there?" Sometimes the
butts" are popular. An excellent exam
pie Of this condition is Mr.. Henry La
bouchere, whose but" Invariably pre-
cedes a merry Quip and amusing anec-
dote, or a pungent witticism. / am sorry
TO say. however, that butts" OF this kind
are the exception rather than the rnle.
I For the most part they are people nos
f. sessed Of the most overweening conceit
. and self-conddence, which they do not
/ have the tact to conceal. They lack that
. most Christian OF all virtues, namely.
Z charity TO the neighbor, and are lamenta-
/ bly, wanting in generosity and maguapi-
/ nifty of character Finally, they are not
/ only satirical in an unkindly fashion. hut
also loud in their professions Of cynicism
/ concerning every virtue and every belief
Some of these cynics are old, ana others
are young. To my mind these latter are
/ as Objectionable as the others; for the
older men are persons in whose heart the
/ milk OF human kindness has run complete
ly dry, and whose very look is enough to
sour everything around them. while the
younger ones are unpleasant in eonse-
/ luences OF the impression which their ut
/ feranCes convey that their synicism Is