San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-04-26
LOOKING BACKWARDS.

LOOKING BACKWARDS.
The science of politeness is
taught in a thousand schools. 1t
has formed the theme of discourse
almost from time immemorial.
1t has been the stock in trade Of
the "young lady's school" since
such schools were. From the let
tiers of the renowned Chester
field down to the present, and
backward through the!ages to the
elaborate mannerisms of the an
cient Roman exquisite, there have
been dissertations on politeness, es-
say on manners, schools for train
ing in all that pertains to.etiquette,
lectures established in the inter-
ests and for the furtherance of
politeness, until there is nothing
remaining to be desired in that d.
rection. If the world that is and
the world that has been are not
proficient in all that makes for
good manners on the street, in the
home, in society and in, all public
places, then it is surely not the
fault of the school, at least it is not
attributable to any lack of schools,
specific training, or attention for
mally paid to this branch OF ed
ucation.
All the same, there is no room
for doubt that the lack of good
manners is everywhere apparent.
Go out upon the street. Station
yourself in any favorable position
for quiet observation. See the evil
dences OF i'll manners everywhere.
You will note that 1t il not con-
fined to any class. The rich as
well as the poor, the learned as
we'll as the unlearned, the master
as well as the servant, the lady
equally with the maid, all con-
spicuous for their utter disregard
of the commonest rules of good
breeding. Youth jostles age,
strength elbows weakness, rough
vulgarity tramples on the toes of
shrinking modesty every time that
it has a chance. Beauty alone is
exempt from the general discount
esq, and then pays for its privilege
by being rudely stared out of coun-
tenance as it passes.
Bellamy has immortalized him
self in his Choking Backward"
but he was not in it little bit
with the ordinary woman on the
street. Watch one of these, no
matter what pretensions to gentil-
ity, breeding, position, or social
distinction she makes, as she
meets her fellow woman on the
public thoroughfare. She is as
certain to look back upon her
rival sister as she passes, as the
pursued savage on the plains is to
look back as he hears the sound of
rapid hoofs on his trail. The
utter contempt Of that look, or its
superciliousness, or its interroga-
tions, or its conscious expression
of superiority, is q lesson in ex-
preston to the average man. With
a rapid glance the whole en-
semble of the costume is taken in,
from the lowest hem of the skirt
to the tip OF the hat decorations.
Not feature escapes scrutiny and
the Judgment is as rapid as the
glance.
The adept in the art does it so
stealthily, so half unconsciously,
so deftly, 30 sweepingly as though
something else was the object Of
scrutiny, that it is only by close
observation that the inventory of
apparel is noted. But the appraise-
ment is made in that one sweeping
glance, and a costumer would have
no trouble in duplicating the CO.'S
tune from the description that
would follow. If she is not an
adept, then she turns partially
round, exposing her movement to
the watchers, and if there be pair
OF such females passing, the
chances are that they will catch
each other in doing the looking
backward" act, ( nd mentally cuss
each other for mean things as 500 n
as it is done. Than this disagreea-
BILE habit of locking backward
on the street, to take observs-
tions of the passeEs, there is moth