The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-06
p FHULT OF
BOTH SEXES
Evils inthe Conventional Style
Of Friendly Greetings.
'sHow DO You Doe" Often Leads to
GrieNous RecitaIs Of bodily ALL
ments and Domestic Worries.
How do Won do2

Comment ca va?
Vie gent es dem?
one might have different phonetic set
Of phrases for the tongue of each man
present ut the time of the confusion of
tongues. and yet would the sense be the
same: the cordial inherited query as to
the state of being of the person met and
greeted D. is the law of courtesy that
holds good in every race of people on
the earth that their first-eXpressed anX-
iety on meeting a friend shall be as to
his health.
The question is usually met by the
same words from the person addressed,
and then there is some sort of odd tacit
understanding by which one or the other
makes answer. and it is these answers
that complaint is unjustly made; if fault
there lie in the matter it lies at the
/ door of the questiOner.
oh. how some poole bore me telling
II fairly hate to meet Mrs. H. She
is always growing about her ailments"
THE first thing Mr.. T. ever says
when ! meet him is this climate viii Kill
him. ] wish il would"
why will people go on pelting their
unfortunate friends with a history of
their illS?'
These are just a few samples of the
expression We give to our growing re-
sentiment at receiving a deluge of COM
plants whenever we sop to speak To a
friend. The fault lies an on the other
side, We think. and yet if we analyze
the situation. We will find that we have
brought the whole trouble upon our
selves. Ia the full flush of the meeting
We deliberately. following a custom that
t. almost as sure law in the social
body AS is circulation of the blood in
he physical. asked our friend. How
do YOU do2"
What are they to do9 If some one is
in. il they have 4 new grief or new
pain. Is il not only natural on their part
that they should tell Us Of il? They
may have "a lot Of blessings, hut pres
cnt too.hache makes one forget that
stocks went up a point or two the day
D, fore or. doing all the cooking a home
because the girl has left. is just cause
for overlooking the fac that one Is IN
luck TO have things to cook.
No the fault is in the question. We
ought L. address people differently if We
only intend 10 laugh with those who
laugh. and il is easily managed Why
not go uu to Your friend and say:
is q pleasure" or any OF hundred pos
siile forms Of greeting that you could
find instead OF the old hackneyed and re
aIly injurious phrase: How Ia YOU do
IT h. NOT evaGgeratiug the state Of al
fairs at all go say that this primary uUes-
tign as To the state Of eVeryone'S health
or feelings is injurious. II hurts both
parties alike. il Spoils the brightness Of
/ the day and ii Is positively hurtful SO.
& nd 1lKnnPa1 doctors
/ There is nothing SO bad in this world
FOR anybody as to brood or continually
! speak pf their sorrows or their aches.
3 and We al know that if i'm day we meet
! three or four people, each one of whom
! tells us he has a sore throat that we
I are inclined to think il is epidemic and
/ discover a scratch in our own throat
! before bedtime.
! There are people who have thought
over this matter and decided to get round
! the hush in this way:
/ oh I always say I'm very well.
J thanks il anyone asks me. even If I'm
/ ready ia drop" says one woman. and
J another remarks that she answers the
H., QUERY with the same question: How do
! Hou do" In the first instance the
scheme is bad. If YOU say YOU are very
. well when YOU are i'll all sorts Of funny
COT annoying complications are sure to
! arise; some other unfortunate Of your
4 family Is asked after the state Of the
/ house later on perhaps, and, selecting
! YOU ana your ills for discussion is met
4 by the amazed exclamation:
why. I met 4 this morning and
she said she was very WELL
"Oh. was She2" your brother may an
sUer. "Then why can't she do her own
1 er1andse'
No. il won't do ia make a rule to lie
when some one saws How do Won do
and as Tor saying I'm reply How do you
/ lo"' the whole thing IS about as sensi-
/ ble as when two SeriauS-minded roos-
! tiers take To remarking 10 each other:
! Cock doodle do" There is no ESCAPE.
J If people viii ask each other this sort
1 Of ho0doo question they must take the
J consequences. and they are bad