The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-11-10
GOOD-NATURED NEW YORK.
The People OF That City Are a Swee
Tempered Lot.

The People OF That City Are swee
Tempered Lot.
If we look at the worst aspects O
New York In a serious spirit, it Ger
tainly does not excmplify the gospel o
kindliness, as, after little, shall trJ
to explain. But looking at it super
fcially, or studying its population, no
in the abstract aggregate, but in the
myriad individuals one meets, up town
and down town, in aristocratic or in
extremely sordid precincts, good ma.
ture seems the mote" of the New
Yorker, provided, of course, that you
are good-natured yourself What pa.
thence he has with municipal tyrannies
and corporate inhumanities, and en-.
livened by what a salty touch OF
| humor!
One would not cite an elevated rail-
road car or ferry slip, jammed full of
tired and hungry New Workers, as q
school of courtesy. Yet think such a
throng might easily be less courteous
anywhere else, at least anywhere In
northern Europe, II we can conceive of
its existing there. Andno woman with
pleasant words on her own lips need
shrink from asking help or guidance in
the streets of New York; usually II
will be given with a good many kindly
trimmings, whether it be asked from
the dude" or the hurried business
man, the lawless street boy or the
Italian sweeper, or even the tradition
ally abused car conductor. On the
whole, woman is more likely to meet
with incivility from her own sex than
from men of any class; and If. like too
many New York women, she expects
courtesy IN return for brusqueness, of
course she will be disappointed.
l have a friend who was born and
who lives on an island in a far-off
southern sea, but who has had much
European experience and is keen OBJ
server. He CHANGED to be in New York
during our last presidential election
and was shown its workings through
many diligent hours. What impressed |
him most was, not the way in which |
order was kept, but the small necessity
Tor keeping order-the extreme good |
temper OF the people. At a big club
house where the losing side had been
supported, the members, he said. as
The returns came in, buistoned tbeir
coats like stoical Arabs and silently
Almost smilingly, stole away. And in
he City Hall park, in front of the bic
newspaper building where. as state
lfter state reported its vote. efficies NJ
he rival candidates correspondence
climbed up the tall facade on the num-
'ered rungs OF symbolical ladders, one
night have thought, he declared. that
very man in the enormous crowd had
oted for the winning climber, and felt
kindly compassion for the climber
rho Jagged behind Yet we knew. and
e could see. that pretty stronp-nav.
very observation-disclosures was felt in
hat particular election.
Facts such as these tempt MS to fancy
hat nice place New York may be IN
We In when oppression, extor ton and
'upidity succeed in provoking us into
elective bad temper for a lone
1ough time to bring abou conditions
hich will permit individual amiabiu-
es to display items .lves unham.
'red, unexasperated, unabused. Per.
lps 1t may then seem Utmost as pleas
it-tempered, polite, o'Ad kindly as did
he summer, tho popniors fair grounds
chicago. Mrs. NJ. q. Van Rensse-
err, in Century.