The times., 1899-10-15
Public instruction.


People in search of amusement have
sometimes found a great deal of it in
perusing the Answers to Correspondents"
column on the womans page OF certain
newspapers. This column is usually con-
Quoted by an omniscient lady who assumes
toward all who address her gently pa
tronizing and Intimately familiar manner,
and gives advice on hair dyes, hats, made
over gowns, engagement rings, and the
proper state of the affections Sometimes
she volunteers, in neighboring column,
information on things which she thinks
that girls ought to know. She does it with
the air of putting her arm around the girl
and purring. To judge from the circula-
tion of these papers. the departments above
of young women.
To the philosopher this seems all very
good. If a young woman does not know
what kind of fork she should use for as
paragus. or whether she should allow a
young man to take her driving when she
has only seen him twice, and IL she is will
ing to parade her most intimate doubts
and anxieties in the columns Of a news
paper. it is surely good that there should
be somebody to instruct her The defect
in this system seems to be that neither
in the behind-the- door talks with girls nor
in the bureaus Of instruction are certain
subjects treated which certainly ought to
be studied by the readers OF this sort of
literature
Some of the readers of such columns
may be shop girls. Girls OF this sort
are sometimes well-mannered and refined.
and much better acquainted with the
amenities of life than many of their Gus
toners. The business often calls for a
degree of patience, tact, and consideration
which is equal to that needed by the mis-
tress of a salon. But there are girls in it
who are sorely in need of instruction on
some points Of etiquette. They should be
told that it is not only bad business. but
bad manners to discuss the last dance with
the girl at the next counter, while waiting
on customer; that most people do not
care to be followed about the store SO
closely that when they turn they collide
with the clerk; and that it is annoying to
under her breath some popular melody
generally out of tune-while she waits for
change.
There might also be advantage in ex-
planning in such columns the essential ele-
ments of proper behavior on the street and
in shops. Something might well be SAID
on the matter of standing still in the door
af q
with friend. while an exasperated crowd
is Obliged TO turn out for the loquacious
pair There are women, too, who sail ma
jesticaliy down the aisle of the store. ex-
pecting everyone else to turn aside for
item, and who go downstairs two or three
abreast, compelling the crowd behind to
accommodate itself TO their pace. There
are people with paws" who cannot handle
book or piece OF paper without leaving
ii soiled and dog-eared, who turn leaves
with vigorous rub of thumb and finger
and fuss with the fringe on a piece of fur
niture until il Is reduced TO ravelings.
They do these things in the shops. and the
result is pile of '.shop-worn" articles,
usually a dead loss to the merchant. and a
monument to destructiveness
Then there are the people who never
reason about what they are doing. who 90
into an Office building, mount a fight of
stairs, and enquire with an inane smile.
rs this the third floor2" They look up at
wayfarer who enters dripping from a
walk in drenching rain and ask, did you
get wet?" They cannot understand why
they should not ask the most direct
questions about other peoples private af-
fairs, and they set themselves to find out,
If possible, the exact state of the affections
OF every one of their acquaintances. 1t
would be a good thing if these Ruth Ash
more advisers would devote a column or
two TO the duty OF minding ones own bust
ness. If the members of every community
did that there would be less need for books
of etiquette since many conventions have
been constructed simply for the purpose OF
saving young girls from the attacks of ma
licious tongues, or the misconstruction of
| persons who ought TO be more intelligent
than they are.