Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-02-21
Definition OF Gentleman.

periodically revives? 1t is this: What
constitutes a gentleman? 1t has bro
ken out anew in the last issue of
Scribner's Magazine, with no very
striking results. NOw. a clever man
once made specially of collecting
definitions of the word gentlemen"
and gave as his cynical reason that
such revelations of the idea which
the men who made them had of
themselves. "YOu see," he said. ev-
cry man feels called upon to define
gentlemen so as 20 include himself"
The cynicism is not undeseryed.
In this country. at least, about ev-
cry body has firm conviction that
what ever else he may be he is as
good gentlemen as auv other.
Therefore most of the off hand def
nitions of he word have next to no
value. They resolve themselves into
ceaseless repetitions Of the prououn
81"
But there Is no hope that we may
ever establish true basis fer the
definition of this most invaluale idea:
1t is case in which mere language
will help ms little In origin the
word gentleman" relates to th-
gems; in It's oldest meaning the
word signifies man of good family:
the more ethical signiticances which
nowadays, to greater or less extent.
1t undoubtfully bears have come la
ter, but even this primitive meaning
which still survives IN more pla-
ces and with more persistence than
some people like TO admit-may he
made 10 yield up the clue TO the ev-
oluuon of its meaning. Tn mau
of good family. the old tribal aris-
tocrat. was an exalted one. lie was
the man set in plain view. the man
whom the rest of the people were TO
follow yaliantly in war aud by whom
they were to be advised in council
upon whose conduct at all times
they were TO model their own.
Hence from the very beginning there
was diScernible drift ~ the signif
iCance of the word. Your true gen
tleman. who was in origin simply
/ your true aristOCrat. was man of
good birth, who filled to perfection
all his high obligations as model
member of the clan.
At first, of course. these obliga
tions were slight. To be brave ia the
face Of the enemy. to be astude DOB
devising an ambush, TO be impressive
in crowd, and what was to be-
thought to be graceful at banq ret
VAS to iill the bill IS time went
on these simple requirements were
naturally vastly augmented. bat al
ways the railing principle IN the ac-
erection of them was the same. The
things required of gentleman are
almost. if not Invariably. the our
growth of some idea of obligation to
others. That is why the idea Of th,
/ gentleman has SO often contained el
rments TO which moraliStS have Oh
jrcted. In generation which doc,
not, for example, think II Is anv in
Engagements Of an other mans rights
to compel him to fight duel. the
Idea of "A gentleman contains the ide;
of "A duelst But, let it once be con
cluded that the welfare of the stat,
requires the Abandonment of dueling
and very soon the idea of the gentle
man will come TO exclude the ide,
Of the dueliSt. The duelist thes
goes over to the category Of the cad
Thus without probably any self
intention. the race has come TO bas
the idea of a gentleman upon court
eouS recognition of the right of 9th
erS and constant attention to one
obligation to the tribe, or the state
AS whole. Though not mora
idea in its origin, it has become
moral through sheer force of circum
stances. Therefore it was possibl
for the quaint Old English writer t
speak of Jesus Christ as "the irs
true gentleman that ever lived"
An Editors Life Saved by Chan
b0rlain'S = COuph RaONadu