Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-11-06
L i II: TURE AND LIFE f
What Is = LI1a -
q. 81. Il.

n
what is : Ladys
New York is greatly aeitAted over the
Question, what constitutes q lady and q
gentleman?
When New York allows itself to grow
excited over that question 1t augurs
well for change Of heart in social
standards and gives us ground for hope
The discussion started In this wise
The manager OF q big store there gave
notice to the heads Of departments to-
address the women employees as sales
women instead of salesladies There
followed an Indignation meeting among
1.-THE girls. which resulted In some Of
them demanding their wages and walk
ling out. Then they sent their grievance
together with their pictures to the
press and that precipitated the discus.
| sion. Public opinion was divided,
I some taking the part Of the girls, others
lfavoring the term saleswomen
4 In my humble opinion those girls be-
| trayed a lack of taste as Well as of
sense. i myself prefer the good old
fashioned term woman. Why? Be
cause every female is a lady nowadays.
II was in a police court the other day.
where two women We're up FOR fighting.
The officer testified that one lady
knocked the other1 lady down and
pulled her hair out. and not soul in
the court room dreamed of smiling.
Everybody in petticoats, from the
poor vulgarian in the police court to the
I:ich vulgarian on Snob Hill, Is a lady
4 in name.
And what is a gentleman? That de-
Ipends upon the social stan dard where
1.-The man lives.
In England man with a title or a
slcoat-of-arrns-no difference IL he has
Inothing else in the world. not even a
sense of decency-is a gentleman.
\ In Boston a gentleman is Harvard
Igraduate.
In Philadelphia he is a man with a
great
In New York he must have loads of
money and belong to tn. Four Hun-
4 bred
In Virginia a gentleman is one who
formerly owned slaves and writes F. F.
4 ". on his visiting cards.
In Kentucky a gentleman will shoot
you If you call him names.
In Colorado a gentleman is a man who
Towns lot of mining stock. wears.a big
Lady. gentle man words that
mean so little. In what do they con-
Isist?
4 I think most of us. with our demo-
cratic tendencies, will concede that
neither birth nor breeding can in them
selves alone confer the title: tho l adj
init these things are more often found
5linconiunction with the noble mind than
lare other accidents of fortune and en-
i vironment.
4 Neither does wealth. title or social
listation establish such. claim. On the
sl.contray. the mercenery and selfish
traits that condition the ANA ssing of
great fortunes have grown up in this
country a 1nonied artstocracy in whom
1.-THE finer instincts of gentle folks are
aliconspicuously absent.
4 No extraneous circumstances, no SUI
y perfic!al culture can make the genuine
4 lady or gentleman. The claim to such
y distinction lies in the heart. by6yirtue of
which the man on woman is modest,
u brave, tender. sincere, gentle. courte-
Gus and kind.
Y Sir Philip Sidney who, lying wounded
8 Ion the battlefield, with the water lifted
to his thirsty lips, puts it aside for the
ipriva.e wounded worse, vi II forever re-
lmain as the highest type of gentleman.
a The train robber8wno Went thru the
s. Pullman coaches on the Burlington
4 1,oad. robblng all the men and passing
by all the ladies with a polite apology
for disturbing them, had within him the
instinct OF a gentleman. He probably
knew he was violating it in robbing at
y ALL but the very fact that he declined
n 10 modest a woman on the train shows
n ne could not wholly crush out the in
Estincts of gentleman. And one $ in
{, clined to forgive the rascal because of
n his chivalry-
n 1t is com araively easy TO be a lady
Or a gentleman in country towns where
is known and trusted. anG
5 where one can take time for he ameni-
tiles of life. But a large city is not fa-
q worable to the development OF kindli-
oEness. Start out in the role of reporter
D Icanvasser. agent or what not and fron
1.-the poorest cottage in the lowlands Is
y 1.-The farthess mansion on the hill riIlt
q tout of every ten women " Ill in res ponss
g Ito the bell open the door three inches
). put her eye to the crack and witt
!. la threatening. suspicious glance gres
!. you with Waite huwants's -
III Nv may QriFes from QUIZ doors an All
) gel unawares in the guise OF a beggal
Tor an gent. but8ne matter. we haven
g time to investigate, nor: even to be ro
: lite We are too busy with our own al
! fairs, too suspicious that every man ",
inject is mold up. and 80 We are dea
Z Ito all appeals 10 our chivalry, and al
I How the commercial ard selfish spirit t,
: Ecrush out the finer instincts that be.
!. token the lady and gentleman.
y. There is a new chivalry evolving ii
i the heart of humanity Its ess ence i
! altruisIr.5 or the law of love. lts mott
is nobiesas oblige. and bs its unWFitta.
I codegthere is laid upon each one of U
!. the obligation % us our power and GU
opportunity, whatever direction i
may lie--to help and not to hurt--no
: always nor often with the purse, SING
few of us can do that. but thoughtful
esu of act. speech and manner costs u
z nothing; a delicate confederation for tn
: rights and feelings of others particular
lily ones Interiors: a sym pathetic appre
: citation of their position and an effort t
!. dignity their service. To be rude I
s our superlors may show in US sonlsthin
s OF the fool: but to be rudesto our inferi
Is Org certainly shows in us something Q
: the brute
In the light of this new chivalry, W
= liel, have Yavers.as nIIr former 3;fa a.