The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-10-07
VINO rs AN
How the British Postal Department Has Dis
posed OF the Question.

w hen Adam delved and Eve span. who was
then the gentleman2" The poetic interro-
cation, FREQ uently propounded. has never
we believe. been capable Of satisfactory solu-
ton. AZ the flag end of the nineteenth CEN
fury, however. a question Of far greater and
more immediate importance has been raised
by that Of late much-abused but, invaluable
institution, the Pot once. Put briefly, the
problem which the authorities AZ st. Mar
t~in's-le-Grqnd have set themselves 70. decide
is as 70 who is and who Is not entitled 20 the
cate question, the n%iceties and manifestations
Of which might well apPoll anything less hide
be no misapprehension a. 70 the intention Of
the postal administrators. The discretion Of
the individual In the matter Of directing bis
into question. He IS still 10 be al liberty.
should he feel so disposed, to give his chimney
sweep an ESQ and ignore his water.rate
collectors title 10 so much as a plain MIR. :"
The privilege q diferenttatine IS 70 be left as
But BTt,,n in t its bbS or, %a,c Som !, wonId gnsn WITH he
henceforth 10 bear in mind certain hard and
fast rules, from which no deviation Is TO be
pPT5nr bss so In ,S SthSr to T ySc sl,.rE E , fSs9'1 .5G ant
relation "Esq." Is TO be used In future In
addressing an male correspondents, unless
they are evidently iGborers, pe1tonal servants,
business" 1nstinctiyely one thinks Of the
old differentiation, gentleman. .apothecary.
HlDugf boy, thlei, ana OF me exquisite luteTTO-
Gat,,on. ,by.,May Of reioinder, Yes, but which
T. the thief?"
But tho official edict docs not end at Trades
men writing from their house Of business "
There j. a reservation clause which Slys' In
cases OF doubt, EsQ is 20 be used wise
provision that leaves a tolNrably broad margin
for possible variations in the use. abuse and
misuse Of the anaChrunistiC sunk The def
milton Of gentleman will furnish Uabulum
for controversy and academic di-Cu sion to
the crack If doom, and even Mr. PiCkwiCk, II
We rcgOllcrt Alright, found II impossible % con-
companions in the Fleet on the ground That Ia
drank his four and q halt pint Of ale n day aud
never stopped sTukius even during meal, b"
But how comes II. one may well ask, that besides
the community to he EXEMPT from the honor
81 receiving an Esd will include "dcpositurS
IN the Post Office Savings Bank, 4 millions
airo Of an eccentric turn OF mind once conceived
"A curious fancy for dcpo-itIng small slices OF
his fortune under different aliases in variOuS
idiosvncrlsy might hay" entitled him 10 free
board and lodging at BodllIu, but We do not
know that he forfeited 10y these proceedings
his right 81 tho title Of Esq Tho distinction
Inevitable COrollGry 10 the venerable legend that
II takes nine talon tp make a man. a polite
proposition as To how many are really re-
Quircd 20 make an esquire But in this demo-
cratic age. when so many "lndic~ Of high decree"
have been known 10 embark upon business
often concclls the identity IN the realms II
Wodc~try or millinery Of "A society dame or
daU-oi. the decision Of the postal authorities
seems 20 derive an added invidiouSness In
learn that y Is not IN contemplation to drop
the prefix Mrs or Mis- In undressing CorrN-
EpOudcutS ui the other sex ~ to whose precise
statu, in society some Official doubt exists.