Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-11-06
! / LITER 4 I TUllE AND LIFE. 1 |
!. a. y. n.
-js3.3.s-s.s-

A. y y \. n
What 10 : Lady,
New York is greatly asttated over the
question, what constitutes q lady and a
gentleman?
excited over that questio lon 1t augurs
well for change &c heart ii, social
standards and gives us ground f0r hope
The discussion started In this wise:
The manager Of 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
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,
some taking the part Of the girls others
lfavcring the term saleswomen.
| In my humble opinion those girls be-
ltrayed a lack of taste as Welt as OF
sense. myself prefer the good old
Fashioned term woman" why? Be
4 y
| / was in a police court the other day,
where two women We're up for fighting.
The officer testified that one lady
Knocked the other lady down and
lpulled her hair out, and not a soul in
1.-THE court room dreamed Of smiling.
Everybody in petticoats, from the
poor vulgarian In the police court to the
Irich vulgarian on Snob Hill, is a lady
lin name.
And what is a gentleman? That de-
1pends upon the social standard where
1.-THE man lives.
ccat-ofarns-no difference if he has
nothing else in the world, not even a
Isense of decency-is q gentleman.
In Boston gentleman is a Harvard
graduate.
In Philadelphia he is a man with a
great grandfather
i In New York he must have loads of
money and belong to the Four Hun
Idred.
In Virginia a gentleman is ore who
formerly owned slaves and writes F. f.
/ " on his visiting cards.
In Kentucky a gentleman Will shoot
you f you call him names
In Colorado a gentleman is a man who
IoW-Es a lot of mining stock, wears a big
diamond and spends money freely.
Lady. gentleman words that
formerly meant so much. now they
mean so little In what do they con-
llsisto
think most of US. with our demo-
cratic tendencies. will concede that
lneither birth nor breeding can in them
selves alone confer the title; tho.I adj
nit these things are more often found
I'm conjunction with the noble mind than
lare other accidents of fortune and ems
.Iyironment.
s Neither does wealth title or social
lstation establish such claim. On the
contray, the mercenery and selfish
Itraits that condition the amassing OF
sgreat fortunes have grown up in this
country a monied aristocracy in whom
1.-The finer instincts of gentle folks are
conspicucusly absent.
! No extraneous circumstances. no SUI
perfc.al culture can make the genuine
lady or gentleman. The claim to such
] distinction lies in the heart. by virtue OF
i which the man or woman is modest
4 brave. tender. sincere, gentle, courte-
3Ious and Kind.
Sir Philip Sidney, who lying wounded
ION the battlefield. With the water lifted
tie his thirsty lips. puts it aside for he
tpriva e wounded worse. viii forever re-
3Imain as the highest type of gentleman.
the train robber VINO Went thru the
Pullman Goa ches on the Burlington
road. robbing all the men and passing
by all the ladies with polite apology
for disturbing them. had within him The
instinct of a gentleman. He probably
knew he was violating it in robbng at
Iall, but the very fact that he declined
Ito molsstt "a woman on the train shows
4 he could not wholly crush out the I'M
Estincts of gentleman. And one is In
tIclined to forgive the rascal because of
4 his chivalry.
i It is comparatively easy to be a lady
sIor gentleman in country towns where
Il everSb body is known and trusted. and
4 where one can take time for the ameni-
4 ties OF life. But a large city is not ia
lvora BILE 10 the development of kindii-
mess. Start out III the role of reporter
Il canyasser, agent or what not and from
Il the poorest cottage in the iowlands u
i the farthest mansion on the hill Mrs
Tout of every ten women will in respoiisS
lilo the bell open the door three inches
4 put her eye 10 the crack and viii
la threatening, suspicious glance gree,
4 YOU with yEatchuWailt = z.
W. may drive fran our doors an an
4 gel unawares in the guise of a begga1
i or an gent, but no matter. we haven't
thine To investigate, nor even TO be pp-
lite. We are too busy with our OWE at
fairs. too suspicious that every man We
inject is a hold-up, and so we are deaf
Ito all appeals to our clliyairyl. and all
How the commercial and selfish spirit te
3Iscrush out ths finer instincts that be-
token the lady and gentleman,
4 There is. a new chivalry evolving III
4 the heart of humanity. Its essence Is
i Saltrulsyn. or the law Of love. 1ts motto
4 is nohleese obige. and BY its unwrittsr
iscode there IS laid upon each one Of U!
j the obiiga,ion5tc uss our power and GU,
topportunityin whatever direction ii
! may lie-to help and not TO hurt-roi
4 always nor often With the purss. sincs
y few Of us can do that, but thoughtful
4 ness, of act. speech and manner costs Us
Il nothing; a dalicate consideration for this
4 3rights and feelings, of others particular
lily ones interiors; a sgnpathet tic appre-
4 citation of their position and an effort Il
l3dignify their service. To be rude Il
4, our superiors may show in us something
ief the fool; but TO be rude TO our il1feri-
ors certainly shows in us something Of
4 the brute.
In the lieht2of this new chivalry, w