Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1903-08-08

UuSueS uD, DreuiuleSs, eUutuS uc-
press and bored-looking bear, which
he presents to the President. Too of.
ten Il delegation beams round the
Largest pumpkin, sir. ever raised In
this State" The spirit Of all this Is
admirable. and of course It IL the spirit
which counts; but one cannot help
wondering II the custom may not make
necessary another addition to the
White House.
Modern manners, like those of all
other ages. consist mostly of meaning
less cOnventiOnalities, acquired no one
knows how and for purposes that no
one knows or seems to care about.
Much that we regard as essential Is
merely a matter Of habit that might
just as well become habitual In the
opposite direction. There are lots Of
peOple-goOd, worthy people. too-who
look upon q man who declines to sit
down at a dinner table without his coat
Oh as shallow dude. Plenty Of PEG.
pie see no improperly In shOveling
food into the mouth with knife.
Nor can there be any improperly In
1t among people who so regard 1t. 1t
Is only among those who are not &c.
custOmed to II that sitting In ones
shirt sleeves ana eating with ones
knife can be called III hammered. 1t
would seem that nothing would be
more universally established as correct
custom than that a man should take Off
his hat ut meals, particularly In a
private house and In the presence Of
women. Yet this, too, Is only habit.
This, like all the rest of the cOnveii-
tlOnalities which we call manners, Is
only u custom of the time. The first
gentlemen Of England, two centuries
ago. habitually wore their hats at
meals. Then 1t was ill-mannered to
sit ut table with head uncovered.
Nor Is II known when or how or why
the custom changed. Lord Clarendon
who died In 1874. has left an essay
OH the decay Of respect paid to old
age. on which he says that In his
younger days he never kept his hat on
before those older than himself, eX
cept at dinner. That the English mem
hers Of parliament still sit with theil
hats OH during the sessions IL wei
known. ana 1t Is equally well known
that the same practice prevailed ut the
early town meetings In New England
But the uninitiated visitor In the gal
lery Of the United States Senate cham
her, to-day. who permits his hat to bt
visible or allows even the rcmOtest sug
gestlOn that he possesses such an ar
ticle Of apparel. IL peremptOrily cor
rected by the sergeant-at-arms. The
presence or absence of the hat Il
therefore simply cOnventiOnalIy, ant
so 1t Is with thousand ana one prHc
tees which are held, SO long as the.
exist. to be the most absolutely correct
matter-Of-cOurse ana Interchangeable af
fairs. The next generation will hav,
many hearty laughs at our customs
as we have at those of the "Old fogies'
who have gone before.
~~
The good farmer keeps his fences up
The good h0usckeeper has her bureau
ana sldcboard drawers well ordered
The successful public speaker has eacl
group of his facts carefully arranged
Put together things that belong to
gethcr" has long been recognized rs ,
convenient rule of life. Almost rs use
full is keep apart things that belon:
apart" On the evening after Webste
had made his reply to Hayne the tw'
Senators met at II reception. The.
proved In an instant that their political
disagreement had not mingled will
their social amenities. "Ilow are y0l
tonight, IIayncI" said Mr.. Webster
"None the better for you" Mr.. IlayH,
laughngly replied, ana the two antag
onists shook hands rs cordially as /
they had not Just measured swords
with the civilized world for their are
IA. Women find this wholesome sep
aration of life into different compart
ments specially difficult, The social
domestic and religious interest of ,
woman have n troublesome tendenc!
to mingle themselves inscparably. lie
special shade of theology influences he
selection of friends. Her school o
medicine ana her views on viviscctiOl
determine her conduct toward her cOus
ms who agree or disagree with her
She prefers a dressmaker who hold,
sound views on Imperialism. She Ia,
even been known to suspend social re
\ lations with the woman who defeated