The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-03-14
MAKEsHIFT OF A MAN.
Remarks About One Who Keeps
Manners for His Own Set.

IOr hlS OWn Set.
How easy it is to mistake a male
creature for a gentleman exelaimsa
writer for the Philadelphia Bulletin.
Some singular things happening
under my notice provoke that obser-
walton. Not singular, alackl by rea-
son of their uncommonness-they
seem to happen right along-but sin
gular because there seems no good
reason for their occurrence, nor, in
deed, any reason at all ave one that
l am reluctant to admit.
But to the things. 1t happened
that a man stepped into an elevator
filed with women. They were all
plain women Of neither untommonI
beauty nor elegance. After a hastyl
survey, he replaced his cigar in his
mouth and kept his hat on. Just BEL
fore the lift started a beautiful wom-
an, very fashionably dressed, entered.
At once this poor makeshift Of a gen
tleman, with a quick, admiring
glance, removed his cigar and took
off his hat. Not a woman in the car
but scorned this poor sham courtesy,
and doubtless she to whom it was of
fered scorned the tribute paid to her
clothes and denied to her woman
hood.
1t happened, also, that amanmeta
woman acquaintance in public. She
was not his equal financially, but in
every other respect she ~assuredly
was. He bowed and lifted his hat
perhaps an inch. In the next instant
he lifted it far from his head and
made a profound courtesy as a wom-
an Of wealth swept by. 81 can never
recognize that man again." said the
first woman later. And she was
right.
Again it happened-and the tell
ing is as painful as the reading can
possibly be-that all men sat still
when two plain, middle-aged women
entered a car and remained standing,
but that when there came a gloriously
beautiful girl in a velvet gown, with
v%iolets nesting in her furs, one
man arose with cheerful alacrity,
and Others were evidently ready to
follow had youth and beauty re-
CURED more than one seat.
Thus in a thousand ways do men
betray their secret selves! The man
who will hold a door wide and bow
low for one woman to pass, and per-
NIT it to bang in the face of another,
reveals the wretched shadows Of his
own character. Chivalry is unknown
to him. His OWN "set" may be de-
luded into the belief that he is a gen.
tleman, but those for whom he does
not keep his manners understand
that the instincts Of a gentleman
were left out Of his makeup. The
true woman would scorn his hollow
homage.
He would do well to learn deport-
ment from Joseph PAIGE, of Bread
street hill, who was "the finest gen
tleman OF his time," because he chad
not one system of attention to fe-
males in the drawing-rOom and an
other in the shop or at the stall"
81 have seen him." says Charles
Lamb, Stand bareheaded, smile, if
you please-to a poor servant girl
while she has been inquiring Of him
the way to some street. Herev-
erenced and upheld, in every form in
which it came before him, woman
hood. l have seen him-nay, smile
not-tenderly escorting a market
woman whom he had encountered in
a shower, exalting his umbrella over
her poor basket of fruit, that it
might receive no damage, with as
much carefulness as if she had been
a countess"
0, Joseph PAIGE, of Bread street
hill! LivesthereyOu like in the world
to-day l am thinking, if we should
chance upon you in these times, we
should pass by with a shake of our
heads, a smile of pity and knowing
look. But there would not fail some
of us--and not all market women
to thank the Lord for a true gentle
man