The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-29

the old lady should not speak in that way
of who left so little to be wished.
INSIGNIFICANCE OF ANCESTRY.
In China long nails on the fingers are
considered as gentlemanly as they are
slovenly in England because they show
that the possessor of them does manual
labor. The Chinese notion of a gentleman
is very much what used to prevail in Ire
land, where d gentleman was one who
never did anything for himself or for any,
one else since he came into the world.
The term gentleman" is sometimes only
given to one who is said to know his
grandfathers.' but the who has this
knowledge only differs from the man who
has II not, in this, that the former knows
that many of his ancestors deserved to be
hanged while the other remains in bliSsful
ignorance of the probable fact. To a
British snob American said: Sir, my
family began where yours ended
Two servant maids were discussing a
new ledger who had come to a boarding
house. He's very nice man." one said
to the other. ''but he's not a gentleman"
and then gave her reason for thinking so.
Yesterday morning" she said, Il was
carrying UP a heavy bucket of coal and
he took it and carried 1t for me, and you
know no gentleman would do that" This
is just what one of God Almighty's gen.
tlemen would do. Bear We one another's
law of Christ"-the law that is of Him
who has been called 1.-The first true gen.
tleman that ever breathed."
AN AMERICAN DEFINITION.
The term walking gentleman is some
times given to a man who does nothing but
walk about and amuse himself but very
different name should be given to this sort
of character. An American young lady
asked an Englishman who was travelling in
the States what his father was. to what
business or profession he belonged. ITO
none" was the reply; but 1 suppose that
you have none of that class of people?'
'Why, certainly, replied the lady, I'VE
nave lots OF them; they are here called
tramps." A man who does not do his share
or the worlds work. either with head or
with hands, is a thief or tramp rather than
a gentleman. Even the South Sea Islanders
who murdered Bishop Patterson understood
that every true gentleman is a worker
When the bishop first went amongst them
he surprised them by being ready TO put
has hand 10 anything. He would do bit of
carpentering, wash up the things after
meals, teach the young blacks to wash and
dress themselves. Other white men seen
by the natives were lazy. and wanted to put
all the work on them to distinguish the
bishop from these they called him "a gen.
tleman gentleman" and the others "pig
gentlemen
Two workingmen were discussing the
other day what IL is to be a gentleman. One
said that money made a gentleman. But, -
said the other. IF you saw donkey laden
with gold and were told that IL belonged to
him, would you say that he was a gentle
associating gentleman.iness with money
giving; which in many cases is better
than snobbishness. When Sir Walter Scott
VISITED Ireland and went TO see st. Kevins
Bed near Glendalough Mr. Plunkett
who accompanied him, told the female
guide that the visitor was poet. "Poet?'
she said: "sorra bit of him but an honorable
gentleman; he gave me half a CROWN So
cabby thinks that any one who gives him
double his fare is "a real gentleman"
Others. deceived by appearances. fancy that
clothes make a gentleman. A friend of mine
told me that coming over in steamer from
Ireland he heard two men talking of
third. who or what is he?'' one of them
asked. Il don't KNOW" was the reply, but
he is a gentleman; he always wears a tall
hat"
A GENTLEMAN VENEERED.
One certain mark of true gentleman is
that he respects and controls himself. The
phrase las drunk as lord points to the
time when public opinion did not expect
lords and gentlemen to control their pas
sions but happily this state of things has
ceased. No one would now say las drunk
as a gentleman" for if a man drinks he is
not considered a gentleman.
"Once a gentleman always a gentleman"
is a true saying. Wellington used to say of
a gentleman better than he could for ten
minutes. This sort of man. even though
he be a king. Is an amateur gentleman
that is. one who only plays at the thing,
rather than "A real one Manners of the
right sort cannot be put off any more than
the skin. n true gentleman is gentle
not only To his superiors, but to those who
are considered below him in the social scale:
not only To strangers, but in the privacy OF
his home to his wife his children. his serv-
ants, yes. even TO his horse. his dog. his