Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-10-20

repining. This applies especially to
! people who must live crowded together
, in flats and boarding houses-that
hateful gresarious life which is doing
away with the home and all its tradi-
tons Of hospitality and privacy, and
which is increasing yearly. Here
above all other places, ID forbearance
necessary. The perambplator rolls
Ike thunder over the head Of the
nervous wretch intent upon some try.
ing and important task that taxes all
his powers of concentration: three
pianos. pounded and thumped. fill the
court with their strident echoes. The
ufirestraned American child, with his
unrestrained playmates. romp and
scream in the corridors. but fretting
and fumbling do no good. A gentle
and reasonable request to those re-
sponsible may sometimes be Of avail,
but only where courtesy is met with
courtesy. Exhibitions Of brutal rude
ness are to be met with now and then
among those who go about on railway
trains and steamships. There are
men and women. both. who endeavor
to appropriate ten times as much as
tIlSS are eHtlticu IT, Inc SeinSn Wn-
man comes on deck and takes the chair
of the ailing man who will not ask for
it, though she sees his name plainly
printed on the back. The selfish man
is noisy and greedy. irascible and
truculent, but the only weapon with
which he can be conquered Is the
courtesy for which he has no counter
defense. This sometimes fails, and
when it does fail the guilty ones are
past hope. A lady crossing the At
lantic sat next a grouchy Englishman
at luncheon. She asked him with the
utmost politeness, to pass q dish at his
elbow, the table steward having dis
appeared
DO YOU take me for a servant" he
growled, glazing at her as he went on
eating. NO" she replied quietly, II
mistook you for a gentleman" He
hurried through the meal as quickly as
possible, and went upon deck to think
it over.
During the Republican convention. as
a distinguished New York visitor took
his seat with the lady whom he had in
vited to go with him, he found II pre-
empted py the family of astwell-known
western politician. They had heaped
the two chairs with their impedimenta.
believing that no one. no matter to
whom the places might belong. would
have the courage to ask for them. Tho
gentleman produced his tickets, handed
them to the usher who ordered the
places vacated while the rightful own
ers took their seats. The, politicians
family were astounded at such effronte.
~, and they began a systematic, petty
persecution which they kept up without
cessation. They talked aloud: put
their heads together and shut Off all
view of the platform and passed across
the New York visitor, relays of lunch-
con, fruit. biscuit and other edibles.
When this palled. they playfully pelted
each other with cherry stones which,
with other miscellaneous debris. they
had Uttered the floor. This was an In.
stance when nothing but Christian for
bearaEce would have awaited, and II ID
high tribute to these who endured their
vulgar insolence that patience had her
perfect work. ---.. -..-.a
1t is often a matter of wonder to
alleged free-born Americans that the
English common people are SO patient
tocracy To the discerning the reason
is not far to seek. 1t Is rare, indeed.
that the man of rank is insolent TO
those beneath him. His position en-
forces many obligations. first of which
seems to be politeness to his interiors,
who are frequently unable to defend
themselves against injustice and in
civility. Very few Englishlren would
bear the brutal. arbitrary speech which
the American must endure from his
boss" a man. who in nine cases out OF
Ten, has risen from the humblest be-
ginnings. ''sr.
There is nothing truer than that the
soft answer turneth away wrnth. An
ger increases the rage against which il
Rudeness. in retaliation, in.
,reases the rudeness that Is resented.
But against patience, the objection that
itself in moderate and courfe-
'us speech, even the boor and the ter
naSant are at a ioss.-The Advance