The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-10
SHE WAS REPULsED.

In e recent issue The Richmond mes-Dispatch gave an account of an episode that shows the difference be- tween sections. It starts out by say ing that "a Southern woman recently went to New York to live. She did not find her neighbors neighborly, and so she determined to make overtures. One morning she sent to her next-door neighbor a plate of hot Southern bis- cults. It was a delicate attention. conceived in the true Southern spirit. just such an attention as she would have shown to 6 neighbor in her South ern home. But the New York woman did not receive 1t in the same spirit. On the contrary, she returned the bis- cults with the reply that she needed no assistance from strangers in pro- visioning herself or her family" Then 1t adds:
 The Southern woman was cut to the heart, and, doubtless. had a good cry all to herself. After that she wrote a communication to The New York Times relating her experience. The Times, in commenting on the incident, admitted that the attention, was com ceived in the right spirit, and admit ted also that the rebuff was hard to bear, but admonished the Southern wo- man, that, in coming to New York to live, she was under q moral obligation to fall Into New Yorix's ways, especial ly in small things. and that had she studied the situation as she found 1t with an open mind, she would have discovered that for New York's pecu- liarities and habits there were other and better reasons than coldness of heart and badness of manners. Our hearts" said The Times in conclusion, ''are warm enough and manners good enough. but our environment is vastly different from that to which this amiable Southern woman has been &C., customed.'
 All this is interesting and somewhat amusing to us of the South, especially of the old South. Of course in the cities the liberal use of bakers bread Is not uncommon, but even all the city people are not yet broken to the habit of eating cold loaf bread for break fast, nor will they be as long as they can find a way to make warm biscuit. rolls and batter cakes. We often hear northern people express surprise over the fact that many Of the old-time Southerners, even in the cities, eat so little bakers bread, but our taste for the old style dishes and cookery has not been eliminated by contact and association with those who appear to consider hot bread a direct road to the cemetery. Some of us have lived on it quite a long while, and are not ready to swap off for the new style. We can well understand, too, how this Southerfn woman felt humiliated at the reception of her well-meant kindness. In the honesty of her warm Southern heart she thought she could hardly show her unnelghborIy neigh bor a greater kindness. or do her a more delicate and welcome favor than by sending her a plate of biscuits made in the genuine Southern style, and which, by the way, but few modern cooks can prepare. She knew just how good such biscuits were and thinking that the way to a mans heart is through his stomach, she thought she might reach the heart of her neighbor by the same route, but she failed. Tn the South such a delicate service would have been received in the same spirit in which 1t was tendered, but not in New York. The woman-we will not call her the lady-who refused the gift and insuIted the giver probably raised herself in her own eyes and in the estimation of those like her. but all who understand and appreciate the graceful oourtesies of life will hold that she would have done herself more credit by showing proper appreciation of the act, even if it was not in accord ance with her ideas of good form. Doubtless the Southern lady will in future be more careful of her good in- tentions. And we are inclined to agree with The Times Dispatch that the place for southerners is the South"