The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-03-14
ENGLISH NNEKS.
John Balls Self Conscious Superior
fty Only bad Breeding.

tty 0afy bad breeding.
II In seldom, indeed, that an English.
man Will acknowledge that man Of
any other nation has the advantage Of
him IN any respect. Indeed. there Is. ]
believe, only one fault which we are
nationally ready to allow may be fair
ly attributed 10 us-a certain lack Of
charm In manner In recent years.
when I have lived much abroad,
have several times heard the English
people say, what a pity 1t 10 we
haven't more charming manners!"
II we are ever TO have as pleasant
manners as our nelghbors the first idea
we must get rid OF is that II is sign
OF weakness to be agreeable. A GIN
let eye and stif upper lip are not
sure indications Of a moral grip or
even Of physical strength. Giants, we
know, can be genial. and smiling
saint can be quite as godly as the
austerc skeleton with an expression
Ike distressed monkey bemoaning
the sins Of the monkey house To
have what II sometimes called man
ner' Ia not to write yourself down ef-
Terminate. We English laugh heartily
at what we call the Blowing and
scraping" Of Frenchmen and Italians
AZ II we thought that by bending bis
body q man parted from bis mascuiD-
ity. This Ia folly and betrays only
confusion Of mind that wakes gcorn
In the intelligent.
When Frenchman or an Italian
comes into u drawing room he bows
low and kisses the hand OF his hostess
This Is pretty, but 1t n not pretty
pretty" II indicates not servile
gratitude for hospitality accorded and
a graceful respect for ones hostess.
The Englishman's entrance into room
and greeting are more brusque and
show less courtesy Then we are, as
rule, much more ION our dignity"
with those whom we consider beneath
us In station than are the other Euro
pean nations except tho Germans. We
like 10 mark our position.
suppose there is nothing more es.
sentially underbred than standing on
ones dignity" yet many Of our Eng
lish aristocrncy do II as we'll as the
nouveaux riches. They seem to think |
II necessary TO give themselves airs.
Whyi | often wonder. especially when
note the easy simplicity and well bred |
so universal among foreign
ers OF the same class. The English
man. for instance. usually treats serv-
ants merely as servants" TO use a
phrase have often heard In English
mouths. He is probably quite Just TO
them. lie often prldes himself on that.
But he is markedly detached. lie is
not human with them. 1t must always
be case Of master TO servant. never OF
man TO man, His servant is to him
He speaks to him with curt
lie looks at him with
frosty eye that is likely to chill. /
Again | ask. "Whyf' Where Is the
necessity Of this tacit and perpetual
on a difference of posltlonYl
The foreigner horrid but useful word
seldom bothers about such matters.
He treats the people round about him
who minister TO his comfort with a
friendly familiarity. and rarely indeed
10 they try 10 tnie advantage Of II.
They In their turn venture to be cor.
lial.
We English are not bad hearted but
We are bad hammered, and as most of
II know this we ought to make an ef.
ort TO mend our manners. The truly
'ood manner comes from being lust
his -unatfectedly human and simple
Without arriere pensee. Surely we |
ught TO be able in time TO manage to
'e that 1t is all very well to comfort
with such phrases as "our .
ark Is worse than our bite" No
oubt 1t is but barking dog is nui.
ance. He sets nerves ON edge. We
% often set foreign nerves on edge
y our bluntness. our rough awkward. {
ess, our determination to have our {
wn way in tritles at all costs and our I
nwillingness TO see that the habits and I
nstoms prevalent in other countries &
re not bound TO be idiotic merely be. a
ause they are different from our own r
II Will be sincere" SAYS the gruff {
nglishman 10 himself when he sets
rot on foreign soil. None of your
'reign nonsense for me-" How pleas
Mt Europe will be when John Bull
nd his womanklnd can be sincerely Z
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