The Washington times., 1906-10-14

who. 10 borrow an expressive bit OF
slang has been there. and tndJ re-
peatedly. or all the nuisances ttor 'sach
or the tricks mentioned IS JhaI-} de
scribed by our critic the humminE hub-
IL is the most common and perhaps the
most unpleasant 10 those who are eNer-
cised thereby. Il may be token of a
merry heart. when one breaks out into
song as a bird WdTbles i'm the tree-top
on summer morning Each OF us has
felt and yielded TO the impulse, and the
carol has offended nobody. One does
not hum because one Is happy Some
times one falls into the habit TO hide
bashfulness and 10 impress cOmpan-
ions with the idea that one is entirely
at ease ! have known more than one
sO-called well-bred man who Gummed
cheeFily in a friends house 10 prove
that he felt happily at home.
The awkward and transparent trick,
once acquired. becomes inyeterate in
time. But yesterday / was annoyed al
most TO anger by saleswOman in
fashionable emporium who hummed
a popular air to herself while ] was try
ing TO CajOle her into showing me the
belts she is paid TO sell. She hlld up
the intervals between query and reply
with sOttO vOce ministrelsy. until I was
fairly driven out or the store. The Ike
has happened 20 me SO often that 1
sympathiZe heartily with or reader"
Few mistresses encourage maids TO
sing II their work. In my early mar
Tied life 1 wondered at the objection
20 the practice frequently expressed in
my hearing. Theoretically, the en-
ployer should be glad TO hear the blithe
rOundelay bespelking cOntentmenJ. /
was not long in finding out that the
aforesaid Tilt is usually meaningless
the result Of bad early training. and
even, sometimes, the ebullitiOn Of III
humor
Mary do alters sing when she is out
OF timpeT' said a Chambermaid Of
caroling cook. There's none OF us
cares TO stay in the kitchen, once she
begins 10 sing 'Wearin' of the Green "
/ have learned since that Mary was not
singular IN this respect.
Readers point Of the unhealthful-
ness Of the habit, when one is sweep
ing and busting. is well taken. She
says. trulE TOO. that the energetic song
draws uselesslv upon nervous and mus
culaT forces needed for the work in
hand
The nnonotonous or varied chant Of
the lOdEer above. or below. or across
the court in the apartment house which
is the city home of the brainworker,
is more than q nuisance. II Is torture!
The piano next door * bad enough. The
young woman who has a. voice that
must be cultivated with the rake of
scales and the harrow Of cadenZas has
the excuse Of must be- for martyriz-
ing quiet and studiOus neighbors. There
is neither sense nor eXpediency in dron-
ing Moody and Sankey melodies over the
waShtu1, or CrOning, MOtheri MOtherl
Pin a Rose on Me!' while the petit
toner is cleaning silver, or darning
stockings, until the pale-faced woman
or man-cn the next floor would gladly
donate the flower, If It were TO be pin
ned above the chest forever vOiceless.
To sum up the matter-which is not
a light One-nOne Of us has the moral
right 10 lause into trick-manneTism-
habit-WhicE IS an abiding ofTenSe to
those about us. The road we walk in
company Is steep and hard enough at
best Pebbles hurt tender feet. and the
dust raised by needless pTanCing and
kicking makes weak eyes smart