Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-20

Madame Bernhardt viewed with extreme disfavor
considering that wherever the company OF tn'
Comede Frsncais we're playing there, too, was
the French theatre where every one, be ne
Prince or player, who goes behind the scene, must
remove his head covering.
After reproving glance or two Nine. Sara
aughngly informed her royal visitor OF TINS
rule Edward laughed too, and taking the hint
doffed his hat and remained uncovered while IN
her presence
It used to be the fashion for gentlemen to
dance with ladies', and in the presence of royalty,
too, wearing their hats, even in France, the nat
being worn on all occasions
In the reign of Louis XIV and at the time he
himself was receiving the Papal legate, he with
the ladies of the court, was caught in a heavy
rain storm, and it is a matter of history that to
the astonshment of every one present this royal
parsonage removed his hat to shelter one of the
fair sex.
As reward for this hitherto unheard Of cour'
tesy the raindrops took all the curl out of the
royal periwig which was about as embarrassing
as anything that possibly could happen.
Some time later the courtesy of dofhng the hat
to an equal came into use. The uncovering OF
the head by interiors in the presence OF their
betters having, it is believed, established the GUS
tom.
AT first it was not uncommon for the more ex'
alted to wear one or even two caps under their
hat Then when they saluted by doffing the hat
it all depended upon whom they were going to
honor as to how much of the head covering
should be removed, the head by force of habit,
having become very sensitive to uncovering
Hats of History
The Ouakers looked upon the doffing of the hat
either to equals or interiors a mark OF servil-
;tv and so refused to remove their head covering
even in their houses of worship, returning to the
custom that modern civilization getting away
from. When one remembers that hats of every
conceivable shane and fashion are common to all
sons of Adam it is easy to understand how every
custom governing their wearing has been tol-
lowed with great trepidation, until finally the hat
became not only the Characteristic mark OF the
man. but in manner really made the man, MS
hat and his way of wearing it determining the
type Of man he represented.
! OF the hat of today, however, in all its manr
fold forms and fashions academlcal, stovepipe
and what not, Seneca was the father though nc
little dreamed the power his innovation would
hold over mankind The history OF the hat is
story of changes and vicisstudes
ANYTHING made of felt used to be called hat,
whether a cap or turban coronet, helmet or the
tall narrow cylinder surrounded by a handker-
chief or cloth, and which may be seen in Asia to-
day, the true hat being practically unknown to
our ancestors until the time of the Crusades.
In the East hats were worn continually, but
thew were made of some vegetable substances, or
of straw, rattan, bamboo, with the leaf of the
talipot palm and variety of broad-stemmed
grasses. none of which would have received the
slightest injury by being tucked under the seat,
or left ON the seat when, is now the case, sit
ting down on the hat or trampling it under foot,
means rendering it unfit to be seen in.
Nothing of the kind could happen to the hat
when it was worn continually, neither could any
harm befall the kind of hat that first came into
vogue. The present exigency is one that has to