Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-03-20
Our Public Manners.

Somebody ought to compile a man.
ual on the proper opening and closing
of doors.
Public doors, that is. the big heavy
kind YOU have to fall against to open
land step lively 10 avoid being crushed
in their closing
at the entrance TO department stores
and railway stations.
In the wild and woolly wilderness
in which [ grew up. We were taught
that it was bad manners 10 bang
strangers in the face.
To push ourselves in first, when
Gshers had prior claim. would have
stamped us as the vuIgarest of the
herd
Alas, that we should have wasted
time learning these and 80 many
other rules of etiquette which have
to be unlearned when we acquaint
ourselves with the customs of civil
1zed cities.
write for others who, perhaps,
were brought up in some benighted
section oil the country where folk
have time to be polite. Learning by
experience is slow and not always
| pleasant Therefore / cheerfully set
forth the result of no small obserya-
; ton. in order that these fellow-victims
of an inadequate training may arrive
/ by a short cut at proper understand
ing Of the management of public
doors.
In the first place, it is sheer absur-
dity to think Of anybody but yourself
when you pass through a doorway
You cannot be supposed to know that
+ extremely iil-bred 1t is to look behind
Recall the punishment melted out 70.
Lots wife for this breach of etiquette.
If Providence had intended you to
be on the lookout for persons behind
you you would have been equipped
with eyes in the back Of your head
That lJt being the case. the mani
festly proper thing is to sail conf
IDENTITY through a doorway pushing
the door as wide as possible, in order
to give it extra force; then let it slam
nightly against the woman behind
you
I must observe that few men have
vet mastered this rule of etiquette.
But there are many, many Of my own
sex who do IL to perfection.
Now, should you detect any verdaut
parsonage, fresh from the country
pausing and holding the door until
you can stay it with your hand-po-
litely handing it to you, so to speak.
instead of hanging it at you, there IS
little trick to teach this benighted
individual better manners. often and
often was It practced on ne in my
verdant days. and ! can vouch for its
enlightening merits.
II is this: Do not take the door
Keep your hands in you muff, in your
pockets or anywhere out of sight;
but do not put one out to catch the
door
Instead, wrIggle quickly through,
The next woman win probably follow
suit. And the next and the next BY
the time that well meaning but mis-
taken person has held up heavy
door for about a dozen of you to
wriggle through she viii let it slam
Her cure viii be wrought
Scarcely a day that l do not have
opportunity to admire the cieverness
with which lady shoppers perform
this little trick The expression OF
amiable complacency with which they
shlrk all responsibility for doors is
beautiful to behold. truly it is worth
cultivating
Should she betray resentment she
stamps herself as ignorant of civil
lied customs. You can afford to scorIA
her.
You need only practice faithfully
these few rules IN order to master
one of our first laws uf etiquette
which being interpreted reads:
Look out for No. /"
Always remember. too, that when
woman on the other side of the
Idoor opens il you are to presume
that her only object is to let you
through It may not, indeed be so;
hut etiquette demands that you so
itake it. She may make an effort to
pass in, or out Then do You be firm
in the knowledge of what is expected
of YOU push her aside and dash
through. Crush against her knock
her hat awry. tread on her toes, in
your anxiety to accept this courtesy