The Washington herald., 1907-08-06
THE OPTIMIST.

gentleman born. master parson: who writes
himself armigero; IN any bill. warrant. quitiance,
or obligation, srnigpro.
Says Falstan in The Merry Wives Of
Windsor" and the old knights defni-
ton Of a gentleman was one that long
obtained. Any man who could write
himself "armigero is. as having
the right 10 bear arms-was a gentle
man. But We have passed that defini-
ton long since. To be a gentleman is TO
be a man In the full meaning OF the
word-a man OF honesty, gentleness, dig
nifty, and faith.
We are gentlemen,
That neither in orr hearts nor outward eyes,
Envy the great. nor do the low despiss-
With the changes that have come over
the complexion OF the world with mod
ern progress and industry there has come
a marked change In the public mind con-
corning the true definition OF the word
gentleman, OF, as Tennyson so rightly
says:
The grand Old name Of gentleman.
Long after Falstan's time the world
recognized the gentleman born" the
man of good blood In those days, and,
indeed, until recently in England, he was
counted a gentleman who was not con-
cerned in any way with trade or manual
labor. One Of the definitions in our
modern dictionaries is that a gentleman
is Every man whose education, Occu-
patton, or income raises him above
FoI I1G
milton which would exclude many of the
truest gentlemen, and which would In
clude many who have no possible claim
TO the title.
It is one OF the optimistic signs OF the
times that We are coming to recognize
the fact that a mans occupation need
not necessarily affect his character. and
that even in sO-Called mental service a
gentleman is a gentleman still. There
could hardly be a more mental service
than that Of waiting upon others at the
table, and yet yearly the list Of university
students who do this work so that they
may win an education is steadily in
creasing.
The old axiom should be changed 70
read: "A gentleman is made, not born. "
far the virtues that entitle a man to that
high title are not inherent, but formed.
George Calvert said: The gentleman is
a Christian product" and this is true,
for to be gentle one must possess the
Christian virtues. To be a gentleman
is to be a true man. Fearless. living
with dignity. careful OF others. generous,
but not wasteful; modest, temperate in
all things. wise. Dress cannot make the
gentleman. though the instincts Of right
manhood viii teach one 70 conform to
custom. Manners. which some independ-
ent minds think of no account, are merely
the rules accepted by gentle minds TO
prevent discourtesy and to guide social
Intercourse along pleasant channels. As
Burke said:
Manners are Of more Importance than laws. Upon
them IN great measure. laws depend Manners
are what so0ihe, corrzpt OF purify. exalt
Or debase. barbaTize CT refine us. by a constant
steady. uniform. insensbls operation. Ike that Of
the air We breathe. According 20 their quality
they aid morals. they supply them or they totally
destroy them
But like best a definition which was
given recently in Hartford IN a public
address by Mr. A ". Stevens, who
claimed that the prime qualities neces-
sary for the true gentleman were ten
derness and truth. He might almost
have said: "On these two things hang all
the law and the prophets" Thus he
spoke:
Tender and True" was the b7zre Douglas q
old. Tender ard true must We Be now. The
masculine element Of strength must c1mbine IN US
with the feminine element q gentIeness Dignity
must minge in cur lives with nodesty, fruness with
mildness power with sweetness. Thus shall we
command respect and confidence. and win love and
devotion. Then can woman trlst Us without fear.
ard children come % Us for blessing and JOY; then
may the weak and defenseless seek the shelter OF
our strong arm, the socially despised and morally
blichted kneel with successful appeal 50 our feet
For then viii have come 10 thest latter times
nobler kuighthood than what the cid days saw.
Brave men ard gentle strong men and tender. wiz
60 up and down our streets in and out Of our
hcmes-serving every coed cause with generous,
chiTalriC service: having minds fun Il courage
hearts full Of mercy. and natures sensitive and
IN Re rfa1 rsa 90 l.