The Washington herald., 1908-01-19
By THE ARBITER.

BY THE ARBITER.
A professor At one Of the universities
in town writes in a most complimentary
tone TO The Arbiter. commencing the hints
given boarding-schoOl girls. in last sun
days Issue. and concluding his letter as
follows: "But why pay all of your atten-
ton TO young women? They do well
enough under every circumstance, for
they have both beauty and charm TO
balance any social lapses they may be
guilty of. II is the young men Of America
who are so scathingly criticised. abroad,
al least If not al home, and l wish
could say, with clear conscience, that
they do not deserve il. l am speaking
now of the leisure class and those
destined for the professions. Our work
ingmen are far above the average Of
those in the same walk of life in any
country both in intelligence and polite
ness: but our so-called young gentlemen
are too often forward. bumptiOus, IN
cOuth; or over-refned silly. simpering,
bored One finds few manly boys, and
even these are tainted by cOmmercialism.
I am, however. not asking you 10 treat
the subject from a broad point of view
but to give a few hints as TO the con-
duct of young men IN society in its full
est meaning"
II is a difficult task this professor has
set The Arbiter, and a thankless one,
he fears, for the prevailing trait Of the
American young man of to-day is self
eomplaceney, and any message that dis
turbs him in this beatific state is apt
to be resented. To the average young
man Of America, his country is the
greatest in the world and he the greatest
man in it, OF will De. and he is prone
TO announce this on all occasions, whether
the announcement is apropOs or not
II his pretenslOns are disputed, he takes
refuge behind the statement: Well
America is good enough for me, anyway
and I'm good enough for America"
This spirit is Illustrated by the response
of a plebe" at one Of the military acad-
emies, who was "joshed' by the upper
classmen for eating with his knife. Look
here" said the spirited Cd plebe. my
father ate with his knife all his life.
and my grandfather ate with his. What
was good enough for them is good enough
for me. This is a free country. amt it,
Yes: il is a free country, as that little
plebe has learned, for he now has the
freedom 60 roam where he will. eat as he
lists. That school, no school can make
much out of a boy who mistakes liberty
for license. and whose bump Of reverence
has never been developed.
Lack Of reverence. indeed. is a con-
spieuous characteristic Of all young peo-
pie in America, the origin of which IS
difficult TO trace. and needless perhaps
except for the student Of sociology; suf-
fice it that this fault is TO be met every
where. There is lack of reverence for
the home, for parents. for traditions re-
ligiOus and political, and it is this trait
that is most commented upon by the
instructors of those young Americans
who enter the foreign universities. The
attitude Of a student TO his teacher In
any of the European countries is one OF
reverence. respect, confidence. There is
no levity In the classroom and no ridi-
culing a teacher behind his back. as is
so often the case with u.s. and yet the
appearance and idiosyncrasies Of many
Of the European professors offer serious
temptations Brag is another uulovely
attribute Of the American youth that is
constantly met with wherever young
America penetrates. One cannot escape
from It. but life with US is on such a
key there is so much "brag" in the air
that this feature comes out in boIdest
reliei only on the other side
Happening TO sit next 10 the table oc-
cupied- by a mother and her three sons
from some out OF the way place in the
United States and their German teacher.
in pension in Berlin. kept by two aristo-
cratic and dainty old maids also from the
States, The Arbiter was an amused
listener TO the following conversation:
You use a great many lemons IN
America, yes?' asked the teacher.
"Oh, not so many" replied the eldest
boy. But one of my pupils tel me
quite uferent," insisted the teacher. "she
tell me zat you trink lemon punch in ze
hot afternoon when we take coffee, Eat
you serf lemon punch at ze balls. and
Eat YOU TAX il hot az medicine" Non
sense, exclaimed the lad, 7 never saw
lemonade suppose you mean lemon
ade-served at a ball in my life" "VeIl
zen" asked the puzzled teacher. what
90 YOU trink?' I'VE don't drink any,
thing but champagne in America" an
nounced the boy proudly. "Ach gott q"
said the teacher and Immediately fell into
a profound study.
The next day when The Arbiter was
calmly getting off copy, there was an
excited knock at his door and one Of the
dear. little proprietors Of the pension
rushed excitedIy into his room. "Oh. dear
Mr.. ArbiteT," she said, do come into the
drawing-room at once. One Of those
dreadful boys is sitting on my Chippen-
dale tea table and I don't know how to
get him of. Come quickly. please. or I
am afraid it will be broken in pieces"
The Arbiter followed his hostess pre-
pared to do battle with zone Of those
dreadful boys" for possession of the table.
but the harm was already done The table
lay, a mass Of disjointed legs and slabs
on the floor, while the boy gazed laugh
ingly at It, I've broken your little fool
table all TO pieces" he said to the land
lady. who looked tearfully on, but III
buy you half a dozen in place Of II. and
good tables, too, none of those i'm
cracks that break all to pieces with a
150-pound weight. Don't look so scared
the governors good for it," and he stalk
ed out Of the room, while the aggrieved
little lady picked up the pieces, tears
streaming down her face, as she explain
ed that she was sorry 10 be so STUPID
but Il had been In her family so many
years. dear mamma" always had her
tea served from it-but there is no use to
make a long story. The hero % of these
two tales is. happily. an exception, but
there are many such exceptions. ana they
should be kept in the limelight. that pub