The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1908-01-24

HWH member Colonel Hosea Per
= kins, who used to live just
around the corner from us
on William street? OF course you do
No ~ could forget that stately figure
and that ceremOnious bow with which
he punctuated every greeting. Old Fer
kins is dead now, but III bet Il horse
that he's dOfling his crown every two
minutes-that is, If he's gone to a place
where crowns are supposed to be 4
necessary article of wearing apparel.
He was the most painfully polite man
ever saw. His genufectious and
N"beg pardOns" used to get on nv
nerves until could hardly refrain
from protest. He wouldn't wear his
hat in the presence of ladies, and I've
seen him standing on street corner
bareheaded in the broiling sun for an
hour at time while he talked with a
female acquaintance.
! am reminded of Perkins by some
actions Of yours that I noticed while
you and Anna May were visiting us
last week. That old hypocrite was the
embodiment of exaggerated courtesy
to every one he met, with the single
exception of his wife. Unless he had
company he would drop his manners
on his front porch and on the other
side OF his threshold become the most
disa greeable reprobate that ever wore
long suffering woman to the grave.
don't mean to intimate my boy.
that there is any resemblance between
you and old Perkins, but | saw when
you were here that you were already
beginning to follow the general tend
ency Of persons who wear trousers and
forgetting ut home some of the amen-
ties you would never overlook outside.
It's so easy to do. We are all naturally
sayages, prone to drop the social graces
whenever we think noDody's looking
anu our families are supposed to kind
~ smut their eyes. Yet the little cere-
monies aud verbal expressions which
constitute our everyday code of eti-
quette were designed for the sole pur-
pose OF smoothing the rough edges of
our intercourse with the world the
nesh and the devil and keep us from
nying at one another's throat, us We
would like SO much to do.
A Potent Force.
Next to the Christian religion poIitc.
ness is the most potent force in thu
world today, and it is just as effective
an ones own home as it is in the house
across the street. Now, without anv
more beating around the bush, want
TO say few things to you on this sub
Ject, ana want to put EN- to you
straight. When you have read this let
1er once, read it over again and get
It stuck into your head so it won't sin
soose.
| wasn't around when you were ''set
AIN up to Anna May, but III bet q pile
OF good hard dollars that you were al.
mighty particular how you acted when
you were in her presence There was
nothing In the shape of courtesy that
was any too fine for her when YOU
came a-woolng. You had all your
graces and some you had borrowed, !
have no doubt, out for her inspection
You had old Chesterfield beaten so bad
you could see daylight between you
Yes. you did. wasn't there, but |
know. That little girl you were ex-
ceedlngly careful about then is your
wife now. but In the change she has
lost none of her rights. She Is just as
much entitled to the observance of the |
forms of courtesy as before-more than |
then, for as your wife she should hold |
1 higher and more honored place In |
FOUR life than as your sweetheart. Yet |
noticed last week that you did not
ift your hat when you met her down
own. | noticed that you allowed her
% pick her own way along the street,
D step up to the curhstone without any
.ffost Of assistance from you. | noticed
/ ss..s We Gined ut the hotel that you
eft her to grope through the mysteries
Il the menu unalded, while you con-
III A. 4 1. I a y n 3