The new South-news., 1908-11-21

dcnn~d.
DR.. Macnamara informs the uni
Fsiee that he WHISTLES . tune" when
going 10 his daily work II the Ad-
mlraIty. He has become aware that
many people think II an objection
,iir practice" even for ~rrand bcys
u the street. Bat ~ the intelligence
u this statesman IT seenix far more
Objectionable 70 sit and gorge on
turtle soup. duck and salmon mayon-
nalse while a band II cooped up ia
corner to play sslectionx." Perhaps
the Sonconformist Choir Unipn saw
the fitness Of this striking comparl-
son. but 1t "a not apparent TO every
body. DR.. Nacnamara. unable to
comprehend why any mortal should
dlsapprove. means TO persevere In
whistiing as he takes his early walk.
Thus he upholds the dignity OF the
phlilsiine against n world in arms.
For the adherence of whistling u
universal. excepting people Of British
stock. Ignorance OF this fact may
be a great disadvantage TO the trav.
eirr. Many an honest young English
man has seen his acquaintance VITA
some pleasant foreign family come
10 a sudden a1d inexpllcabie end TO
him lie had inDocently expressed
the Joy OF his heart by whIstling.
n "a easy 10 find reason for this
/ dislike or disgust. II one may sny so
with due respect for the Secretary OF
The Admiralty. Whistling is under
stood every where to signify coolness.
confidence. carelessness. These may
be virtues In their proper place. but
that place is not In the society OF
ones fellow creatures, whether one
be- acquainted with them or not. A
boy roprImanded, servant dis
missed goes away whistllng. N he
dares. lie wishes to express con-
tempt. and he succeeds At least In en-
raging his master generally. hob
bledehoy who commits some breach
OF the proprieties commonly bursts
into "A whistle. This Is TO save his
face. meaning no harm: but II sig
nlfies Il don't are'"---which ~ Just
the reverse OF the apology needed.
At best II shows Indifference; mt
worst. az the dullcst feel. insult and
proyocation. Boswell tells "a little
story Illustrating the former signih-
oance. Johnson and ne wer, dining
with the Duke OF Argyll, who ask ed
gentleman present to fetch some
curiosity from another room. lie
brought the wrong article and the
Duke sent him back-the position OF
this gentleman toward his host Is un-
disclosed However. Boswell says
"ne could not refuse. but to avoid
any appearance OF servlity he whis-
tied as he went out OF the room. ON
my mentioning this afterward to DIR.
johnson he said II was a nice trait
of character" Boswell grasped with
ease the objection. which is unintelli-
gible to DR.. Mcnamara. THE gen.
tleman desired to show his indepen.
dcncy." That Is always the motive
of whistiing. when It has any. Yor
very often nee young barbarian IL
tsis !ountry survey his fellow lfaa
sengcrs and then fall to whistlins de
l'herately. But cultured persons hsre
and quite common folks abroad. 'ar,
trained TO regard politenoss toward
strangers as a duty.
Therefore the condemnation ol
whistling Is quite intelligible. Man,
peoples outside OF Europe share IT
Savagcs think Il hateful to the gods
like the Tongan Islanders In Mari
ner's day, or the Australians still
II may be suspected. In this as II
other cases. that they suppress ,
practice offensive to their human In
stinct by laying II under the ban o
heaven. All Moslems hate whsstling
the inhabitants of the Province q
Makian in Persia are said to furnish
the necessary exception. and they ar
a0horred In consequence. Arab
hold that a whistler's mouth canno
be purified under forty days OF pen
ance-many think that a demon ha
entered 1t to corrupt the faithful.
is on record that Buckhardt fell int
: the most serious peril OF his expedl
! tion through whistling inadvertentl,
, In India there IL no name for q
abomination OF which right minde
individual could not be guilty. CHI
nese think with Arabs that whistlin
; communicates not only the agent, bu
the hearers.-Pall Mall Gazette.