Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1910-12-02
ALabor Day
Feast
How q LAborer Tested His. Social
Position.
By F. A. Mitchell
Copyri6ht. lSl0. by American Press
Association.


When Bob Nebbins came to L. and
set himself up to Join the social cir.
Gle composed Of young people 1t waa
a grave question whether he was
to be admitted. have, never known
so many diverse views about any enc.
Some complained that he dressed IKE
a tinker instead Of gentleman; others
complained that when he did put on
fine clothes they were foppish. Some
of the young men thought him clever.
Most Of the girls considered him .
fool.
Notwithstanding that he was gen
orally dlsapproved by the girls, no one
OF them would take the responsibility
of sighting him. Miss Arietta Price, It
is true, was very cool to him, but Miss
Price had said openly among her girl
friends that she proposed to ''be some
body" In the social world and to do
that she must marry rich man. Miss
Dora Laraway, who was perhaps the
most independent among the girls,
took up Mr.. Nebbins, but 1t was said
be contrary. | mention these two girls
because they represent the two ex-
tremes.
Just as Nebbins was acquiring a So
cial foothold along comes Tom Kir-
shaw, who the year before had left
l.. to go into business in the city,
and says that he had seen Mr.. Neb-
bins working In overalls In large
manufacturing concern. A halt was at
once called, and many were Of the
opinion that no more invitations
should be extended to the workman
until more was learned about him.
Miss Price the next time she met him
cut him. Miss Laraway, with her usual
contrariness, was more gracious to him
than ever The rest Of us were d.
vided. The situation was rather an
noying, because Nebbins had been re-
ceived within our circle. and, once ad-
mitted, It was not easy to GUST him.
Ed Clifford, one Of our number, who
prided himself on going straight at
things, asked Bob IL 1t was true that
he had been a workingman. Nebbins
admitted that 1t was. clifford attempt
ed to follow the matter up with other
questions, but Nebbins admonished
him to mind his own business.
Common sense prevailed. Those who
declined to turn cold shoulder to
Nebbins because no had been n greasy
mechanic carried the day, and, a.
though he was not especially welcome
among us after this, he was at least
tolerated. We wondered what he lived
on. He had come among US at the be-
ginning Of the summer, and 1t was
expected that he would leave early In
the autumn. Probably the fact that
his stay among Us was temporary con-
tributed TO our willingness to treat
him considerably while he remained.
Notwithstanding the disadvantages
under which Nebbins labored, he grad
ually made friends. don't mean that
he was In any way a popular man,
even with those with whom he became
most intimate. After 1t became known
that he had been workman this
fancy Of his for putting on mean
clothes seemed to be explained. In
other words. he was an instance OF q
workingman trying to be a gentleman
and only half succeeding, or, rather,
now and then suffering relapse.
We young men found Nebbins much
more endurable--not to say attractive
than the girls. There were few
girls who, like Miss Price, made no
scruple of turning the cold shoulder to
him; there were those who neither
avoided nor sought him and a few who
In spirit Of kindliness treated him
cordially. Miss Laraway alone posi-
lively favored him But Miss Laraway
had laid out for herself life Of work
and had accepted position as teacher
to enter upon her duties the following
autumn. On this account probably she
had less influence with US In a social
point OF view than any Of the girls.
Indeed, Dora's social position was not
fixed among US. Some Of the girls.
though they worked with her In
church duties and were familiar with
her at such times, forbore to invite her
to their homes. She was as refined as
they and more intelligent than most of
them. Indeed, there was no difference
between her and them, at least none
that was not to her advantage, except
that when her parents had first come
b. Ahnx, haA ,.nlktau haas. anaIlanA ~