East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-03-22
THE REAL GENTLEMAN.

In the days gone by it was my
privilege to companion with a hardy
soul all untaught OF refinement and
culture. But he was a true gentle
man. often in the cold nights on the
prairie. he would reach over and tuck
the blankets around me. But he
would have used many purple swear
words had l said anything about his
thoughtfulness and gentleness. Joe
was true gentleman. He thought
more Of a friend than he did Of him
self. And because Joe thought more
Of me than he did Of himself. there is
nothing under the canopy of heaven
/ would not do for Joe.
When the Ute Indians made their
famous pilgrimage in search of
somewhat mythical hunting ground,
gray haired man, wearing the two
stars of major general in the Uni
ted States army, was sent on; 10 con-
fer with the chiefs q the runaway
tribe. He stopped on his way To the
conference at little hotel in South
Dakota and ate a humble meal with
cowpunchers, farmers and he clerks
|
office he met his civilian clerk and to-
gether they left the hotel The ma
| jor general, across whose dress coat
hangs a row of medals for valor and
distinguished service. opened the door
and stepped back that his clerk might
lass out first. The major generals
name was Greeley, he Of Arctic fame.
And then | knew why these medals
graced the breast of his dress coat. He
was a gentleman.
With pride l recall how 1 once
walked down the street with great
poet. | was abashed in his presence,
deeming him almost a companion OF
the gods. And l vaguely wondered
why his songs stirred me and gripped
my heart. A few steps ahead of US a
child slipped and fell on the icy side
walk Riley rushed to the little ones
side and picked her up and brushed
the snow from her skirt, the while he
anxiously injured, "Girlie, did it hurt
you?" Then l knew why l loved Ri
ley's songs. They came from the
heart of a gentleman.
l. And there was the lad we lifted
from the saddle, gray-faced and with
just enough strength left to tell u:
that the wife of a neighbor was sick
He did not even know the neighbor /;
name All he knew was that there
was a sick women and the doctor ar
hundred miles away. He asked nC
questions. he did not quibble, he simp'
ly rode to the end of the trail and de-
livered his message. He was a gen
tleman.
Thus it would seem that the true
gentleman is he who is the mos
thoughtful as to the comfort and well,
being of others Loyalty and gentle
ness and modesty and the quiet voice
and the kindly way Watch the lit
tie things and you will find the righ
trail to a mans character l Away
supposed Doc Middleton to be one o
the hardest propositions the old wes
ever produced. Docs speciality wa
, holding up stages and settling person
al differences with a Colts forty-five
Doc has a pair of somber, deep-se
eyes and a nose like the beak of
I hawk He walks softly as a man wh'
/. has often looked into the shining eye
of danger. But one day Doc picke'
up a stray. kitten and loved and fon
died the bedraggled thing. Although
i Dos has record that reads like a REL
casualty, I would fain proclaim him
gentlemin Any man who will picl
up lost kitten and fondle it canno
be all bad-Robert V. Carr in Inlan
Herald