The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-12
Etiquette in a Street Car

and you may read It or not. as you
choose. because 1t is about women and
1t Is about bad manners, and IL you
are tired of hearing about both, by all i
means turn the page. The car was
crowded-they usually are-and every.
oody In the car was just as tired as
everybody else. Most of the men had
lunch boxes with them. and YOU knew
that they had been up long before most
OF us, even those of us who work for a
living, had even thought of breakfast.
II you have noticed. and am sure TINT
you have. there Is usually big crowd
OF factory girls getting on at Seventh
street; the particular afternoon of the
past week was no exception. They
filed in, and some OF them got seats,
and the larger number OF them did not
One girl, who was standing quite near
the door. was offered a seat. She never
said Il thank you; she never inclined
her head: she merely looked the mascu-
line parsonage over from his head to
his heels and sazed calmly past him.
Now. know what You are going to
say-that she really preferred to stand:
that she thought the man was tired;
| probably she was going to get OFT in a
| Few squares, anyway--all of the little
Things that We do say when woman are
rude on street cars-but 1t strikes me
| as very queer idea of common polite
ness 1 saw the man who got UP to
! give her his seat. His eyes were blue
and he didn't have on any collar. and
| know that he was just as tired as
| he could he, doing whatever It was i
| that had made him tired-breakinE
| rocks or digging foundations or build
| Ing engines-and he had probably de-
| bated In his mind whether il wasn't
better to keep the scat. He seemed
rather bewildcrcd ny the girls cool,
| nj L.
! lie didn't know the girl he old notl
move In exclusive circles. but he want
| ed to be kind, and he certainly was I'M
| selflsh.
oh. VIC silly. foolish women. who
are 50 charming and delightful to the
people we know and as rude and disu-
greeablc and ill-brcd in n pubic place
as though We had no niche in life. The
girl that I saw probably says to her.
self: Il am as good as the rcst-or any
body else" but the little girl that
| worked at the same place and slipped
| into the seat she was so ill-mannereu
about said II thank you" when she
accepted it,
Don't You love the story OF n very
well-known Richmond man OF II gem
GRAFTON ago, who w mt to New York
ana mad occasion to ride in the street
car sthere? Some n nounced
| INTO mans seat If it were her
| natural right. and at once the good
old doctor leaned across the aisle and
said quite loud enough .or the whole
car to hear. II am sure she Is very
, mueh Obliged to you. sir; it is just {.
| little habit she has. and hope you
will excuse her this time" Every
body laughed. and the wom- II got Off
At the end of the block.
1T seems so queer that all SORTS of
people do have such bad manners In
on T..
OF seat; they sit like craven images
when you have runE the bell and you
must crawl over them at the risk of
breaking any amount If bones and
having to ride another mock further
on. All of us do l. we Just forget
But you-g!rl that the man gives a
seat to-i think next zine he does.
would be very much Obliged and take
H. think should be glad that he was
good enough to do ii ard polite enough
to do 1t and unselflsh enough to re-
member that l was tired. too
BRENT WITT
Commencement Extrnvnganccs.
In an article in tho May Woman's
Home Companion it is stated that ut
nearly every high school commence
ment great eNtravaSancc is INDUCED
IN In good many parts OF the
country efforts are being made to re-
duce the amount of money spent for.
York City. for example IL yea, kept
the average cost to Sl each. and this
year II propocs TO reduce At 10 soc
y good many obstacles are confronted,
however. by those who undertake. To
preach economy. Following is an in
teresting extract from the article on
this point
For Illustration: in Nenia ohio,
there was determined effort To have
the graduation gowns simple and mex
pensivc. The school board, the teach
ers, and the wcll-to-do mothers We're
delighted. Most of the class favored
white poque skirts and MILDLY blouses
but one girl objected to this plain
costume.
AT commencement she appeared in
lovely gown and with loads OF
bowers. AS har sister explained, She
was hand embroidered all through
In II null dress, messaline slip, silk
undervcst ana stockings. and satin
slippers, she was far away The best
dressed girl in her class And her
mother makes hNr living over the
washtub.
They also tried to bring reform in
! the High School Commencement in
Miamisburg. Ohio, last year, but one
of the girls held out against ii, with
the support OF an nlder sister, The
rcformcrs tried to reason with the
sister. who was perfectly frank about
it,
I'VE are a family OF school-teach-
crs, she explained. Emily Is the
youngest. but it will be just the same
l with her. Five OF MS have never
married. but have gone with the
> grind year after year. We never have
, worn q wedding dress, and never Will.
. wore linen suit to graduate in,
and | have felt cheated ever since.
Emily shall have the prettiest and
most elaborate dress we can make
for her"
SIN Onc-Sidcd Effects.
The artistic. unbalanced decoration
, oF 81 gown was given full recognition