The sun., 1919-09-28

Origin Of Some Modern Customs

were not only very short, generally
speaking, but worn on the right side
or the person. But when blades began
! to lengthep the sword case was of
| necessity worn on the left, as a very
| long weapon cannot be drawn with
any speed or convenience by the hand
on the side at which 1t is worn, and,
in consequence, men took to mounting
their horses from the near side be-
cause 1t was impossible to do II other
wise with any convenience.
The consequences of attempting to
mount from the off side when wearing
sword are apt to be disastrous, as
any military man can testify. To the
sword, likewise, we owe the two but
tons that are placed on the back OF
tail coat. Their original reason was
to support the sword belt. as they
do on a soldiers tunic to this day.
They are not Of any great antiquity
probably not two hundred years
Those who have been on board a
man -of-war know that you are ex-
| pected to salute the quarterback as
soon as you come onto it, but per-
haps not many are aware OF the origin
OF this practice. A good many people
~ tbAtlN nave a. navy lUbd IndI IH0
ensign is its object, while some per-
haps think that it is a naval fad but
Of venerable age In a certain sense
IT Is naval fad, for in days gone by
when crucifx was always placed at
the stern OF vessel il was saluted as
a matter of course by every one COM
/ Ing on board. The crucifx was taken
away, but the old feelings remained,
and men still saluted the place where
1t had been. The younger generation
which succeeded the survivors of the
old order knew nothing OF the sacred
| emblem. but initiated their seniors,
| and the salute became a habit to them
as 1t had been to their fathers. Thus
the mark of respect though the object
or 1t has gone. continues to be given
to this day.
Most persons will be surprised to
hear that the idea of women reuuir.
ing escort especially OF a really pro-
tective nature, is Of comparatively
modern origin. But such appears to
be the case. Nothing strikes one more
forcibly in the study of medieval lit
erature than the absolute freedom
women enjoyed to travel and wander
| alone without fear of molestation.
| The times We're unsettled undoubt.
eddy. and men lived for fighting only.
But. nevertheless, the helpless and
defenceless were safe enough so far
as one can judge from contemporary
| literature. 1t is not to be denied that
they came to grief occasionally, but
as a general rule men respected the
other sex In the days of chivalry, and
even the worst Of scoundrels allowed
an unprotected woman to ride by I'M
harmed.
II there is one thing presumably
certain on this earth, in the opinion
of most Of us, It Is that skirts are es-
sentially feminine, and that the spe-
cial feature of masculine attire is a
| bifurcated garment. But nothing is
| further from the truth. To this day
the majority OF the male element OF
the human race, so far as II wears
clothes at all, is slSirted. And in past
| times, not so very long ago, a gown
down to the feet was the correct wear
of responsibility in civilized Europe,
An anecdote told of st. Louis, King OF
France, illustrates this we'll. That
monarch was the stoutest OF warriors,
man whom no one knowing anything
about him would dream of accusing
of being effcminate, but on one occa-
sion he seriously offered TO exchange
costumes with a richly dressed female
relative who had blamed him for
wearing the unpretentious garments
/ he usually affected, which she said
were unsuited TO a king. But she
thought his gown was too plain for
her. so declined the offer Now It Is
impossible to magine a man like LOUIS
even suggesting such a thing II tha
dress of men and women had not been
practically identical. except for war
and hunting. Indeed glance at old
pictures confirms this impression.
| Again 1t may not be known that tho
familiar soutane or cassock OF "A
Catholic priest was the garment
habitually worn by all gentlemen up
TO comparatively recent times. though
It was not always necessarily black.
There is a portrait of Dante wearing
/ one OF instep length