Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-07
AS one WOMAN SEES IT
Men Love to Do Funny Formal
Stunts When Left to Their own
Foolish Ways, Which Explains
Parades and Minstrel Shows
BY SARAH ID, LOWRIE


iormalitics Of all sorts. from dress coats TO
duty calls, once their womenkind nave
taken wings for the summer. is so deeply
rooted IN most womcn's minds that II IS
Always pcrpleXed surprise to them to see
the lengths Of formality to which mon. left
to their own devices, will 90 when they arc
really embarked on a ceremony.
cnnnot imagine women celebrating any
c event or anniversary. no matter how patr.. pra.
straight while performing the drilled gciiu-
nections which their husbands and brothers
and fathers lend themselves to with gravity
that Is unfinching.
Even the funny stunts that men do for
one another's applause have kind Of prepa.
tation tation ana program and balance that
blghts any passing frivolty which inter-
rrupts the prescribed ritual. l watched the
!, Zen and Pencil Club celebrities not long ago
manner on the public stage. OF course. n
minstrel show is as balanced and conven:
lnnal In Its way MS minuet. but realized
whS men invented minstrel shows and stu St.
cling to them with loyal devotion. The
center man. called the interlocutor, and the
cnd men. who conscientiously produce the
stories. and the in between men. who laugh
at the stories. are rs welded to their con-
Ventional program ms though 1t came out
OF q prayer book. If one man departed ever
so little from the rubrics, the whole service
would so to smash and the actors wide.
mouth grins would turn to frozen disappro-
baton.
TT JUST happened that day or so be-
i i fore thnt show ] had sat for whole
sitting room watching the gathering Of
iratrrnal order for their annual march with
oands and banners through our part of the
town. 1t took them about two hours to get
rendy Tor that march. and as each brother
strodc mnnfully forth from the club hall
pulling on n pnir of spotlcss white gloves and
settling his plumcd pith helmet to the cxnct
crease above his eyebrows. ! realized that in
the ceremony of the day all the pcnt.up
desires for grandeur and kingly observances
were given lecway bv those participating.
Each man, being dressed like n hero, treated
hlmsef as one, and there was nn air Of
condcscension and yet Of benevolence with
winch ne greeted thosc--as good by nature
as himself, but certainly not so fortunate
Who were in the sombcr neither and upper
garments of everyday. Even those in high silk
mats and long frock coats and white vests
were lesser mortals in their own esteem
,nan @ the paragons, in creased white trousers
and belted; bright -hued coats and gilt.
tcring swords. The salute with those gilt
tcrins swords on the slightest passing nod,
the meticulous inspection by those higher
up' the continuous testing Of authority
os MN highest up In rnpid-fre commands
tnose glittering swords and finally. the mo.
ment OF perfection reached-and almost
oyerreached. for It was a very hot day
wncn the reviewing potentates in Turkish
oT, aT1users ,Se and fezes passed down that line.
nl We're 10 many glorious proofs that men
are highly ceremonious creatures when left
to their own devices.
| HAD needed any further proof Of this.
- had only to go back n few days more TO
me AFTERNOON had spent as one of an in
vlted VIZ. group Mt tho Franklin Institute, when
.ne Two degrees OF the year were bestowed
On S tne TWO scientists who had done most
during the last twelve months to benefit the
world by their applied knowledge-Thomp.
son. the laboratory authority on atoms and
molccules, and Modjeski. the architect.
engineer and constructor of the great bridges
OF the country.
The president Of the Institute. Walton
LARK. the prescntcrs of the two mon to
receive the medals of honor. the secrctorv
or the board who produced the awards, the
uonors OF tne portrait OF the president which
was given TO the institute during the course
OF the ceremonies. the response Of the presi.
cent the historians who described the re.
clpients' achievements. and the recipients
or or their proxies who returned thanks. were
an an, so O. enact IA; In their parts so word perfect
ana so leg perfect and SO hand perfect TINT
no eighteenth century duel could have bccn
oegin or carried out with more punctiIio,
was as diferent from-well, say every.
Day life In trolley car. as the shriii buzz of
vestry meeting. 'A
It suddenly struck me then that giving
medals. after school days are once over. oni
investitures of all kinds as we'll as tho bioh
rnSs OF secret orders and the proccssionings
and title bestowals are all masculine w"Ss
of enjoyment. just as the jostlc and reach ~
o"igalh counters, and the hustle and bar.
gaming or fairs. and the excitement of
church suppcrs are all feminine ways OF eI.
pressing sense of importance.
WOMEN like to parade, but when thev do
II they insist on palmer and less in.
conspicuous dress than they walk ordinarily
they have Solomon in all his glory as their
sartorial model When women fr"tornt.a
they. say my dear or Here comes rnre
rie!' But when men crown themselves or
one another they add "Sir" before the
names of their boon companions and sneak
of their familiar friends as High poten.
tates."
II women have to act or speak in public
they put their clever best into getting ahead
of their fellow women by staging n snrnriso
II men give themselves over to succredin1
with their fellow men they make It a noint
to come up to their sponsors expectntions
All OF which accounts for the almost
monnmsntal ,nn e longevity Of the minstrel show
as the form OF male gayety, their perfection
OF method as degree givers and takers. md
their holy. war aspect when on parade, Nv
only pcrpleXity hovcrs round the fact TINT
they, speak of themselves and we women
speak OF them to themselves us scoffers at
form and ceremony and ritual, rs belittlers
OF 'gewgaws' and as despisers of high
sounding encomiums that are only convcn.
'tions of politcness. "'e"'
THE truth of the matter is. II YOU dress n
clergyman In black all the year he will
snatch at a red neckte during his yacation
and If ones habit is to be ceremonious one.
relaxation will be to be offhand. and vice
sticking about In our interiors to make ma
divide pleasure and duty into two UNEQUAL
parts. The man who is generally dressed IN
the actor, for instance-is fondest ~ ~
dressing down out Of school, while the man
who dresses down all day-the day inborer a"
for instances fondest of dressing up for n
holiday. which Is why the widest spree Of
kings is & to 60 ,,n,s ,w,incos' about public places
''to hurry along there" BY policemen. '",J "md