Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-11-27

He has such charming mannerSt
should think most men would like tt
oyerhear that sort of remark about
themselves. i have never overheard
any such thing about myself. prob
ably have what old Irwin Cobb would
call cooking manners
But | recognize charming manners
at so PAGES when | see them. / don't
have to keep a tally sheet to record
my recognitions, however!
And by charming manners | mean
mincing dancing-master, twiddlenose
manners Oh, yes, there are lots of
people who can't distinguish between
that kind and the courtesy that comes
from a real consideration of the feel
ings of others. An instructive kind.
ness that does not depend on whether
you live behind a barricade of but
lers just east of Fifth avenue or wash
our socks in the gas house district.
But in America today there is an
enormous output of-to borrow an adj
jectiye from the foremost topic of
conversation in our best circles--syn-
thetic politeness. A fake courtesy
that passes for the real thing. The
test of real politeness, | think, is the
feeling behind the expression of it.
Am ! right so far?
There are of course, hundreds of
courteous gestures that are ingrained
in many people, that have become
second nature, behind which there is
merely snbconscious thought, such as
for simple example, holding door
ajar for another to pass It is the self
conscious correspondence school POI
likeness that is to me rather sicken-
ing. The illogical kind that springs
from no motive worthier than a de-
sire to do the correct thing at the cor.
rect time which invariably has as
motive the desire to be thought come
eel 70. In other words, instead of II
feel kindly toward YOU you are say
ing, II hope you are noticing how wei
bred | am!
For example, take the absurd Amer
lean habit of men removing their hats
in elevators. Men will keep their hats
on in almost any room or hall, but
when they enter the sacred elevator
shrine off comes their hats. Men who
will keep their hats on when only
their wives are in the elevator with
them will sheepishly claw their head
gear off if the wife of another man
enters. / have seen that happen time
and again. 1t is patiently not polite
ness but rank pusillanimity If real
politeness is gold then that kind is
German silver.
Hotel and apartment life is respon-
sible for lot of absurd formulas of
politeness. There are certain square
yards in foyers where it is seemingly
correct to keep your head covered
and once you pass a certain nebulOus
spot it must be uncoyered-until you
enter upon another area of exemption.
1t seems that you may keep your
head covered in the neighborhood OF
the desk in a hOteI-even though
there are ladies in your vicinity but
if you take few steps down the
aisle your hat must be in your hand. |
Then in another aisle the world says
you may cover your head again till |
you put your foot into the sacred ele- |
vator! And there are certain types Of |
men who never fail to remove their |
hats in this holy of holes, but who do
not know that it is not courteous to
leer at the same strange lady for
whom they have apparently shown
this profound reverence by uncovering |
Ii does not stand the motive test |
nor even the subconscious test-as no
man unconscicusly takes off his hat |
upon entering an elevator.
Why does the sc'emr conductor of |
train always keep his cap on in the |
parlor car and remove it when he
passes through the diner? Are women
more to be revered when absorbing |
Maryland turkey and cranberry |
sauce than when reading aThe Little |
French Girl? 1t is senseless, and my |