Evening star., 1931-06-19

| for some one with statistical mind to
figure out how much time is lost in the
United States daily by exaggerations OF
politeneSs.
Similarly in public much time is
wasted in the procedure Of stepping
back to permit another to get into an
elevator first. or into public convey
ance. It is questionable whether such
marks Of politeness, stranger from
stranger, do any real service toward
the goal Of genuine courtesy.
X X X \
There Is here, of course, a stumbling
block, and as 1t Is a very well con-
cealed one, and one which it behooveS
each human being to discover for him.
self, no one can be too dogmatic about
these matters.
The stumbling block is simply that
no one can look into another's mind.
None of us wears his heart on his sleeve,
| and none can afford to judge Of the
actions of others, at least openly, with
out being in full possession of the facts.
And since most of us have no human
way of knowing all, or even a portion,
Of the facts, in any given situation, we
scarce can set up rules for others.
! Perhaps the most genuine politeness
Is the unStudied action of certain ma
lures, often those bordering on what a
comic artist has labeled the "timid
SOUL" Often such timidity is nothing
but goodness, and does not offend 9TH
ers because it Is too kind to hurt.
One of the most beautiful instances
OF true courtesy which this writer ever
saw occurred one hot Summer day in
small town railroad station in the
West.
A woman had been bereft of her hus-
| band, and, accompanied by her sons,
was going to another city for the cere-
mony. As she went through the sta
ton a rough-looking man in his shirt
sleeves passed. The small party had
their back to this man. Nevertheless,
with an instructive movement of genu-
Inc sympathy, he removed his hat as
the widow went on to the train. That
man was gentleman.
\ \ X
| Another small matter in which there
is a great deal of bunk occurs among
smokers, and that is in holding a
match or lighter for comrade to light
his cigarette by. There is no smoker
in the world who would not prefer to
| light his own smoke, but somehow an
idea has got around among smokers
that they must indulge in this exag-
| gerated form of courtesy The truth is
that another cannot hold light in a
POolIlOu W LIldhluS 1SLlInlb easy OSu-
ally he simply burns the end Of your
nose!
Smokers have another bit Of innocent
hokum. They make a terribly polite
how-dee-do about taking the "last
cigarette" One would think it some
sort Of crime, or something, this thing
of taking the last cigarette Now, the
last one is usually rather dry, and true
courtesy in little things would require
that man take it, to prevent his
| friend, the kind donor, from getting it.
But what does this extremely polite
person do? He protests with vehe-
mence. If necessary. that he cannot.
that he will not, take any mans last
| cigarette If it were the mans very
soul which were offered him, he could
protest no more. He doth, indeed, as
Shakespeare said, in regard to another
| matter, protest too much.
"Oh, don't want to take your last
cigarette!" you have heard said a thou
sand times If you have heard it once.
We hope some day to meet the genu-
inely polite man, who will, without
hesitation, take the last cigarette, and
then buy his friend nice fresh one.