Year: 1877

Riding In the street cars | find it


quite study to wa ch the actions OF q


majority Of the ladies; If car is full


and one person gets out, instead Of the


ladies retaining the same positions,


they most invariably spread them


selves" and the lately vacated seat


vanishes. Perhaps a gentleman has


thought to himself Gas he endeavors to


preserve the centre Of gravity with the


aid Of the strap II viii now have q


seat, and not wishing to make dive


as if netting for crabs, he -hesitates for


momen., faces about, and finds the


coveted red cushion, which but an in


slant ago was visible, vanished like a


fiery meteor, and with sigh he will


doubtless mutter "can such things be,


and overcome us like a Summer cloud


without our Especial wonder" Ladies


do this almost unconsciously, and with


countenances as bland as Summer


sky, but it is entirely wrong. For when


q seat is vacated those standing should


demand it, be they men Or women.


Then again in regard to expecting gen


tlemen to resign their seats-if lady


gets into crowded car she should ex-
pect to stand. Many Of the gentlemen


may be engaged in business that re-


quires them to be on their feet, and are
perhaps more in need Of rest than the


ladies swaying and signing in front Of
them. Of course there are exceptions;
say for instance old ladies, or those
with babies in their arms. Then wo-
men should as quickly resign their seat
as men are 50 very apt to do. Then
ladies have very unhealthy habit, to
say the least Of it, Of sitting sideways,
that occupies more than their allow
ance Of room, to say nothing Of gaping
at one another's hair and neck para
phernalia. There is another subject
which may be lightly touched on just
now with propriety; it is stopping a car
in the middle Of a square. have often
seen ladies stand for several minutes
some distance from corner waiting
for car, when they could just as well
have walked down to the crossing, for
when it reaches there it generally stops
for passengers to get out, who, by the
way, could Just as well have gotten
out when the waiting ones got in. Then
there will be some to get cut half way
up the next square, and who will pro-
badly exclaim, 'tI could as we'll have
gotten out at the crossing if had just
thought" " thus making these stops when
one would have done ''if | had only
thought" This is a terrible strain
on the horses, and ladies ought to
athink" more than they do. IF they
could see these tired horses in their sta
bles-too tired to eat-too tired al
most to lie down, and when down too
stiff and sore to rise up again. If they
could see them, as 7 have seen them in
the country, when some farmer would
bring down lot to put in the field to
work, they would not make life any
harder for them. They neatly 90 crazy
with Joy, if such a thing gcould be. They
will roll on the grass and stretch out
as if dead, but only drinking in the
pure air, the sweet smell Of the grass,
and feeling the cool sward under their
tired limbs must surely think they arein
horse heaven, sure enough. Again
another practice Of the most Of the la
dies; if one Of their sex enters, they
will commence Immediately a mental
inventory Of her entire dress, and with
a glass pass Judgment on every article
in the plainest terms in their faces.
Now, as general thing, ladies do not.
dress to be criticized In this way, and
though she flushed at her own exami-
nation, she will turn deliberately to the
next conner and serve her. the same
way. Men generally give rapid
glance around, then ten to one take
out newspaper and are soon up to
their eyes in the movements Of the
Turks, Russians, U. S. Senators, or
some other such heathens. Then there
are the children on their knees in the
seats, perhaps the individuals next to
them have on their best suit, and we'll
knowing that children are not very
particular where they step, the conse-
quence is Johnny's or Tommy's foot
prints are left on the neighbor's clothes,
and when the said neighbors make
feeble effort to save themselves, the
mother, in all probability, will say,
sit still dear you will muddy the gen
tleman's or lady's Clothes as the case
may be, then look at you with com
placent smile, as if to say, isn't he a
darling boy ?" All street car passen-
gers can acquire street car etiquette in
q very few lessons by studying the gol-
den rule-@do as you wish to be done
BY" RosALEINE.


Washington Letter.