Year: 1875

Civi1ity.


The fact that "civility costs
no hing" is probably the secret of its
observation-disclosures. A thing that
every one can have, few think worth
having.


Men of industry, men of integrity,
of respectable intellectual gifts, are
met at every turn; but your purely
civil man is ruro avas. We are
not speaking Of people in their social
relations, but in their intercourse
with the outside world. Many men
who are everything that is genial
and courteous in the home circle, De-
come cold, brusque, or irritable the
moment they enter their counting
rooms, offices, or place Of business,
whatever it may be. The playful,
indulgent l,ate' fumilias Of half an
hour before suddenly changes into a
surly ogre, who snaps up his little
pale-tacel 4 clerk as it he world make
Il supplementary breakfast of him.
Under such master it is no wouder
that the clerk in turn finds it impos-
sible te be civil to any stranger
whom the chances of. business may
throw in his way.


AS general thing, clerks IN mer-
camille houses do not stand in need
Of ungracious examples. Much deal
ing with complicated accounts seems
to sour the disposition. Fractions
bcget righteousness. If you desire a
fine healthy specimen Of irritability,
take an ancient book-keeper at the
time he is making out his balance
sheet, and ask him the slightest ques-
ton not connected with his calcula-
tons. But for all persons engaged
in strictly sendentary occupations one
should make generous allowance.


AS class, clerks in retail stores
are remarkably courteous, consider
ing the tests to which their patience
is constantly subjected. We wish it
were not in our way to say it, but
women make the very worst retail
clerks in the world. In most cases
they seem unable to separate their
sex from the business in hand. II
their customer is a man they like or
dislike him at a glance, and are pro
portionately attentive or indifferent.
When dealing with wonderland
this is wise womans testimony
they are apt to be curt, impatient and
disobliging. If a woman tastefully
or absurdly dressed enters the store,
business receives turtivc stroke of
paralysis; the new conner is instantly
inventoried. dissected, and, so t.
speak, sat upon by the female coro-
nors of the shop, whose verdicts are
delivered to each other across the
counters by system OF eye-telegrapy
not understood by man. None OF
these peculiarities attach themselves
to the masculine clerk. His faults
are of different order. He is rarely
downright rude; he is more often
overwhelmingly polite and killing 8
a very bad form Of incivility.


Men who hold positions which
bring them into contact with the pub
llc and place the public to a certain
extent at their mercy, have no righ,
to be anything but civil. The ticket
master at the railroad station has nc
right to snub you because you do not
harpen to know on which track your
train is. The conductor has no righ,
to regard you with a look of disdaln
mingled with commiseration when
You ask him the same of the mex,
station. You were not born on the
road, and if your Interrogation con
vinces him that You are natural idi
OF, he ought to respect your mistor
tune and not betray it to the Other
passengers. The hackman who
gloomily awaits you at the terminus
ofthe journey has no right to hustle
you as if you were a part of youl
own baggage. The hotel clerk, the
natural humility of whose disposition
lies buried under the monumental
diamond pin, has no right to treat
you as an inferior. Yet who thai
has travelled has not met all these
forms of ofincivility? This, to be sure
is only one side Of the story. The
traveller is almost as likely to be
as exasperating as the employe of the
road, or the clerk of the hotel. Bu1
then the traveller is not paid tor be
ing civil, and the other gentlemen
are.


1t costs so little and is worth sc
much! A young clerk with civility
already has a, stock of goods of hi,
own. Regarded as mere policy, il
is the next best thing to honesty, anG
like honesty, it is good for its owr
sweet self. An uncivil man is neces
sarily discontented man, Il discom
fort to himself. We beg leave to ado
a new sentiment to the copybook Of
the period: Be Civil and you will be
happy!