Pleasing Anecdote.

Otago Witness, Issue 1583, 25 March 1882, Page 29

Pleasing Anecdote.

'Jeff 'is a colored porter in an Indianapolft jobbing house, says the Indianapolis Review. Jeff had a box of glass on his shoulder and two cans of oil in his hands, when a busy white man jostled him as he was turning into the 'I beg your pardon, sah,' said Jeff, tkough it was the white man who was to blame. But this would not answer. The white man followed him into the store.

' Did you bump agin me a purpose ? ' ' No, sah,' said Jeff, ' and I asked your pardon outside.'

' I don't let no man bump me,' growled the white bulldozer. ' I have apologized to you, sah.' ' I don't 'low no d— d nigger to bump again me,' the bulldozer repeated. 'Well, sah,' said Jeff, 'I've offered every 'pology a gentleman could ask ; I didn't bump you, but if you'll step out on the sidewalk I will bump you. Come out and I'll mop tho ground with you ; just step out, and I'll scour the pavement with you.' While bully turned lo the proprietor, ' Do you allow your customers to be abused liko this?'

'Why, you overgrown cowardly cur, you came in here to bullyrag and abuse tho negro. He has apologized like a gentleman, and now offers you satibf action,, Go out and gyt it,' ge didn't go,

Borne Vulgarities of 'Good Society.' ' Asking questions, private and personal, is one vulgar habit, and telling your own business, which no one wants to hear, is another. Asking the cost of a present that has been made to you, 'pumping' a servant to hear what has been given by way of parting vail, loud talking in public, hard staring at tho table, insolent disrespect to husband, wife, sister or brother ; showing temper in trifles and making scenes in public, covert sneers, of which people can see the animus if they do not always understand the drift ; persistent egotism, which talks forever of itsolf , itself,- itself, only itself , and cannot even feign the most passing interest in another; detraction of friends, and it may be of relations— a husband telling of his wife's unpleasantness, a wife complaining of her husband's faults ; the bold assumption of superiority, and the servile confession of infinite unworthiness. All these are signs and evidences of vulgarity — vulgarity of a far worse type than that which eats its fish with a steel knife, and says ' you was ' and ' each of the men were.' In fact, true vulgarity resolves itself into that central point of evil— selfishness. The unselfish can never be really vulgar. They may be uncouth, but they cannot be more, while the best top-dressing of manner to be found in the whole world cannot make the substance refined where the one foul canker of egotism and indifference to others lies at the heart of things. — The Queen.