POLITE PEOPLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1898, 19 June 1890, Page 35

POLITE PEOPLE.

11 The idea, of calling this the Wild Westl " exclaimed a lady travelling in Montana to one of the old hands. " Whj, I never saw Buch politeness anywhere. The men here all treat each other like gentlemen in a drawing room." "Yes, mann, It* safer," laconically returned the native, with a glance at his sixshooter.

Of a similar quality Beema to have been the politeness of the Guaohos of South America, with whom Darwin came in contaot, " Their politeness," he writes, "is excessive; they never drink their spirits without expecting you to taste it ; but whilst making their exceedingly graceful bow they seem quite as ready, if occasion offered, to cut your throat" — recalling Haydon's somewhat ungracious remark to the same effect concerning the highly-polished French, who, he says, if you are civil think yon are afraid of them.

No such slur could attach to what Darwin relates of the courtesy of the people of Chili. He was out one day with two of the natives, when they were passed by a very fat, small negress, riding astride on a mule, She had such an enormous goitre that \% was scarcely possible to avoid gazing at hep 5 but his companions, as if in apology, immediately made the salute of the country by taking off their hats. " Where," asks Darwin, " would one of the lower or higher classes in Europe have shown Buch feeling politeneßS to a poor and miserable object of a degraded race ? "

Charles Lamb, however, tells of an Englishman whose politeness could be outdone by no one, who not only would give the wall to any ancient female beggar bqt reaching to a higher flight —

B'en with liis best umbrella would not scorn To shield from raiu the pooreat dame forlorn. though it were but an old market woman, whose basket of fruit he would thus protect from damage.

A quaint instance of politeness was afforded by Carlyle's old peasant father. On Thomaß introducing the dainty Jeannie Welsh, after she had promised to be his wife, to the simple family circle at Mainhill, she was received by his mother and sisters with a kiss of welcome. Old James Carlyle, who had been called in for the occasion from his farm work, drew back, to the young lady's surprise, and left the room. In a few minutes, however, he reappeared, clean shaved, washed, and in his Sunday clothes, and saying, " Now, if Miss Welsh allows it, -I am in a oondition to kiss her too," bestowed upon her a fatherly salute.

It does not do to be too polite, or one is apt to bore. Charles Mathewß, in his last illness, was annoyed by one of his visitors giving up bis chair to everyone in succession

who entered the room. At last the comedian could stand it no longer, and called out to a gentleman present, "Do go and sit by him and hold him on his chair. I am quite fatigued by seeing him pop up and down."

Another instance of exaggerated politeness was that recorded by S. C. Hall of the old Irish tar who calmly swallowed down a glass of sea water playfully handed him by a young lady while whisky was going the rounds. "What, Pat, do you like salt waler? " she asked him in antonishment.

".No, me lady, I don't, like salt water," was liis lcply; "but if your ladyship had given me a glass of poison I'd have drank it."

We confess to having small sympathy with the Frenoh duke who swallowed a glass of castor oil presented him by mistake for wine, for fear of hurting his host's feelings ; or with the gentleman who ate a caterpillar with his salad to spare the sensibilities of those around him ; or even with the colonel who, on a young soldier just raised from the ranks, and dining for the first time at the officers' mess, committing some solecism, immediately imitated it, to set the young man at his ease

Miss Mitford was wont to boast of the politeness of the Berkshire peasantry. A friend with whom she was once out walking warmly disputed the matter with her ; and in the heat of the discussion they came up to a gate. A boy who was leading a cow started forward and opened it for them, to the delight of Miss Mitford. But the other was unwilling to acknowledge herself beaten.

" You're not Berkshire, I'm sure," she said to the lad.

His answer was likely to undo the effect of his previous act of politeness : " Thee'rt a liar, vor Ibe I " he said.