There is

As we are always putting on our best dress and going into company, let us try to be becoming to the one and agreeable to the other. Fine clothes, though they may set off blackguardism, on the principle of contrast, to great advantage, do not justify or excuse it. A white shirt on an unwashed chimney-sweep does not disguise, but reveals his blackness by the incongruity. Foul habits show all the dirtier for clean linen, and rough manners all the rougher for smooth broadcloth. We recollect Peregrine Pickle's attempt, by means of satin and feathers, to make a fine lady out of the pretty gipsy-girl, and may learn a moral from its ludicrous fail

of bed-linen. We all in this country claim ad- | pleasure in crowds, and not unfrequently, as is mission into the drawing-room, and accordingly said of our fraternizing brethren of the South it behooves us to know something of drawing- and West, dividing the pillow in the close conroom manners, and to conduct ourselves accord-junction of bed-fellows, it especially behooves ingly. our people to look to their behavior. There is no country in the world where there no escape from this universal companionship. is such a large average of respectability of exte- Every man, whether he will or not, is forced rior as in these United States. Whole broad-into its recognition, and must be ready with his cloth is the rule with us, while it is but the ex-"hail-fellow," however ill met. The crabbed ception elsewhere. The nation is as uniform in Briton of high pretensions has his impenetrable dress as a regiment of soldiers, and holds itself shell of aristocratic privilege or class distincin perpetual readiness for a review or a parade. tion within which to retreat, and at the first While the English laborer puts on his fustian approach of any inferior animal he can shut jacket, and tramps to his day's work in hob- himself up close from all possible contact. Not nailed shoes, the American clothes himself in so the well-bred American. He has no retreat; broadcloth and French leather. Costume, with and, being always exposed, must trust to the us, knows no distinction of class; and were it not forbearance of the public for his security. The for the deeper tint of health in the cheeks, and general decency of manners is his only hope; a stouter development of natural proportion, it and if that fails him, his smooth feathers bemight often be hard to distinguish between the come terribly ruffled in the social encounter. house-maid and the mistress. The fine lady of the kitchen, on dress occasions, is hardly distanced by the fine lady of the parlor; and when Bridget flaunts out of the front-door in her Sunday best, it is not very surprising that young Simpkins, seeing dimly through his eye-glass, should lift his hat reverentially, in supposed recognition of the reigning belle of the season. Labor has a right, undoubtedly, if it pays for them, to drape its brawny form in broadcloth and silk. Protests are often uttered, we know, even in this land of equality, against "the uppishness of the lower classes," and there are high-bred peacocks in the drawing-room who would be glad, doubtless, to pluck out the assumed feathers of the inferior daws in the kitch- Whatever may be the general average of en. The picturesque may lose by this uniform-good manners in this country, there is no doubt ity of costume; for it must be confessed that the there is greater incongruity here than elsewhere varieties of dress which distinguish the different between dress and conduct. The decency of classes in foreign countries present a kaleido- the one, universal as it is, is not by any means scope view of form and color not unpleasing to proportionately set off by the becoming in the the eye. We would remind those sentimental other. French boots are all very well, but fine young ladies, however, who fell desperately in as they may be, no one cares, and if he were love with the youthful Spriggins while he showed not familiarized by the frequency of the Amerioff so brilliantly in costume at the last fancy-ball can habit would expect, to see them thrust into at Newport, that all Italian peasants do not wear his velveted chair or upon the top of his majerkins of Genoa velvet at twenty dollars the hogany. A five-dollar hat, new and glossy, yard, and submit their heads to the daily ma- is a proper and genteel thing enough, but is no nipulation of the comb and curling-tongs of a more appropriately on the head in-doors than French barber. Spriggins exhaling perfume, an umbrella would be spread over it. We do and glistering his velvet in the ball-room, has not know why our countrymen should always a very different odor and look from the ragged choose to outrage these ordinary decencies of and oleaginous Roman scratching his head and life. We may be told, perhaps, that they are smelling of garlic under the walls of the Eternal only exercising their free-born right in emanCity. Then a fig for the picturesque! and let cipating themselves from the tyranny of an arall our people, as far as a due regard to econ- bitrary conventionalism; but the ordinary laws omy will allow, dress alike; for this exterior of polite society do not emanate, though the uniformity is the symbol of equality of right, shifting edicts of capricious Fashion may, from With a claim to equal privilege comes the obli- an arbitrary conventionalism. They are foundgation to equal duty. We demand a large av-ed upon a long experience and a cultivated erage standard of good manners from a nation sense of the proper and agreeable. It requires which presents itself as a nation of "gentlemen no argument, we should suppose, to prove that and ladies." the right place for the boots is under, and not

ure.

With our gregarious habit of flocking togeth-upon the top of the mahogany. Our countryer on all occasions, eating and drinking as we men will surely not have a word to say in favor do in herds, doing business and taking our of the cleanliness, however they may stand up,

We would not care to have our American life stiffened by the starched manners of English reserve; we do not desire to be daily “gorgonized" from head to foot

"With a stony British stare." We prefer the grasp of fellowship and the welcoming eye of a common brotherhood; but if we can not have these without that familiarity which breeds contempt, we would, if we could, take refuge with our self-respect behind the frowning bulwarks of British exclusiveness.

or rather stretch out, in vindication of the right | when one of our countrymen, overflowing with of beating with their hoofs a tattoo upon the native saliva, took occasion of the opening bedining-table. There, too, is the by no means tween one of the arms and body to spit through obsolete practice, in spite of this advanced era it into the street below. The gentleman turned of gentility and silver forks, of shoveling the around, and, facing with an indignant look the dinner into the mouth with a gleaming, sharp-offender, was met with a well-assured stare and edged knife-blade, which no one can possibly the positive declaration, "I didn't touch you!" defend, whatever his breeding, if he has a spark The free-and-easy salivator seemed totally unof humanity in his soul. This practice is, of conscious of offense, and evidently believed that course, forbidden by decent society, and for no he had only been exercising an undoubted right other and there could be no better-reason of his own, and not interfering with the corthan because the practice is dangerous, and de- porate privileges of his neighbor. cent society has a natural delicacy about spilling human blood. There is hardly a rule of politeness which is not sustained by some principle founded on good sense. On entering a house, one is expected to remove his hat from his head, that he may not be overheated when within, and thus liable to suffer from cold when he goes out. Moreover, when a person remains covered, and, as it were, in readiness for a move, he interferes with the general sense of repose which is essential to in-door comfort. Take even what appear to be the most arbitra- But we can not live exclusively in this counry rules, and all will be found to be in accord- try; the nature of our society and institutions ance with good sense. "Never ask twice for forbids it. We have got to learn, as we must soup," is a canon, as we all know, of table eti- live in public, how to behave in public. We quette, and a very sensible one it is, frivolous as might take from our friends of France, whose it may at first appear to be; for too much fluid fashions we are so fond of following, a lesson in interferes with digestion, and besides, a second manners too. But it is truly surprising, with plate, if asked for by some unconscious dining- all our readiness to borrow foreign follies and out neophyte, will cause a delay that may dis- foreign vices, how pertinaciously we cling to arrange a whole dinner, spoil the tempers of the native failings. We are very much in the case guests, and break the heart of the cook. So of the Scotchman who, when arrived in London, much we have said for the behoof of our prac- refused to be cured of the itch, for he liked to tical countryman, that they may be persuaded be reminded of "Maggie and bonnie Dundee!" to be decent for the sake of utility if not of or- Travel where we please, we persist in not being nament. They will be, it is to be hoped, in- cured of our national disorders because they are duced to study the small graces of life for the national, and therefore have no right to comhealth, comfort, convenience, and respect they plain if our company is avoided. Since the insure, and become gentlemen for their own Americans have commenced to throng Europe sake, if not for the benefit of others. in such crowds, they are no longer in vogue. Our countryman is too often known abroad by his high pretensions and low breeding. He goes swaggering about, hat on his head, cigar in his mouth, jingling his dollars, spouting loudly, spitting freely, and flirting his American citizenship into every face. from him; he is every where, and is not to be mistaken. You see all over him, in large letters, "I'm an American, I am!" American citizenship is doubtless something to be grateful for; but when it vaunteth itself under such circumstances, there is more occasion for shame than pride. Let us take, we say again, a lesson from our French friends, who know so well how to temper freedom of intercourse with the restraint of mutual obligation. They are always mixing together, but, like their own salads, no ingredient is allowed to predominate. Individual eccentricities and personal acerbities are all subdued in the social mixture, producing a smooth combination of uniform courtesy. Each is willing to give up something of his own for the benefit of the general harmony. The French understand the art of living in public; we do

There is an idea far too common among our fellow-citizens that liberty consists in doing what they like on every occasion and in all company. They seem to think that freedom of right implies freedom of manners, and that fellow-citizenship entitles them to the free use of all that pertains to their fellow-men. They have not the most remote conception of personal individuality, and practically carry out a social communism, which is neither good philosophy nor agreeable usage. We do not believe that Nature intended that our bodies should be seized by the public and held in common. Our back-bone is not your back-bone, our limbs are not your limbs, and we therefore think that you have no right to rest your heavy weight on the one, or freely manipulate the other. Our ears, moreover, are supposed to be private property, and we therefore protest against your bawling through them your own ribaldry and noisy impertinence, as we protest generally against your using any part of our anatomy for your own purposes. A gentleman was standing, with his arms akimbo, at the window of the Astor House,

There is no escape

Hence the

"What are you shooting at?" I roared out, wrathfully, standing waist-deep in the water. I fancy that, to a cool spectator, the scene might have appeared sufficiently ludicrous. But both Fred and myself were too much impressed by the serious part to see a very large amount of fun in it. He was more frightened than I was, a good deal; he ran out from behind the bushes that half-concealed him, and stared at me, gun in hand, and consternation in his face. "Aren't you a duck?" he stammered, pale, but grinning.

not, but we shall have to learn, or else, like an | I took my bill out of the mud. ill-regulated family, give up all hope of social blunder in the want of accuracy in his aim. comfort. We must be less tenacious of our in- As I said before, it was startling. I uttered a dividual psora than the Scotchman, and submit cry, and immediately made such a splashing as to a good deal of personal purification, if we any lively imagination can readily picture to itwant to relieve our public of its uneasy scratch- self. Fred's piece was a double-shooter, and ing. Our general intercourse is only to be he stood prepared to let off the other barrel, and made more easy and agreeable than it is by a take me on the wing, in case I should fly up. I resolute sacrifice, on the part of our free and did not fly up, for reasons. independent citizens, of some of their personal freedom of manners to the common courtesy. | "The greatest good of the greatest number" is a principle as essential to social as to political happiness, and is only to be secured by mutual concession. So doff your hats, fellow-citizens, now that you are in the presence of that aggregate dignitary, the public; swallow your saliva and those ugly words which you are wont to aim at your friends' eyes; and don't spit, hawk, whistle, shout, or swear, for neither is essential to the common good; keep your hands off, for, with all his fellow-citizenship, your neighbor probably does not wish to share his personal rights of head, body, or limbs with you or any one else; sit on one chair, and don't sprawl over half a dozen; down with your boots and draw in your legs, for the public has no particular interest, it is to be presumed, in the cut of the one or the turn of the other; in a word, behave yourself as a gentleman, and you will lose nothing by it, the community will gain a great deal, and there will be no difficulty in giving a satisfactory answer to the question, ARE WE A POLITE PEOPLE?

"A duck!

You must be a goose!" I ex

claimed.
"Are you hurt,
"Hurt? No!
are no marksman!
that shot."

Sir!"

It's fortunate for me you
You should be ashamed of

"I am-I ought to have hit you. I'll do better with a little practice. Shall I try again?"

Gradually my disgust gave place to good-humor; and upon coming out of the water, I gave him a wet hand to shake over the bushes that secured my clothes and me. The result was, instead of game for dinner that day, he had a guest, and thus our acquaintance began.

II. THE STORY OF J. R.

One day I had the curiosity to ask my new companion what had brought him to the country.

"I am here to be cured," he answered, with a peculiarly grave expression.

"Cured?" I stared at him. How I envied the freshness and beauty of that ruddy face! "Cured! Sir Hearty ?" and I felt his pulse. "What appears to be the matter?"

"Oh, no uncommon malady; a complaint incident to the young. Nearly all have it, sooner or later," said Fred, with a sigh. "Measles?"

"No."

"Whooping-cough?"
He shook his head.

This is the way of it: I was taking my customary bath in the river, and Mr. Fred was out duck-hunting. I sat upon the sandy bed of the stream, with my nose just out of water, amusing myself with the schools of little fish that came to study me, nibbling a little of the "humanities" here and there, at my shoulders, my ribs, my toes, but carefully avoiding the lessons of my hands; and I suppose my movements, as I attempted to entrap some of the sau-glowing ciest of them, might have given my head the appearance of a water-fowl. Indeed, Fred always insisted that he thought I was a duck, with my bill in the mud. I was just preparing to capture an audacious little fellow that was eating my knee, when-bang! a shower of shot sprinkled the water for the space of a yard alongside my left ear.

It was the young gentleman's first shot at any kind of game, and—as he afterward confessed —he was in a tremendous flutter to fire before

"Oh! scarlet-fever ?" and I looked at his complexion.

"Not exactly."

"I have it now!"

"Well?" said Fred.

"Mumps!" I exclaimed, feeling his plump cheeks.

"No, not that either," sighed my rosy invalid.

Upon which I roared out, "Ho, ho! ha, ha!" and whipped out my handkerchief to smother my emotions, for I was greatly affected by the final discovery of his secret.

"Well, what now?" said Fred, baiting his reminiscence of joy so dear, so delicious, that it hook, for we were fishing.

"Love-sick!" I exclaimed.

Thereupon the fly slipped from his fingers,

and he pressed my hand very solemnly. "Let's drop it!" said he, earnestly.

was an inspiration to look at him. I could imagine that Romeo looked so, when he thrilled to the name of Juliet.

"Of course," the romantic youth condescended to explain, in unromantic prose, "the

"You have dropped it, if you allude to your thing is understood between us. Oh, she is

bait."

"I mean the subject. It is sacred."

He looked grave for a moment, but there struggled a smile about his lips that would not be repressed; and its gradual unfolding into a full-blown grin encouraged me to proceed. "Tell me about it," said I, flinging my pole upon the bank.

Fred coughed, and shook his head again, and looked rosier than ever, as he busied himself with a new bait. But I felt that this was a theme on which he had long desired to converse with me; I accordingly coaxed and insisted, and at last he threw his pole beside mine on the grass, and sat looking at it thoughtfully. "A singular coincidence!" he said, half to himself.

"What?" I inquired.

truth itself!" breathed Romeo, all in a glow. "Trial and temptation surround her; but it is impossible for her to prove false. In short, her friends are opposed to the match. They exacted the promise that there should be no engagement. But what are pledges? Every word, act, look, thought, is a pledge!"

"True," said I; "but why do her friends oppose ?"

'Why do narrow and calculating friends always oppose?" cried Fred. "I am a poor lawstudent, I have no fortune, and my future is dubious. J. R. is a lady of unparalleled attractions; she can pick and choose where she will," he added, with pride and exultation in the curve of his handsome lip. "They disclaim all intention of influencing her; but it vexes them that with wealth and talent and fashion at her back, she should stop a moment to think of poor me! Her father is a good friend of mine, and, I believe, wishes me well. He is I exercised my ingenuity, and suggested I Dr. Ringwood-one of the noblest fathers in the K. world. But she has a mother and an aunt, who are-very excellent people!" he declared with peculiar emphasis. They have picked out a husband for her a worthy man, benevolent,

"Observe those poles and lines. two distinct letters of the alphabet. see ?"

They form
Do you

"I never knew you to guess right the first time! Don't you see," he cried, impatiently, "your I is a perfect J?"

66

"The same thing," I replied. "The differ- and all that—worthy means that he's worth half ence is all in my I" a million-in short, a tremendous catch!

It's "Not precisely; for your K happens to be an a dead certainty that he'll propose to her withR," said Fred. in a month!"

"As you please; I grant you a most distinct and unmistakable J R. But what then? Where's the wonderful coincidence?"

"They are the initials of HER NAME!" responded my companion, in a low voice of mystery.

"A-h-h!" said I, with a prolonged aspiration of wonder. "Very remarkable! Now, who is J. R. ?"

"The dearest, sweetest, best little girl in the world!" exclaimed Fred, with a sincerity and delicate tenderness that did his heart credit.

"My dear fellow," said I, "you make me love you-and envy you! You are engaged?" "A commonplace engagement-I despise it!" Fred evidently felt hurt because I could mention any thing so prosaic.

"I meant betrothed-plighted," I said, believing the bill would pass with this amendment. But Fred still shook his head with a contemptNous expression.

"Our hearts are betrothed, our souls are plighted, I do devoutly trust!" he spoke earnestly, after a pause; "but no vulgar terms of contract have ever passed our lips!"

"Your lips have sealed more blessed pledges, no doubt," I suggested-not profanely, but seriously and tenderly.

"And with such an army against you," I exclaimed, "you have left the field!"

"The love and truth of that girl," began Fred, with sparkling enthusiasm; but he checked himself. "Don't let me bore you; I'm afraid I shall, now you've set me going on this theme. We'll omit the eulogy at all events. Enough, that I trust her. I came out here to conciliate her friends, and for my health. I assure you I was quite miserable. My anxiety robbed me of appetite and sleep. The good old doctor observed it, and one day he invited me into his office.

He

"You don't appear quite well,' said he. "I'm not very well,' said I, 'it's true.' "Let me see your tongue.' I turned my face wrong side out for his inspection. smiled, and gradually his fingers slipped from my wrist down upon my hand; and I assure you he gave me a kindly pressure which, coming from him, made my heart run right over. I tell you I cried like a baby! You wouldn't blame me if you knew how I loved that girl, how they were all trying to get her away from me, and how susceptible a fellow is at such a time to a little sympathy. 'I'm really concerned for you, my young friend,' said the kind old heart, and I think I know what will do

For a moment Fred appeared transfixed by a | you good.'

"I thanked him, and said I should be glad ger that the counsels and injunctions of positive to hear what he advised.