ETIQUETTE OF THE STREET.
Good behavior upon the street, or public promenade, marks the gentleman most effectually; rudeness, incivility, disregard of "what the world says," marks the person of low breeding. We always know, in walking a square with a man, if he is a gentleman or not. A real gentility never does the following things on the street, in presence of observers:—
Never picks the teeth, nor scratches the head.
Never swears or talks uproariously.
Never picks the nose with the finger.
Never smokes, or spits upon the walk, to the exceeding annoyance of those who are always disgusted with tobacco in any shape.
Never stares at any one, man or woman, in a marked manner.
Never scans a lady's dress impertinently, and makes no rude remarks about her.
Never crowds before promenaders in a rough or hurried way.
Never jostles a lady or gentleman without an "excuse me."
Never treads upon a lady's dress without begging pardon.
Never loses temper, nor attracts attention by excited conversation.
Never dresses in an odd or singular manner, so as to create remark.
Never fails to raise his hat politely to a lady acquaintance; nor to a male friend who may be walking with a lady—it is a courtesy to the lady.
Of course a lady will not be rude, nor dress so as attract undue attention, much less to create unpleasant remark. She will be kind to all; she will not absorb too much of the walk, nor fail to give half the way to either a lady or gentleman; she will not allow her skirts to drag upon the walk to the annoyance of other pedestrians; she will not fail to recognize friends by a pleasant smile and slight bow; she will not look back at any one who has passed her; she will not eye another lady's dress, as if studying its very texture; she will not stop upon the walk to talk with a friend to the inconvenience of others; she will not make the street a place of meeting with a person whom she can not receive at her house. Some females do, it is true, not regard all these laws of proper and recognized etiquette; and such, we are forced to say, forfeit their claim to be called a lady. A true lady in the street, as in the parlor or salon, is modest, discreet, kind, obliging; if she is to the contrary, she forfeits her right to be called after the truly genteel.
It is a most unfailing mark of ignorance and low origin to "put on airs," and to show pride, vanity, egotism in the street. The truly well-educated, well-born, and well-bred never betray vanity, conceit, superciliousness, nor hauteur. Set this down as an invariable law, and, male or female, let it guide all your actions.
It is proper that the lady should first recognize the gentleman. There has been some dispute on this point of etiquette, but we think there can be no question of the propriety of the first recognition coming from the lady. A gentleman will never fail to bow in return to a lady, even if he may feel coldly disposed toward her; but a lady may not feel at liberty to return a gentleman's bow, which places him in a rather unpleasant position. A lady should give the first smile or bow, is the rule now recognized.
In meeting acquaintances several times during the same promenade, it is not necessary to salute them at every passing.
In offering a lady your arm, as it is proper to do upon the street, particularly in the evening, always give her the right arm, because persons in passing, observing the law "turn to the right," would jostle her if she was upon the left arm. The practice of always giving the lady the inside of the walk, is a very useless one, and not necessary to true politeness.
It is always proper for a gentleman walking alone, or with another of his sex, to give the lady, or a gentleman with a lady, the inside of the walk.
In gallanting a lady to a carriage, take her left hand. It is truly polite to take off the hat in such a service.