The Cry for Justice: An Anthology of the Literature of Social Protest / The writings of philosophers, poets, novelists, social reformers, and others who have voiced the struggle against social injustice; selected from twenty-five languages; covering a period of five thousand years

by Unknown

A Gentleman and His Boots

(From “A Traveler from Altruria”)

By William Dean Howells

(The “dean of American novelists,” 1837-1919, here gently satirizes his country. “A Traveler from Altruria” comes to America expecting to find democracy; at a summer hotel he makes the mistake of helping the porter to black boots. For this he is rebuked by a friend.)

“There are a great many things we are willing to do for ourselves that we are not willing to do for others. But even on that principle, which I think false and illogical, you could not be justified. A gentleman is not willing to black his own boots. It is offensive to his feelings, to his self-respect; it is something he will not do if he can get anybody else to do it for him.”

“Then, in America,” said the Altrurian, “it is not offensive to the feelings of a gentleman to let another do for him what he would not do for himself?”

“Certainly not.”

“Ah,” he returned, “then we understand something altogether different by the word gentleman in Altruria.”