A POINT OF HONOUR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1989, 12 June 1919, Page 1

A POINT OF HONOUR.

THE CROWNING VULGARITY OF WEAK MINDS. A London newspaper slates that Airs Wilson refused to curtsey to the Queen. “The Queen still lives,” remarks the San Francisco Argonaut. “Some curious minds seem to suppose that any social formality that happens to be different from their own must therefore be derogatory to what they mistake for their dignity. There is no essential difference between a curt-

sey and a bow, and presumably Mrs AVilson would have no objection to the; conventional bow of decent so-

holy. There are countries where icople remove their hats in order to diow respect. There are other co-

entries where they remove their hoots, and Tor ail we know to (lie contrary, there may be other conntries where they remove their shirts. Briny in Koine, the wise man, the polite man, does what the Romans do. There is nothing that he will not do to avoid beiny conspicuous. To be conspicuous is the crowning vulgarity oh weak minds. If it is undemocratic to curtsey, it is equally undemocratic to bow. They arc variations of the same posture, and the curtsey is much the more graceful of the two. But to curtsey prettily is <|Kilc a difficult art. There are forms of the human architecture that make the curtsey almost an impossibility. But why anyone should suppose it to he undemocratic it is past the wit of man to comprehend/’