ACCORDING TO AN OLD ADAGE, “a man’s manners make his fortune.” In other words, he who shows respect and courtesy to everyone from a co-worker to a grocery store clerk is sure to prosper. The English language refers to this type of man as a “gentleman,” a term originally reserved for an Englishman with inherited property or incredible wealth—one noble enough to not have to work. In the United States the term enjoys a much looser interpretation, referring to any man who exhibits high values, impeccable manners, and a kind disposition toward everyone he encounters—especially women.Such qualities, when combined with a hefty display of masculinity, found a revered place among cowboys. Teddy Roosevelt praised such virtues: “A cowboy will not submit tamely to an insult,…
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