On Umbrella Morals by A.G. Gardiner

About the Author

 A.G. Gardiner (2 June 1865 – 3 March 1946) was a British journalist and author. His essays written under the pen name Alpha of the Plough, are highly regarded. In 1899, he was appointed editor of the Blackburn Weekly Telegraph. He was editor of the Daily News from 1902 to 1915. Under  his direction, it became one of the leading liberal journals, acting as a counterbalance to the conservative Daily Mail. Gardiner's essays often contain thought-provoking idea. His ideas are made palatable by a coating of fine humor. His style is marked by a perfect clearness of expression, happy choice of words, lively humor and a wealth of literary and historical allusions. He wrote a biography of William Harcourt in 1923. Some of his best known works are  

• Pillars of Society (1913)

• The War Lords (1915)

• Pebbles on the Shore (writing as "Alpha of the Plough") (1916) 

• Windfalls (as "Alpha of the Plough") (1920)

• Leaves in the Wind (as "Alpha of the Plough") (1920)

• The Anglo-American Future (1920)

On Umbrella Morals
A. G. Gardiner in his essay, On Umbrella Morals, he humorously presents his experience of losing the umbrella and books. The essay ‘On Umbrella Morals’ is a satire. Gardiner losing of an umbrella leads to pulls his thoughts and emotions towards serious things like morals and conscience. He feels unhappy that many people forget to return things taken from others. They do not hesitate from picking others hats as well. All these things are very annoying to Gardiner.
Once Gardiner was carrying an umbrella, walking along the strand under a sharp shower, but he did not put up his umbrella as it was ugly. Further it was not his umbrella. His umbrella was an attractive silk umbrella which was taken away by someone. He left behind his cotton umbrella. Gardiner says that man would not have robbed or picked a man's pocket or forged a cheque. But he does not feel guilty about having carried another person's umbrella. Such People will calm down their conscience. 

Gardiner remembers an incident that a well-known preacher who was found dead in a first-class railway carriage with a third-class ticket in his pocket. When a priest dead found a big library of rare books. It was a splendid library of rare books, chiefly concerned with 17th Century writers. He had borrowed the books from various libraries of all over the country and failed to return it. Similarly, Gardiner's silk hat was stolen in the smoking room of the House of Commons. He has adds his experience where he had taken home the umbrella of a statesman instead of his own. He found the owner's name engraved on it. Hence, Gardiner sent it back to the owner with an apology letter and received his own umbrella in return. Thus, Gardiner found out that engraving names on the umbrella could help him save his umbrella.