Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-04-01
THE LITTLE COURTEsIEs OF LIFE.
RECIPROCITY.
Manchester, Eng.

I" III seems, said he, if he so valicnt be
That he should be so stern to stranger wight:
For seldom yet did living creatures sec
| That courtcsie and manhood ever disagree"
SPESsER.
The little things Of life have far more effect IN
on the character reputation, friendship and for
tune, than the heartless and superficial are apt Il
imagine There are few indeed however roupl
by nature, who are not touched and softcncd b,
kindness and courtesy. a civil word, friendl,
remark, generous compliment, an afiable bow o
recogn'tion-alr have an inauence-whilc surli
ness, incNiliy harshness and i'll temper naturall,
enough, produce an effect exactly the reverse Tho
American people, as u WHOLE are perhaps not re
markablc for courtesy. They are so actively en-
gagged in the hustle Of life, in the onward move
ments of commerce and trade that they have LITTLE
leisure to cultiFate and practise these polished re-
hnements, which are the results of education. o.
travel, and of enlarged intercourse with society
Nevertheless, We arenot discourteous people. and
in the great cities the proprietics Of manner, and
the civilities of form are attended to with com.
mendable degree of exactness
Lady Emclne Stuart Wortley, who some time
since travelled in this country, describes the cit
zens of the United States as particular courteous
and obliging." But lady of refinement and
accomplishment and travelling as well for irfor.
nation as for pleasure, could scarcely gather IN.
other opinion, for the commanders Of our steam.
proycrbially polite while in intelligent circles,
everywhere throughout the Union, a reputable
stranger would Of course receive marked and
kindly attention.
Still, we are bound to confess that wo are de6c-
lent in many Of the little cOuresies of life-cour
teses that are admirably caculated to sweetcn the
intercourse of society, the interchange of friendly
feeling and the general communion that takes
place from day TO day, between noghbors and
companions. The excuse with the many is, that
they have not time to practice the ciyilities TO
which we reier-that they are too much engaged
in moro important matters. Thus friendly yisit
Will not be repaid, polite note will be left unan-
swered, neghbors call will be dsreearded a
pleasant smile will be met with q cold look of in
difference, and cordial grasp of the hand will be
responded to with reluctance, if not surprise All
this may mean nothing, and yet the effect upon the
mind and heart is chilling and painful
The mistake that too many Of us make is in sun
posing that the courtesy is to be all on one side,
that we are to feceire every kind of attention and
return nothing. And this is nm error which pre
walls IN many phases Of life, and to a greater ex
tent than people are apt TO imagine. The affairs
of this world should be reciprocal A person NAV
he willing to confer an obligation again and apoin
But unless there be some manifestation Of gratitude
and of pprecation--unless, indeed, the disnositon
be apparent to do something in return-the nartv
that coners favor after favor, will in the end groyy
weary Of woll-dOing and seek out some more crate
ful or more sympathizng object. We are ali more
or less selfish, and that description of selRshness
which cxalts an Acknowledgements by word or by
decd, either for friendship extended or affections
layshed, is, perhaps as little censurabe as anv Of
the iniirmities of poor human nature-if indeed
II may be called an infrmity. We have some,
where met with the remark, that there is no such
thing as unrequited loye-that love which is not re-
quited wiil soon cease to exist, inasmuch as the
very nature Of the passion renders mutual REGARD
essential to its continued existence In the general
sense this theory may be correct but there are of
course, exceptions.
IT, therefore, in grave matters of the heart, mat
ters in which our all of earthly happiness may be
'ald to be involved reciprocity or a kindred feel.
~ Is absolutely essential, how much more will |
he doctrine apply to the little courtesies of life
friendship of many years standing, has often,
Is we have reason to know, been chilled into
Indifference, GOODNESS and restraint, by some petty
neglect or hasiy remark. Distrust has Lecn exciI.