Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-01-27
EVENING STAR.
Experiment in ksnners

In the year 1921, made, in London. in
spirit Of wager, a very decisive and satisfsc-
tory experiment as TO the effect Of civil and
courteous manners on people of various ranks
and descriptions.
There were in the place number of young
Americans, who often complained to me Of
the neglect and Iudeness experienced by them
from citizens to whom they spoke in the streets
They asserted, in particular, that as often as
they requested directions TO any point in the
city towards which they were proceeding, they
were proceeding, they either received on un-
civil and evasIve answer, or no answer at all
told them that my experience On the same
subject had been exceedingly different; that
l had never failed to receive civil reply to
my questions-often communicating the in
formation requested; and that / could not
help suspecting that their failure to receive
similar replies arose, In part at least, if not
entirely, from the plainness, not to say the
bluntness, of their manner in making their
inquiries. The correctness of this charge,
however, they sturdily deny; asserting that
their manner of asking information was coed
enough for those 10 whom they addressed
themselves. Unable to convince them by
words of the truth of my suspicious, / pro-
posed to them the following simple and cor
elusive experiment:
Let US take together walk Of two or three
hours in some Of the public streets Of the city
You shall yourselves designate to me the per-
sons to whom shall propose questions, and
the subjects also, 10 which the subjects shall
relate and the only restriction imposed is
that no question shall be proposed to any one
who shall appear to be greatly hurried, agi-
tated, or in any other way deeply pre-occu-
pied in mind or body, and no one shall speak
to the person mentioned but himself
Ny proposition being accepted, on we sal
lied, and to work VIC went, and ! continued
my experiment until my young friends sur
rendered at discretion, frankly acknOwled ging
that my opinion was right, and theirs, of
course. wrong; and that, in our passage
through life, courtesy Of address aRd deport-
ment may be made both pleasant and pow
rful means to attain our ends and crafty our
wishes
put questions to moro than twenty persons
of every rank, from the high-bred gentleman
10 the servant In livery, and received in each
instance n courteous, and, in most instances
a satisfactory reply If the information asked
for was not impaired, the individual addressed
gave an assurance of his regret at being una
bic to communicate it.
What seemed most to surprise my friend
was, that the individual accosted by me almost
uniformly initiated my own manner If [
uncovered, as L usually did in speaking to a
gentleman, or even to a man Of ordinary ap
pearaDce and breeding, he did the same in
his reply; and when 1 touched my hat to a
liveried coachman or waiting man, his hat
was Immediately under his arm So much
may be done, and such advantages gained by
simply avoiding coarseneSs and vGlgarity,
and being weli-bred and agreeable.
Nor can the case be otherwise. For the
foundation Of good breedingis is good nature and
good sense, two of the most useful and indis
pensable attributes of a well-constituted mind
Let it not be forgotten, however, that good
breeding is not to be regarded as identical
with politeneSs-a mistake which is too fre.
queutly, if not generally committed. A per.
son may be exceedingly polite without the
much higher and more valuable accomplish
ment of good breeding -AHtoJtogrophy Of
DR.. CaidtgsU.