The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-02-17
"HandIes.o "

:~"HANDLEs, boys : handles ~ our dear,
polite, gentlemanly grandpa used to cry
when his grandsoDs came rushing noisily
/ into his presence, asking favors, making
remarks, and replying to questions, leav-
ing out the little, very important words,
Sir" "Aa'am," # you please," "Thank
yOu," and Excuse me-"
Not reply could be gained from grand
pa, no matter how pressing the case, till
! the handles were applied to the sentences.
1 If six boys had been waiting to start on
! fishing expedition, if new kite was Just
ready to be launched, if brass band, and
procession of Gagged wild beasts, had been
passing the door, not even the elephant
could move him to reply to a string of
sentences without handles, uttered by a
boy with his hat on his head and his hands
in his pockets.
As a consequence, the boys about grand
pa grew civil and polite. They learned to
/ stand aside, and let a lady enter a door be-
/ fore them; they ceased to interrupt con-
versation, or monOpOliZe the easy-chairs
and pleasantest seats IN the windows so
! priZed by the old, who cannot walk out TO
see the out door sights. AS they sat about
the evening fireside with their books and
! games, they became an ornament instead
! of a nuisance, as / have heard boys called
| by those who do not view their actions
with loving mothers partial eye.
/ Grandpa, with his sanity spirit and
courtly manners, has gone TO his reward.
With his generation have passed away our
gentlemen of the old school, who obey
ed the command. "Be courteous" Yes,
ma'am," and "No, ma'am," have become
antique phrases and a half-spoken
"Yes'm" and Nom, shake Ofthe head,
nod, or nothing at all, has taken their
place. A group of boys standing by the
roadside district schoOlhouse, with hats
off. making polite salutation TO passers-
by, as was the custom in ancient New
England days, would be more wonderful
sight to behold than the children who
/ Knocked the hoary headed prophet of God,
and were devourcd by the bears.
l don't know how grandpa could en-
/ dure it, if he was alive, TO hear the sort
of inarticulate sounds, perhaps intended
for "Umph umph," that proceed from the
mouths, without opening the lips, of our
young people nowadays, in place of the
absolute "Yes, ma'am" 1t tries my love
and patience severely.
This new code of manners may be a
"modern improvement; but fail to see
its beauty or utility. A polite, respectful
boy can never, by any freak of fashion,
be transformed into anything but beau
tiful sight Satan favors the modern sys-
TEN of calling parents and guardians "old
fogies," played out," mot mp to the
times" because he knows they want to
make boys manly, pure, and true; and he
is trying to have them disresDectfnl, bold
and regardless of the feelings of those
who are given them by God to guide them
in the paths of wisdom.
They say fashions come around every
seven years" This is encouraging.
hope the readers Of this paper will not
wait for polite children to come in fashion
but, when they find themselves acting
rudely, will remember grandpa's cry,
" Handles, boys, handles :"
once, in passing by, gave little boy
an apple What do you think he said
Ofcourse," you will reply, "he raised
his cap, and said, Thank you | blush
to tell what his reply was-a stare, and
the exclamation, Bully for you =
Boys. be courteous You Will never be
fit for any position of power or influence
in our land unless you learn to use the
handles. Our country is growing very
large; and we shall want some noble
men for Presidents, Governors and Cabi-
net members, twenty years hence. lhope
aIfew boys, at least, will cling TO old flash
iOned, respectful ways, such as George
Washington practiced, and be ready for
elevation to these high positions.-Chris-
tidn Banner.