Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-10-14
MANNERS.

~
There are few who rightly appreciate
manners, and who value them accord
ing to their real worth. There are
many who greatly oyerestimate them,
who make them the sole index BY
which they judge others, and cultivate
them as the one thing needful In them
selves. There are those on the other
hand who despise and scorn good man
ners, affecting to seein them only tho
tinsel, which may either cover good
ness of heart or hide vice and corrup-
ton. Both Of these classes are mis-
taken-they have equally failed to dis
v either the source from which
manners spring or the effects they arc
destined to produce. An eminent
writer has defined manners to be "the
visible carriage of the individual, as
resulting from his organization and his
will combined-hls thought entering
his hands and feet, and controlling the
movements Of his body, speech and
behavior" They are thus not them
selves realities, but the signs of real
a~lities, and as such should be honored,
not for themselves but for what they
represent. The smile on the lip and
tho tear In the eye are nothing, save
as they show the affection or sympathy
Of the heart. But as this they are
much, and may never be condemned.
1t is only where the sign Is substituted
for the thing signided, where the cold
heart and Impure disposition try to
COPY the outward expression Of love
and purity, and by hypocrisy endeavor
to pass for what they are not, that
manners lose their Significance and
become worthless. 1t may be said that
if this Is so there can be no duty rest
ing upon us to cultivate good manners ;
that each one should be content to be
natural and nothing more, and allow
his individual character to exhibit
itself by its appropriate signs, what
ever they may be. There Is some
reason In this. 10 be natural, to be
true to ourselves, to be sincere In every
look, word and gesture, Is one Of the
first principles Of virtue, n which
we can never transgress with impunity.
But while we can never counterfeit the
signs of goodness, let US take care that
we possess the true coin. There Is an
error that many make who pride them
selves OIL their sincerity. ~ never
pretend to anything l do not feel"
is the boast Of some, who ought
rather to be ashamed Of their
lack OF feeling. and to be humbly
striving to enrich their hearts. The
Improvement and ennoblemeut Of
character, which should be the aim OF
every individual. cannot be accom-
plished without direct aud continual
control over its external signs. For
example, the passionate man can never
calm the storm that RACES within him
till he subdues his outward expression.
lie whose heart burns with the desire
of revenge can best quench the unholy
passion by performing some friendly
act toward his enemy. II affection,
benevoleuce and good will are absent,
the best way to produce them is by
constant acts of friendliness and be-
n~efcence. If we feel cross and ILL.,
humored we can at least bride our
tongues and look pleasantly. If we
are rough and rude in our inclinations,
we can force ourselves to acts Of polite
ness and courtesy. Such a course as
this has no flavor Of hypocrisy or in
sincerity. It Is an earnest effort at
sclE-improvement by the most direct
means, and will in no case be ineffect-
ull. Tho difference between such a
conflict Of the inner and outer man,
and the course Of action which simply
apes virtues it does not possess, lies
wholly in the motive. He who, for
the sake Of appearance, co%unterfsits
goodness who, to DO thought benev-
client, gives away large sums; or, to
be esteemed affectionate, feigns a love
he does not feel, is a h~ypocrite, whose
secret self and external expressions
are ever growing further apart, aud
whose thin veil Of deceit will not long
hide his real character. But he who
/, striving, simply and humbly, to
Improve himself; who employs every
means to conquer the evil and
strengthen the good in his nature, may
also find that his manners are not al
ways a faithful exponent Of the dispo-
sition within, but it will be because he
aims by his manners to exalt his mind,
and By controlling the external signs
to enuoble and dignity the soul WITHIN.
One who, with this worthy aim, CON-
pels his department to represent the
character he strives to become, Will
fluid his task grow easier and easier,
his inner self and Its outward express
sion will continually and naturally
approach each other, until at length
they come into perfect harmony and
consonance. Judged from such a
standard, the manuersare bYsno means
the frivolous aud unlmportant things
that some deem them. Every look,
word and gesture, bears the impress Of
what Is within, and isfraught with re-
suits on our characters and lives.
WV He RETURNED TO THE REPUD-