Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-02-15
Home Etiquette.
BY lei. C. DANE

WE Americans often find much fault
with the English for their formality, but
/ sometimes think we might copy some
of their manners and customs with great
profit.
As have marked the practices in some
American families, where circumstances
have made me guest, have sometimes
thought we lacked home politeness, and
common display of affection. I know
how many look upon expressions of af-
fection on the part of members of the
same family as a show of weakness,
rather than of strength. / am not one
of those who thus view the matter To
me, there is no exhibition more touching,
and gratifying, than to see parents and
children, brothers and sisters, affectionate
and tender towards each other, and ever
ready to express their affection, one to an
other. To see husband and wife part
and meet, as do strangers, with simply
word of acknowledgement, is to me, SIM
ply chilling; to see parents and children,
or brothers and sisters, separate and come
together again, as do neighbors, fills me
with feeling of sorrow, for | know that
in that family, where such is the custom,
there is enjoyed very little of the bliss of
domestic life.
Said lady of high standing in Ameri-
can society, to me one day: "Why, my
husband never thinks of kissing ME when
he goes away to his business, or when he
returns. OF course, when we were first
married, he used to, but that died out
long agor' All! thought /, did not some
thing else die out with it? Many an ach-
ing heart could tell.
''Oh, it is well enough for lovers, and
young people, to be kissing, but for us, it
would be nonsense" said one of my ac-
quaintances, once when we were discuss
ing this question.
l am no advocate of cheap display of
affection, or disregard of those displays of
love and devotion, but l do admire to see
the members of family affectionate, and
ready to exhibit it to their own flesh and
| blood.
What the good? I hear many asking.
This Where a family of children are
taught from childhood to manhood and
womanhood, to he kind and loving, one
to another, and see the daily exhibition
of like kindness and love between the pa
rents, and from the parents to them,
there we see strong manhood and noble
womanhood. Affection does not beget
weakness, nor is it effeminate for a
brother to be tenderly attached to his
sisters. That boy will make the noblest,
the bravest man. On the battle field, in
many terrible battles, during our late
horrible war, / always noticed that those
boys who had been reared under the ten
derest home culture, always made the
best soldiers. They were always brave,
always endured the severe hardships of
camp, the march, or on the bloody field
most silently, and were most dutiful at
every call. More, much more, they resisted
the frightful temptations that SO often
surrounded them, and seldom returned to
| their loved ones stained with the sins in
cident to war. Another point, they were
always kind and polite to those whom
they met in the enemy's country. Under
this protection, woman was always safe.
How often l have heard one regiment
compared with another, when the course
of the difference was not comprehended
by those who drew the comparison.
knew the cause, it was the home educa
ton.
We see the same every day in the busy
life in the city. Call together one hun
dred young men in our city, and spend
an evening with them, and we will tel
you their home education. Watch then
as they approach young ladies, and con
verse with them, and we will show you
who have been trained under the infiu
ence of home affection and politeness
and those who have not
That young man who was accustomed
to kiss his sweet, innocent, loving sistel
night and morning as they met, shows it,
influence upon him, and he will never for
get it, and when he shall take some one K