Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-01-08
[Origin;ll.l
GOOD MANNERS.

Everybody knows that the saleable value
of any article of merchandise does not depend
absolutely upon its intrinsic worth. A really
valuable article may be presented i'll such a
way as to make bad impression upon the
mind of the behollcr. a horse of beautiful
form, good action and noble qualities, may
be awfuly disfgured by rope bride and
harness tied together with strings. The ugly
harness is not made to appear beautiful by
being on the back of beautiful horse; but
the appearance of the animal is greatly in
iured by the unseemly harness. On the same
principle the manners Of an individual have
much to do with regard to what may be
called his marketable value. An individual
of gentle and pleasing manners will always
be more highly esteemed than morose and
churlish man, although possessed of equal en-
dowments. It costs one nothing to say "good
morning or good evening" with smile, and
ask in a gentle tone of voice for the welfare
of those with whom he is brought in contact
All this is simple and easy; but it will often
do for us what gold and silver will not and
cannot do Amongst strangers, good mall-
ners are worth more than descent from
line of kings or certificate of worth given
by high government officials. Every eye can
see the manners of an individual, and by this
they Judge at first sight of his real worth, and
in ninety-nine cases out of every hundred
they are not much mistaken. BY kind OF
instinct no one can love the rude We may
be so situated as to be obliged to fear and
obey them; but love and respect them we
cannot.
There are some persons who seem to think
that they cannot be lively and sprlghtly with
out being rude and uncivil. This is grand
mistake. 1t may be an evidence of wit to be
able to accost every one we meet with some
rude and uncivil sautation; but it Is kind
of wit whose reAexive force has killing effect
upon the possessor. The individual thus ac'
costed, unless he have some other data from
which to form an opinion, will invariably
conclude that he has met person OF low po'
sition in society, ignorant and debased. This
may be wrong conclusion, but the individ'
ual who arrived at it, came to it honestly
He Judged by his senses. He met an indi'
vidual who accosted him in rude way, and
he concluded that he was rude and uucivili,
zed. The individual may have had large
amount of real estate and personal property
he may have had purse filled with bank
notes; he may have been the son OF the man
that the world delighted to honor; but none
of these things were visible, and the rude
manners were and from what was seen, and
not from what was not seen, a conclusion was
drawn. The feathers of the ostrich are worth
more than the ostrich itself. Without its
feathers it would be unsightly. Just so it is
with men good manners and virtue are very
intimately connected. So intimately are they
associated together that the beauty consists
almost wholly in the manners.
WHAT IS THINE AGE ?-"Father," said q
Persian monarch to an old man who, accord
ing to oriental usage, bowed before the sovcr'
eign's throne, "praY be seated; L cannot re-
ceive homage from one bent WITH years, and
whose head is white with the frosts ofage..
"And now, father" said the monarch: when
the old man had taken the proffcrel seat
"tell me thine age, how many of the suns
revolutions hast thou counted?'
"Sire," answered the old man, 81 am but
four years Old"
"What!" interrupted the king, "fearest
thou not to answer me falsely, or dost thou
lest on the very brink of the tomb?"
81 speak not falsely, sire," replied the aged
man, 'neither would offer foolish jest on
subject so solemn. Eighty long years have
euasted in folly and sinful pleasures and in
amassing wealth, none of which can | take
with me when l leave this world. Four years
only have spent in doing good to my fellow
men and shall I count those years that have
been utterly wasted? Are they not worse
than a blank, and is not that portion only
worthy to be reckolred as part OF my llft
which has truly answered life's best end I"
"Little Tommy didn't disobey NANNY
and 20 in swimming, did he?" No, mamma
Jimmy Brown and the rest of the boys wen
in, but remembered, and would not dlsobey
YOU" "And Tommy never tells lies, doe:
he ?" "No, mamma, 1 couldn't 60 to heaven
"Then how does Tommy happen to have on
Jimmy Browns shirt?" You see boys may
not only be liars but hypocrites, They will
ho founh out thourb some of these days.