The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-08-18
BEHAVING.

BEHAVING.
eff you please, Grcut-aunt Thorndike,
! what's a genticman?'
1t was little Ralph's sweet voice which
/ spoke in the dusk, behind his aunts
chair, as she sat in the freight, with her
I lace knitting flying in her slim, white
/ fingers. Aun, Thorndikc was a lady Of
the Old school: and who in all the house
sat straighter and stepped lighter than
she, with her keen wits, kind heart and
clever fingers, like an old fairy?
Why, Ralphic?" she asked, softly,
Il hear 50 much about being Il gen
tlcman, and what belongs to a gentle
man; and i'll the book l was reading it
said, about Il man like, he was one Of
the trucst gentlemen that ever lived. 1t
sounds nice somehow
So it is nice, Ralphic The best
thing that can be said Of aman, or a boy
for that matter"
Tell me all about it; what it is and
what it isn't, so | can see if | could be
one. Mamma said nobody knew better
what gentleman is than YOU do, for
your brothers were all gentlemen"
Bless the boy" said the aunt to her
self; " is there any llattcry sweeter than
the tlultery of children"
She bent down and gave a kiss to the
fair hair against her knee, partly for the
sake Of the dear, kindly little head, and
partly for the praise of the brave brothers
she remembered SO we'll
One had been an officer in the navy
and had died in fight, " man who
never knew fear or wrong, his brother
officers said. Another was one of the
finest lawyers in his State, and one sea
captain; but all honored and loved, with
hearts as brave as they were clean and
kind and kinder never drew breath.
" \ gentle man." she began, thought
fully. What does that mean, Ralph?"
q know. The teacher said it was
Just what it sounds, a man who is gentle
and nice iii his ways, polite to the girls
and old women, and never says rude
words, nor tries to cheat in croQuet or
marbles. Is that all, auntie?"
" 1t doesn't all lie in being gentle"
laughed the old lady, nor yet in being
gcntcel man, as some folks think it
does. 1t is more than being kind and
/ polite, or nice in manners or clothes,
though they all belong to 1t. 1t is, first
of all, to be a man-manly. At the root
of the notion Of a gentleman lies the idea
Of being "A strong, useful, protcctingma
and nothing else has the stuff in it to
/ make a gentleman. In the old time when
the world was divided into two classes,
gentlcs and common people, there were
very strict lines for the former"
On, if could only find them now
cried Ralph. "Thc rules to make a
gentleman, Are they written any
whereof
They were never written, that ! know
of, but they were handed down from
father to son, and never laws were obeyed
as strictly as these. We know enough
of them to be sure that the standard Of
"a gentleman in those days did not in
many things differ from what it should
be to-day. And there is no reason why
little boy should not carry in his heart
us stainless a code Of honor as Il pumed
and vIsored Knight of st. John"
There are no knights now" said
Ralph, a little sadly.
I'm not 50 sure of that. Things 90
by working, nowadays, more than by
| fighting; but they call for the same
knightly Qualities of COURAGE and endur.
ance that rode forth with spear and crest
to the field of battle.
"To speak the truth TO nrotect tbc
weak, to be loyal to ones country. and
live up to his religious faith. TO he brave
and do what is best without looking to
see whether one is ooino tn make
or lose bv il is inst as much a GENTLE
mans code now Ss If ever ,,,e. on6 who.
ever falls short Of This no ,,attpr how
fine and plrasino his dress and manners
is NV so much not y pcrtlemnn
GLOW could nrotect the weak Pm
such a Httle fellowm
,,Not too rttIe to see that neither
Won nor the other hovs torment thc
/ 1Id hind doc os he lies ON tbn will.
NOT too little 70 nick mn the bird fallen
/ ,,,t F e., 500. I =. l.;