The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-04-05

POLITE CHILDREN.-"Thank you
Charlie" said Mrs. Brown, as her little
son handed her paper he was requested
to bring.
"Thank you, Bridget" said the little
fellow q few hours after, as he received
glass of water from his nurse.
"Well, Mrs. Brown, you have the best
hammered children l ever saw" said a
neighbor. 81 should be thankful if
mine were as polite to me as yours are to
the servants. You never spend half as
much time on your children's clothes
as I do, and yet every one notices them,
they are 30 well-behaved."
owe always try to treat our children
politely" was the quiet reply.
This was the whole secret. When l
hear parents grumbling about the i'll
manners OF their children, always wish
to ask, Have you always treated them
with politenessT once knew a man,
considered quite gentleman in society,
who would speak to his children in a
manner that q well-instructed dog would
resent. He would order them with q
growl to bring him his slippers, or per-
form some other little service; and yet
he complained of the rudeness and DISC
bedience of his children.
Many parents who are polite and pol
ished in theirmanners toward the world
at large, are perfect Doors inside the
home circle. What wonder If the
children are the same? IF they should
accidentally brush against another in
the streets, an apology would be sure to
follow; but who ever thinks of Offering
an excuse to the little people whose
rights are constantly being violated by
their careless elders? If a stranger Of
fers the slightest service, he is gratefully
thanked, but who ever remembers to
thus reward the little tireless feet that
are travelling all day long up stairs and
down, on countless errands for some
body3 1t would be policy for parents to
treat their children politely for the sake
of obtaining more cheerful obedience, if
for no other reason. The cOstless use of
an eff you please" and 81 thank you"
now and then, will 90 far to tighten an
otherwise burdensome task. Say to
your son, "John, shut the door," and
with q scowl, he will move slowly to.
wards it, and shut it with q bang. The
next tine say, "John, will you shut the
door, pleasep he will hasten with a
pleasant smile to do your bidding.
Many children as they grow older are
obliged to learn the rules of politeness
as they would a lesson. The conse-
quence is, when they appear in society
they are awkward and laundering. On
the other hand, children who have been
accustomed to politeness at home, are at
their ease in the most polished circles,
and are saved that confusion and bitter
self-condemnation which are sure to fol-
low any breach of the rules of etiquette.
Some children, Learning from their
parents, seem to consider politeness at
home afectationl Brothers who would
Jump up with alacrity to give an easy
chair to some dashing miss of their &C
quaintance, will appropriate it to them
selves when at home, without the slight
est apparent consciousness of the pres
ence Of sister, or perhaps a mother.
"My brother is as polite to me as any
one else, when 90 out with him." said
a girl proudly TO her companion. What
a reflection upon his manners at home |
A sister will perhaps knock over some of
the tools with which her brother is busy.
An apology involuntarily arises to her
lips, but she stiles it on considering
that it is only Jack; and all the salts
faction he is offered for disordered plans
is blunt "OhP Angry reproaches are
sure to follow. "You are real ugly,
Jack, to talk so about such a thing;
you know l didn't mean TO-" is the
equally angry rejoinder, Why did she
not say so? Two words would have
saved all the trouble. Want of polite.
ness is the cause of more quarreling
among brothers and sisters than any
thing else. In their plays children are
constantly meeting with little accidents,
for which they should be taught to apol-
ogize. have seen the cheeks of child
flush with anger, his eyes fash, and
little hand raised to strike the unfortu-
nate breaker of a toy, when, as il by
magic, the blow was arrested by these
words, Excuse me, / didn't mean to.n
Polish is not everything. 1t is, how
ever, something. 1t is better to have
black kettle that is sound than bright
one with hole in the bottom; but
there is no reason why the sound one
should not be bright too.
It is of the first importance that
children should possess those sterling
qualities which fit them for battle with
temptation and sin; but don't send them
out in the world in great clod-hopoer
boots. Shine them up, and both hsppi-
ness and influence win be increased.
Boys WANTED.-Men are wanted.
So they are. But boys are wanted
honest, manly, noble boys Such
boys will make the desired
men. Some one has declared, and
truly, that these boys should possess ten
points, which are thus given: 1. Hon.
est; 2; Intelligent. 8. Active. A.