Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1878-05-09
Educational Column.
POLITENESS.

offices, and elsewhere. A case came
under our own observation, a week or
ten days ago, while waiting for the
train at the town of - on the B. &
o. r. r. A poor laboring man,
dressed in his everyday clothes, in
quired of the ticket agent when the
next train would leave. The dignified
official replied, in surly tone, that
the company advertised timetable
end he might look for himself. A
few minutes afterward dandified in
dividual, with silk hat stuck on one
side of his Uranium and kid gloves on
his paws, made the same inquiry, and
the dignified official condescendingly
replied: "At four twenty-five, sir"
Our dignified official at the railway
station, who snubs the man in the
wooden shirt, and gives courteous
rejoinder to a new hat and kid gloves,
and the deputy at the public Office,
either county, State or national, or
the clerk behind the counter of the
merchant, mistakes his duty. They
are paid to serve the public, and they
ought to remember that the public is
diversified unit; it's various heads
cannot all be covered with glossy
hats, nor its multitudinous hands be
all encased in kid gloves. With all
our boasted democracy, we have not
yet learned, as people, to not asso-
ciate the outward appearances of an
Individual with the amount of respect
to which he is entitled. We have not
yet learned to treat the poor as po-
litely as the rich. Politeness is
coin which passes current every
where. 1t wins hearts and softens
hard natures. 1t secures obedience
where threat or force would fail. The
laborer who carries hod feels his
manhood when he is treated like
man. The shop and kitchen girl
aims to become a nobler woman
when she finds that her womanhood
is respected. 1t is a serious mistake
to suppose that the poor are insensi-
BILE to rebuffs because they are accus-
toned to receive them. And it is
still more serious mistake to reckon
that man a gentleman who treats his
equals or superiors politely, and acts
the part of ruffian towards those
whom he considers his interiors. Such
Pecksniffian politeness, which fawns
before prosperity and freezes in the
presence Of adversely, is to be held in
greater contempt than open-handed
barbarity.
The plea which we would put forth
is one for proper consideration OF
the feelings of the poor-a plea for
courtesy to all men and women, what
ever their stations in life; plea for
politeness which shall not be tenn
pered by the social position of the re-
cipient. Those who have it within
their power ought to treat all with
civility, whether they meet them in a
drawing-room or in tenement gar
ret. Arrogance is always the out
growth of a small nature, while polite
ness, in the truest and best sense OF
the word, is but the practice OF char
ity. To do the kindest thing in the
kindest way is the mark or gentle
man and a lady. Let no one fear lest
his seeds Of courtesy shall fall on
stony ground, or be choked by the
tares OF indifference. The poor are
quick to recognize true sympathy,
and equally quick to detect hypocrisy.
He or she who snub individuals be-
cause of their poverty, has not learned
the alphabet of politeness. Teachers
and school officers, take notice and
govern yourselves accordingly.
J.F. l..
ANTIQUITIES.
HOl0 much 1Cas penny ddy2-
Much better wages than it sounds to
US. An agricultural paper says that
in the time Of Christ a penny was
about equal to fifteen Of our cents,
and as money was ten times as valu-
able as now, the penny day was as
good as $50 of our cents; go that the
man who worked in the vineyard for
that, got as good wages as good men
now generally have. The gift OF the
good Samaritan, Of two pence to the
landlord tor the care OF the man who
fell among the thieves, in addition to
the raiment, the oil and wine, was
equivalent to about three dollars OF
our currency.
The figures with regard to the bat
tie OF Waterloo, are as follows; The
force under Napoleon consisted OF
II SAT men and 246 guns. The allied
army under Wellington, during the
first eight hours of the battle, /. e.
from a. m, till 5 p. m, numbered
81, 66I men and 156 guns. At five in
the afternoon, Wellington was joined
by 10000 Prussians. and at seven in
the evening by Blucher's army of co.
| 600 men and 104 guns; soon after