The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-04-09

tho W0flQ ol9to9VeIul. "A lro9Q boDl0 Ct0tn,
neatly arranged, we'll cleaned and polished
dishes, the mistress and all who gather about
her neatly attired, amiable and respectful
in their manners, will give . relish to the
plainest food and less superior cooking
Light hearts, loving words, gentle and cour.
better than themselves, !" in all ''honor pre-
ferring one another''-these are the best ap
petizers, and will make more happy homes
than the costliest dalnties poorly served by
an irritable, untidy mistress and partaken
of by selfish, ill-mannered, discourteous
children.
Poor taste and careleesnes in the arranging
of the table are bad enough, but lack of
politeness, display of bad manners at the
table is worse. Are parents less careful in
teaching their children good manners at the
table than they were years ago? 1t is not
uncommon to see children, from the oldest
to the youngest, reach across the table and
help themselves. instead of asking for what
they require and waiting patiently till it
can be served. Some children seem to
prefer to get their food in a rude manner; if
they can not reach it they stand on the rounds
OF their chairs to be able to stretch farther,
or leave their chairs and go round the table
for what they want. They drink fast, eat
fast and fill their mouths so full and so
rapidly, that if not choked the wonder is
that half the children do not die OF indiges-
ton.
If mol attention is paid by the parents to
their children's habits of. eating, what
can one expect but that they should with
these habits acquire large and very annoy
ing stock of selishness-eager to secure the
best on the table before any one else is
helped, vexed if brother or sister is served
first, or snatching the food from each other
with q snarl as animals growl over their
food If no attention is paid to their man.
ner of eating very few children will acquire
pleasant table manners. ASIDE from eating
too fast, they make others, particularly those
who sit near, uncomfortable by the disagree
able noises they make in chewing their food,
smacking their lips, and other very annoy
ing ways of dIsposing of their food in the
shortest possible time.
Why do not all parents look beyond their
children's early days. and see how awkward
they will be when grown up if allowed to
contract such rude manners in childhood?
Why not begin early to teach their little
ones to eat slowly, without any noise, to
fold their NAPKINS to lay their knives and
forks on their plates in the proper position,
side by side. instead OF leaving them on
the table cloth or thrown carelessiy on the
plate? Why not teach them to sit quietly
when they are through with their meals till
the rest of the family are ready to rise, un.
less the school compels them to leave ear
lier? In that case, why should they not be
taught from the beginning that they should
not leave the table without asking to be ex-
cused? That permission granted, why
not teach them to rise quietly,
without pushing their chairs rudely
back, and, on leaving the room,
to say "good morning. Instead of
this, so easily learned if parents will only
give little attention to it, how many child
rem, without regard to the comfort of those
who remain, jump off their chairs. giving them
a push, often SO roughly as to send them
over, leaving their napkins, perhaps, on the
floor, and their plates, knives and forks in
IL Il
with a boisterous flourish, loud talking,
without the slightest semblance of respect
for others. rush from the room and the house
with as wild clatter and racket as If a drove
of animals had been let loose.
If this was only one of the little things
which belong to early childhood, and which
would pass off as they grow older, it could
be endured. But rough, rude, i'll hammered
children seldom make refined, courteous,
respectful men and women; and if of
proud, sensitive nature. and quick to OBJ
serve, they will, while recognizing their
deficiencies, shrink from being in society,
and become awkward, ill-tempered and
morose men and women.
Any kind of rudeness and all Ill m annered
acts, If unchecked at the beginning, will
lead to others. When children are allowed
every liberty at the table, the same license
will be taken in other things. In how many
families of the present time are children
taught that it is the height of rudeness to
interrupt another when talking? 1t is
enough to make a person dumb to attempt
| to carry on any conversation when irrele-
want remarks are constantly thrown in. If
one is telling story. it is almost impossible
to go through with it with any hope of in
teresting those present, if interrupted with
comments, questions or criticisms. Let
all this come when the speaker has I'm
ished. That Interruptions are not
| only annoying to most people, but after
awhile completely silence some people, will
be readily understood. 1t is too evident for
any one to doubt. Yet those very ones who
the least like to be interrupted are often the
most ready to practice such rudeness on
others.
What is the hurry? Surely any remarks
worthy of utterance will keep till the one
speaking has finished. But if parents com.
init such rudeness before their children,
would it not be strange if their children did
not follow their example? How many
things parents carelessly do that, while
children are young, look too Insignificant tc
notice, but which will be found to have sunk
deep. taken root, and year by year grow
stronger and stronger, until they become
grave faults that cause the parents great
sorrow and seriously injure if not destroy
the child.