The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-11-10
Polffeness sf French Children.

Politeness with the French is a matter
of education as well as nature. The
French child is taught that lesson from
the beginning of its existence, and 1t is
made part of its life. 1t is the one
thing that is never forgotten. The ship
wrecked Frenchman who could not get
into boat, as he was disappearing under
the waves raised his hat, and with such
a bow as he could make under the cir
cumstances, said, "Adieu, Mesdames
Adieu, Messieurs," and went to the
fishes. 1 doubt not that it really oc-
Cured, for I have seen ladies splashed
by cab on rainy day, smile politely at
the driver. A race that has women OF
that degree of politeness can never be
anything but polite. When such exas-
peration as splashed skirts and stockings
will not ruffie them, nothing Will.
The children are delightful In this
particular. French children do not go
about clamoring for the best places and
sulking if they do not get them, and
talking in rude, boisterous way. They
do not take favJrs and attentions as a
matter of course, and unacknowledged.
The slightest attention shown them Is
acknowledged by the sweetest kind OF q
bow-not the dancing masters bow, but
a genuine one = and the lnvar1able
"Merci, Monsieur y or Madame, or
Mademoiselle, as the case may be. aa.a
Twas in a, compartment with a little
French boy of twelve, the precise age at
which American children, as rule, de-
serve killing for their rudeness and dis
agreeableness. He was dressed fault
lessly, but his clothes were not the chief
Il hot hi, nd q
window and he was eating pears. Now,
an American boy of that age would
either have dropped the cores upon
/ the floor, or tossed them out of the win
dow without word to anybody. But
this small gentleman every time, with,
s'permit me, Monsieur" said in the
most pleasant way, rose and came to the
window and dropped them out, andthen,
Merci, Monsieur as he quietly took
his seat. 1t was delight. l am sorry
to say that such small boys do not travel
on American railroads to any alarming
| extent. Would they were more ire
quent.
! And when in his seat, if an elderly
person or any one else came in, he wa;
the very first to rise and offer his place i
it we're in TIE slightest degree more com
Portable than the one vacant, and thu
good nature with which he insisted upol
the new conner taking it was something
"altogether too sweet for anything" a
the faro bankeress would say. 4-.
And this boy was no exception. HI
was not showboy out posing before tn
great American Republic, or such of i
as happened to be in France at the time
but hewa a sample, a type of the regu
lation. French child. l have seen just a
much politeness in the ragged waits ii
the Faubourg st. Antoine, where tn
child never saw the blue sky more thai
the little patches that could be seen owe
the tops of seven storied houses, as
ever did in the Champs Elysee. On
Sunday at St. Cloud, where the ragge
children of poverty are taken by thei
mothers for air and light, it was a de
light to fill the pockets with sweets t
give them. They had no money to buy
and the little human rats looked Ions
ingly at the riches of the candy stands
and q sous worth made the differenc
between perfect happiness and hal
pleasure. You gave them the sou
worth, and what glad smile came
the lips, and accompanied with it wa
the delicious half bow and half courtesy
and inyariable "Merci, Monsieur" On
little tot, who could not speak, filled he
tiny mouth with the unheard of delic,
cies she had received, and, too young
say "merci," put up her lips to /
kissed.-Nasby, in Toledo Blade.