Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-11-10
Manners and Service.

Manners and Service.
Many of the small annoyances that
spoil tempers and make life disaereeable
might be avoided by calling things by
their right names. For instance, a great
amount of bad manners and insolence
passes current in all classes of society as
Independence, personal pride, or social
superiority. 1t is difficult to define real
independence of character; to tell lust
what the combination of self-respect.
good Judgment, and mental strength Is
which makes it; but it is easy enough to
tell what it is not. When a cook hollis
the mutton she was told to roast, she is
dlsobedient, not independent. When a
writer revenges his personal sights in a
newspaper, or gratifies dislike of his
nelghbor by false imputation OF motives,
he plays the part of a coward, and has
no courage in him. When passenger
stretches his legs across a horse-car. or
sits sideways with his feet in his neigh
bor's way, and looks like thundercloud
at anyone who stumbles over him, he is
SIMPLY nuisance, and intensely disa-
greeable.
The false notion that work for an en-
ployeris incompatible with independence
and service incompatible with pride has
made unreasonable mischief in the
world. It is evident that the old fash.
Toned doctrines of humility and self-sac
rifice are of little account among men.
excepting as pleasant theories to be
preached from the pulpit and moraIized
ABOUT In conference meetings. ssIn hon
or preferring one another, - "minister-
ing instead of being ministered unto.n
are not the ordinary rules of life. Yet
everybody is bound to some kind of ser
vice; everybody is dependent upon his
fellows; the veriest recluse must have
food, clothes. and shelter; and if he
can make these himself he is still de.
pendent upon the courtesy of his neigh
Dor to let him alone. 1t is impossible to
be wholly independent, and the attempt
might as well be abandoned. But it is
possible to be reasonable; that is within
the reach OF everyone. Sinecures and
perqulsiteS are sweet to the faithless and
lazy of both sexes and all classes, from
politicians and the hangers-on of parties
all along the line to ignorant cooks and
overdressed waiters-they are all alike
undeserving the name of servant, public
or private. and they should be called, as
they are, shirks and sponges.
Here one is inclined to pause and ask
at what point in the social scale does the
word servant become objectionable A
public servant is proud of the title; and
when man calls himself a servant of
the people he assumes title that is finer
to the human ear than that of a servant
of God. To be servant of the church
IS the ambition of brilliant and learned
men; to serve at the altar means some
thing better than to officiate there The
measure of professional and scientific
reputation is the service done. The ex-
preston of the most graceful courtesy is,
Command mellow can serve you?''
The phrase of formal respect is ':your
obedient servant" And yet, unac-
countably the very service that friends
do for each other, that the members of
family give in common, if they hap
pen to be poor in money, is absurdly
honor, when performed for wages. The
dishonor can not come in with the pay,
for the President is paid, and so are the |
legislators, honorable and dishonorable. |
Ministers are paid, and so are doctors |
and scientists. The fact is that heads |
are so full of nonsense about these |
things that it is hard to get at the sound |
facts which would set them right. Ev-
erybody-for the exceptions are so few |
that it is safe to say everybody-mllst |
have relations with other human beings, |
his equals, his interiors and his superb
ors; if he lives he must do something,
and what he does must serve Or harm |
himself or other people. To be abso-
lutely Independent and free from serv-
ice, we repeat, is granted to no one;
and even the choice of service and of |
fellow-workers is very much limited.
To talk of freedom is in great part sheer
boasting We are born in harness; and
the best we can do is to keep it from
chatting, and make it help.
Having tried to find out what they
can do and what they want others to do
for them, let people give the faithfulness
they require, and let us stop calling in
science spirit, rudeness Independence,
noisy self-assertion manliness, conceit
pride, and boorishness dignity. Give
credit for good work, whether it is
eulogy or a pudding, and confess that
success is doing well that which one I'M
dertakes. Duties as well as rights are
to be considered; and it can do no harm
to use as common everyday sense just
q little of that humility, just a trifle of
that confession of weakness and blunder-
ing, which is made so Internationally
and on so large scale on Sundays.
There would be smoother days and less
careworn faces in return for it. ALI this
has nothing to do with social equality,
or an equal division of property; both
are as impossible as individual indie I
pendence is. But decent manners {
ought to make all intercourse agreea-
BILE; and decent manners will never 1
prevail while bad ones are baptized in
Ill classes by false and misleading
names.