Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-09-10
sylonih' g Column.
TEACH A BOY TO BE A GEN
TLEMAN,

ten upon the SUBJECT OIL euucdIlOn,
and great stress had been laid upon
the education of the whole person
physically, Intellectually and morally,
but comparatively little has been
written upon the social side of educa-
ton, and graces and courtesies of
life. Locke had laid down probably
the best programme for an education
when he said: "Good principles,
good manners and discretion are to
be cared for first, intelligence and
intellectual activity next and actual
knowledge last of all" But in our
schools course the exact reverse of
this is pursued. No school is good
school and no teacher good teacher
that does not make gentility very
important factor in school training.
You may desire that your boy shall
become great or learned man.
But if you desire him to be gentle
man, you have gone much higher in
your aspirations for him. Expert
ence shows that it depends directly
upon the teacher whether q child ac-
quires knowledge, but only indirectly
upon the teacher whether the child
becomes a cultured person. Perhaps
it is well that gentllity is not taught
directly in our schools, and that it is
left to be imbibed from the character
and example of the teacher, so that
the demand for this kind of teaching
may exclude mere pIetenders. There
is danger III too much precept. The.
child prefers to learn from what he
sees and hears. Where tAe. teacher
has good manners and the father and
mother are models Of politepess, the
child seldom fails to exhibit the same
characteristic. Those who know
much of schools and school boys
know that we have room for great
Improvement in this respect. School
boys, as a rule, among us are rude,
unmannerly and selfish. When four
young japanese went to Harvard to
study, their gentle and polite behav-
ior was so remarkable in contrast to,
that of the young men of this eoun-
try, that 1t excited universal admira-
ton, and Mark Twain saia that the
real motives of the Japanese were
concealed, and they, had; entered into
horrible conspiracy to teach Young
Americans goadl manners. The
every day life ofTour youth should be
animated with, more dignity and self
respect. But how can this be accom-
plished? Teaching by theory cannot
accomplish it. The teachers them
selves must possess that grace OF
character which we call gentility
They must breath into the children
noble resolve, kindly sympathy and
a gentle bearing by their own exam
pie and daily life.
This accomplishment of characte
involves, first, unselfshness. Gen
tility is not hereditary. Little faitl
is to be placed in any kind of gentil
ity mat may be applied externally
II manifests itself primarily in self
control, that which prevents perso
from being violent and irritable. !
gentleman will regulate his behavie
so that other people will not be al
noyed by his weakness. There
dignity in calmness of manner, al
the direct opposite in an uncalled-f'
show of personal feeling.
Gentility involves cordiality
everybody. 1t excludes all ridicul
rudeness, vulgarity, insolence. Sor
persons take great credit to thel
selves for a sort of eXcluslvenes
1t is not the well-bred. but the 4
quite well-bred who are nervous
afraid of endangering their positi
in society by being courteous
every one. A good manner is
best thing in the world to get &c
name or supply the want of it.
have read or heard it said of one
the ex-governors of South Caroli
that if he had been sent to Englf
instead of Mr.. Mason to procure
recognition of the confederacy,
would have accomplished his miss
by the winning grace of his eleg
manners.
1t INDUCES no slang phrases.
involves reverence. 1t implies
absence of pride, and respect
the opinions and feelings of 9th
and consequently the Christian q
tiles of kindness, gentleness and S
repression.
1t implies honor. We take it
granted that dishonorable, shirk
unreliable, untruthful person is
gentleman. A truly we'll bred
son has sense of honor. He d
not prevaricate. He is honest
straightforward. He goes in I
lines. He can tell the truth and
the world and the devil right in
eye. One hopeful indication of
time is the demand for more q
people.
This is the era of prison ref
of societies for the prevention
cruelty to animals, and the abol
of corporal punishment in sch
The teacher who would meet the
mands of the time must, along
intellectual and moral quaIifcat
also exhibit those traits of excel