Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-07-24
A CHAPTER ON GOOD MANNERS.

A Few Rule. for Boys, Which They Will
Do Well to Read and Practice.
Some boys think it efTeminate and af-
fected to be polite and considerable to
others.
Now everybody likes heartincss in q
boy; but is it not possible for a boy to
be open and hearty and manly and have
well-brcd manner also? l, for one, do
not see why it is not. In fact, some of
the most agreeable boys l have ever
met have had very good in
deed, but they were just as manly, just
as full of spirits, just as fond of sport,
just as genuine boys, as many of their
companions who were not nearly so
we'll bred. Let me ask if a boy is any
more a manly boy because he Grams his
mouth full when he is eating? Is he
likely to play a better hand at base ball
because he sits at dinner with his ell
bows on the table?
But what are good manners? All of
us know something as to what they are.
We all know and practice some Of the
rules of good breeding. The most of
us are not as bad as we might be
there is some comfort in that. have
seen boys jostle people ON the sidewalk
very rudely, but l have never seen a
boy so rude that he would intentionally
run against an intirm old lady.
Now don't imagine chat good man.
ners make one stiff, or that they make
one uncomfortable, like a badly fitting
coat. Good manners may be just as
natural as bad manners, just as easy
and matter of-course Us speaking or
laughing. This is the sort of good
manners that we ought to have, so that
| it would be just as easy for us to do the
right thing as it would be to do the
wrong thing. We must make our good
manners our second nature; and they
will become anybody's second nature,
it II will take care to practice them.
Let one observe all the rules carefully
for a time, and by and by N will OBJ
serve the rules without stopping to
think about them. In fact, it will be-
come Just as easy to be polite as to play
or work.
There are a good many rules of good
A1ttuuCAS, NAdO viz liz LII w., ullO
what M must do, but it seems to me
that the most important of all the rules
is to be kind-hearted. The boy who
does kindly things may make a few
mistakes in little matters, but every
body will like, and respect him. The
kind-hearted boy who picks up q hat
that an old gentleman has dropped has
done a polite thing, as we'll as a kind
hearted thing. And the boy who takes
the trouble to show a lady the right
way to 60 has also done a polite as we'll
as a kind-hearted thing.
But a boy may have a kind heart and
the best intentions in the world, and yet
forget to do some things that he ought
to do, or do things that he ought not to
do. He may, for instance, have a kind
heart, and forget to take off his hat to
ladies'; or he may have 4 kind heart, and
not know that he should not whistle in
the presence of his elders, or drum on
a seat or the wall, or beat with his feet
on the floor, or make noises of any kind
when other people are by.
There are some very pleasant obscrv-
ances that one should never forget, and
which are an essential part Of good
manners. Don't forget every morning
to salute all the members of the family
with "good-morning,' and at night up
on retiring goodnight" goodnight
and 9ood-mornlng are very pleasant
things to hear, and young people should
never omit them.
When you enter your school-room,
say ''good-morning" to the teacher, and
"good-evening' when you leave in the
afternoon.
Never burst boisterously into a room
under any circumstances. Enter
quietly, and if there is company there,
salute them with q polite bow and a
"good-day' or "good-morning." You
need not shake hands with the visitors,
unless they first offer to do so.
Never interrupt people when they are
talking. 1t is not right for young peo-
pie to force themselves into a CONVEX
sation going on between older people.
Respond promptly to any question that
may be asked and if YOU happen to
know anything special about a subject
under discussion you may say: Par
don me-" or Excuse me-" Mr.. Brown,
Cor whatever the name may beg, but
and go on to say what you have to saw.
If there is u willingness shown to listen
to you.
Don't lounge. Stretching ones self
on the sofa or lolling on the chairs is
very bad breeding. Never sit with YOU
chair tipped back. This is very VULGAR
Don't be tidgety. Don't when in com
pany play with the curtains, or the tas-
sells, or with anything else. Don't
twirl a chair, or play with the door, or
keep up a continued rcstlessness. One
necessary thing in good manner is to
be quiet and self-restrained when in the
presence OF other pecple.
Don't shout every time you want to
speak, whether indoors or out. Some
boys fairly shout at play-fellows who
are only a few feet oil and who could
hear without difficulty everything
spoken in an ordinary voice,
Never fail in the school-room to ba
respectful to the master, kind to the
small boys and diigent in your studies.
Don't worry your school-fellows with
tricks. Study hard when you are studv
ing; play hard when you are playine.
BE always open, cordial, honest, manIv.
never DO q mean thing or a sneakjnr