Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-06-03
HOME ETIQUETTE.
An Important Factor In Good and Refined
Housekeeping.

There can be no place where certain
restraints and restrictions are more
necessary than in the narrow, often
jarring confines of home; there is no
place where people feel more unre-
strained, unrestricted. Many young
couple, new to the delight of being
Ole as well as a couple, find exquisite
bliss in making that unity so complete
that all either has, in mind, or matter,
belongs to both. But that system
won't work! No two people, living to-
gether, can by any possibility, preserve
their own happiness, to say nothing OF
their friends, without something OF IT,
serve; enough to keep at least, their
self-respect, enough to make both as
polite to each as in the days of their
wooing
have emphasized that word polite.
Why is it so many people keep all their
fine manners for the outer world, and
have none left for homer Why do
mothers train their little ones, in every
way but by example, to be alooayS cour-
teous, and then wonder that they are
sometimes rudeP If you fail to say as
surely as to their elders, "thank you"
Il beg your pardon" or, "if you
please" to child, so certainly will
that ready little wit take on the con-
viction that pOliteness is not for every
day use, nor for home consumption.
Nc hruhonI hos rinrhf 70 roaA hic
wife's letters, in justice to the friends
who wrote them, and the woman who
reads. No wife has a right TO pour her
husbands coffee, with her bang en-
twisted in last nights curl-papers. No
parent has a right to give away a
child's play-things without that child S
consent | hate this everlasting,
greedy prating of ones "due," but
these are instances by the way, of the
injustice ruling our good housekeeping.
For you see, discourtesy is the an
tithesis of Justice; not that all injustice
is rudeness, but all rudeness is Unjust
ice. Why should we show our love
by our impoliteness? l remember
once, when my sister and l were tax
ing our departure, after call upon
two other sisters, we jostled against
one another at the door. Upon our
mingled apologies one of the girls
broke with laugh: "Do you do tina!
to each other?" she cried. 81 should
never think of begging Lily's pardon!'
Yet they were well hammered young
persons too; truly gentlewomen in
their relations to the world. Some one
says:
1--WE have careful thoughts for the stranger
And smiles for the sometime guest
Yet we vex our own, with look and tone,
Though we love our own the best y
Ispoke of reserve as part of polite
ness. A parent can not implant a high
sense of delicacy and honor more sure
ly than by a respect for each child S in.
dividuality as profound as for an equal
| have never forgotten an incident in
my childhood. Twas away from home
for few days, and on my return the
younger ones fell on me at once. Let
tiers had come from two or three alb
sent brothers, they said, and addressed
to me; so, to all their entreaties tt
open them, our mother had said, NJ
one could do that but myself, and they
thrust the envelopes in my hand
Could daily lecture have taught the
precept in so sure manner as tina
practicep
A great many kind and wise people
hold some vague idea that nice man
ners are a mark of insincerity, anC
bluntness betokens truth. | don
know by what course of reasoning, ex
cept, as some kind of things are callet
polite lies, so all unkind things mus
be always impolite truths. Other
there are who think they give one til,
highest proof of their esteem whel
they lay aside all ceremony. The,
don't stop to consider that perhaps on
likes ceremony. As some one said: d"
hate to be made one of the family, TO
it means sleep there in bed" Or a
friend of mine phrases it: 81 don
like those tables where they didn't pu
themselves out for me- s0dnt then
to put themselves out. want some
thing good to eat!" This same sor
regard intimacy as license, friendship
as freedom. For my part l have it'll
love for the friend who knows no meua
and tuun in hair-pins and tooth-pow
der, criticises my oyerskirt, wears m
rubbers, and gives advice and sugges
ton unsolicited. 10 such transgres
sion as this last always want to quot
DR. Johnson: my dear madam, be
fore giving your opinion you shoul
consider what your opinion is worth.
There is no relation, in short, in tn
household, whether of mistress or maid
husband and wife, child and parent
hostess and guest, but will be mad
more comfortable by the exercise of
little formal etiquette. l don't say
will cure all evils to which the home
heir; there must be something deepe
and truer to do so great work. Blu
it will make the domestic machiner
run more smoothly, and that-surel
that is well worth trying.-Ruth Hal
in Good Housekeeping.