Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-05
TRICKS AND MANNERS.
BY CHRISTINE rERHUNE HERRICK.

Eccentrlclty, allas klnhlneSsS dlIaS
freshness" is not without it's admirers.
That this is true is abundantly demon
strated, by the host Of "queer fish" one
meets In every walk in life. Pity is sup
posed to be desired by the unfortunate
possessors of bodily deformity, but those
who have voluntarily manned themselves
spiritually or mentally are usually ready
to scott at the suggestion of any ones
bestowing compassion upon them. They
pride themselves upon what others
consider their defects and cultivate
their peculiaritles to the utmost of their
power.
The selfshness that lies at the bottom
OF such course of conduct generally has
its foundations laid in childhood. The
trick or within that is amusing IN the boy
or girl, and is perhaps unwisely COM
mented upon by an injudiclous mother,
becomes a nuisance in the grown man or
woman. Foremost among these annoy
ances to the flesh and spirit OF others
comes tinicalpess in the matter of diet.
81 am at my wits endsp' sighed dis
couraged housekeeper. MIR. A. is COM
ing to spend week with us, and have
no idea what to give him to eat. Potatoes
are his abOminatioD, the odor OF onions
or tomatoes makes him i'll, and the smell
of coffee turns his stomach. He never
touches fish of any sort, eats no veget-
ables except green peas, sweet corn and
egg plant, no fruit except peaches, and
abhOrs everv variety OF salad. Lamb and
mutton disagree with him, and he has II o
fondness for pastry or sweets"
This, while an authentic case, is pos
sibly an extreme one. The truth remains,
|. however, that there are very few people
who possess such well-trained stomachs
or such good breeding as to make the m
to rejoice the heart OF the family caterer
| by eating the food placed before them.
Housewives could narrate woeiul tales Of
/ seeing refused choice dishes prepared in
the fond hope OF giving pleasure to an
h6nored guest. A peculiar feature of a
wOman'a character is shown in the fact
! that no matter how absurd may be the
| caprices of visitor, the hostess always,
! for some unaccOuntable reason, feels her.
l self to blame. Her table may be ladeu
/ with the choicest dainties of the season,
| irreproaoh ably prepared, but II the fnicaI
guest can find nothing to suit his taste
[ she instantly feels that the responsibility
| for his crochets deVolves upon her. IL Is
! her fault that he is not provided with food
| convenient Tor him, and she suffers ac-
! cordinely.
| Children's fancies in the matter of diet
are only occasionally worthy of serious
| consideration. There may be cOnstitu-
| tional pecuiaritles which render ce rtain
| kinds OF food obnoxious TO them, but with
very rare exceptions; strenuous efforts
| should be made by the parents to conquer
such aversions. Much discomfort would
| be spared the children anu those With
| whom they associate in later life could
these vagaries be checked at the very
| outset. One child dislikes roast beef, an
| other refuses to eat bread. Still third
| Will not touch fruit or any kind of ami
NAL food except poultry. Very often the
| within is only adopted from that passion
| for SHOWING Off Inherent in the childish
nature and which Is not always lacking
in children of larger growth. The
| child is father of the man, and the boy
| who is ''fussy" about his eating in youth
is apt to be opinionated and selfish In
maturity.
/ Akin to this species of eccentrIcity are
| tricks Of table manners. These are more
| frequently seen in men than in women,
| either because the latter are more readily
| led and thus more easily influenced to
| quiet and correct demeanor, or because
! boys are thrown more into rough CON-
! pany of doubtful breeding than are their
| sisters. Whatever the cause, the fact
| renders doubly important the careful
| training of children while under the
! home roof. The boy whomakes a melange
of ali the food on his plate, using his
! knife first as the implement with which
TO mix the ingredients inuO an indistin-
guishaDle mass, and then as the shovel
with which be piles bis fork inch high be-
fore conveying it 70 a widely opened
mouth, is net apt to be graceful addition
to dinner party when he attains years
! of discretion, or, indeed, to give much
| pleasure by his presence at any repast.
Habits formed in early youth stick
| through life with the tenacity of burrs.
| The story Is told Of a young man who had
| a trick of twisting his handkerchief
! around his forefnger and resting this
upon his lips. The practice made him q
laughing stock among his companions,
but remonstrance and ridicule alike
I failed TO Danish it. So firmly rooted was
| the habit that at the moment OF his mar
riage, as he stood before the clergyman,
| the inevitable white-swathed fOrefnger
/ sought his mouth. The quickness of
! the bride, who, with perceptible
| jerk. drew down the groom's arm,
| luckily checked the action while half com.
| pleted.
A mistaken Kindness frequently with.
holds parents from correcting little ac-
| tons denoting awkwardness on the part
OF their children. Many mothers have an
intense dread of "nagging," and justly.
One must take into account the Obstinacy
and perversity of children that may some
times be accounted for by beredity. but
is in other cases unexplainabie. Often it
seems AS IL the mere endeavor to break O
child of fault only rooted il more deeply,
until the mentor is fairly discouraged and
yields the point sooner than cause further
hard feeling by perpetual soolding. Such
a course almost inevitably brings regret
sooner or later to both mother and child
To say nothing of the wretched principle
involved by the guardian, confessing her.
self foiled in an encounter OF this sort, a
piece OF childish naughtiness or Ill-breed-
ing assumes much more formidable pro-
portions when he who practices it is 20
instead of 10.
Tact must be studied in the correction
OF children. A severe reprOof uttered in
the presence of others nullifes itself by
| hurting and hardening the culprlt. GEN
| tie means are commonly best, and a we'll
trained child Will usually be as obedient
to low-Voiced word as a sharp rebuke
Frequently, too. mistakes and biunders,
/ especially those committed by growing
! BOYS, arise from sheer bashfulness. Their
difficulty in managing their legs and arms
with any degree OF grace has passed into
! a provorb, and IL woul1 be strange iftneir
| difiidence did not sometimes manifest it.
| SELF in a breach Of etiquette. II such
| "faux pas" are held up 10 public ridlcule
I IA - 49,. -.