Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-11-08
comfort and bankruptcy on the part
of the young men.
REALLY GOOD MANNERS.
They Consist in Making Happier Persons
Whom You Happen to Meet.

It has been the fashion to assume a
strong indifference toward strangers,
even if one does not feel it, says the
Springfield Union, and not only toward
strangers is this manifested, but to-
ward those who are associated togeth-
er in business, and the ones whom one
meets every day. It is not necessary
for two people to fall upon each 9TH
er's neck every time that they meet in
order to be civil, but in the short life
that we live here why not give and re-
ceive all the good that we can. Strang-
ers upon settling in a new place feel
this stony and hard exterior, and when
the cheery-faced, really Christian man
or woman is met with, what blessing,
and how one loves to remember the
meeting and the kindly look. 1t is
like perfect June day, or the burst
ing out of the sun after days of cloud
and storm.
A woman who was assistant in a
large school one day said to the prin-
cipal, who was man, that the man.
ners of the boys in the school were not
such as they should be. The man who
was very dark naturally, turned a
good deal darker and lost his temper
Then he burst out into TRADE against
manners. He said that he did not be-
lieve in any such thing Gall of the time
growing blacker) and finally brought
his foot down on the platform with a
great jar, saying: Some of the great
est rogues that ever lived had the most
polished manners" That seems to be
a poor reason, or no reason at all, why
we should not cultivate pleasing and
kindly manners toward each other.
Not that the books on etiquette should
be swallowed whole-for more than
one of them has unreasonable and silly
ideas-but there is manner that isre-
spectful, kind and right, and it is born
of the kind, true heart every time. Its
name is politeness.
A young girl was going from her
home in Connecticut to a school in
Massachusetts,, a distance of 100 miles,
and was obliged to go alone. She
waited a weary time in Boston and
finally took her train on the Old Colo
NAL Road, every face being a strange
one. After a few miles travel she
noticed that an old gentleman was re-
garding her, and his very kindly look
treasured her. After a while he came
to her and asked her if she was travel
ing alone, and upon being told that
she was he sat in the seat in front of
her and talked very kindly and pleas
antly, and before she left the car he
gave her his card and attended her to
the door of the car and carried her
sachel. Upon looking at the card she
found that the old gentleman was
President Elder Ella, and his "Peace
be with you," as he left her, was a
benediction that can never be forgot
ten.
1t was very eXacting waitress who,
when sent to wait upon guest at a
hotel, hesitated and said that she did
not like to wait upon him because she
had never been introduced. That
seems quite far-fetched, but it is as
consistent as the stony manners Of the
would-be lofty minded people whom
we meet. A young woman went to re-
side in a city where she was total
stranger, land in taking morning
walk always met man who bowed
and said Good morning." The first
morning she concluded that he had
mistaken her for some acquaintance,
but as he continued to greet her each
morning in the same respectful man
ner, she knew that it must be his
practice to so salute the people whom
he met. Upon attending one of the
churches there she discovered that it
was the minister of the church, high
" educated man, who had travelled
much abroad, and was eminent in his
profession.