The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-01-03
\ COMMON ENANPLE.


Ieras Dane in Good Housekeeping.
know woman who Is always harping about
couture" and 'reiiNeincnt' and .'ctiouette" and
wao does not this minute know the meaning of that
Oldfashoned term, good manners" She is always
TcsIcIting the lack Of culture among her ghbors
and there is not of thCm who is not more polite
than he is: | have heard her actually yell at her
servants, and storm AZ her children, and | do not
think Aer husband is the happestmaI in the world.
In society she is q arning woman. She knows
always Just what to say and how TO say it, l never
saw ~ woman who could excel her i'll gliding across
a room and sinking gracefully into a chair. Her
little boys tip their hats prettily to ladies on
the street her little girls enter room with toes
properly turned out and with the grace oflttle
queens; and, alas both the little boys and the little
girls be as impairment and display the worst man
ners ofany children / ever Jaw. And they literally
fight among themselves They are not taught to be
polite 10 each other. Their mother seldom favoIs
them with her own properly chosen words and
graceful mani ers when they are alone with her
Discord regns until the door-ben rings and then
The cnjire household must put on good manners.
'It We don't" one of the children said eve
catch il when the oompanys gonc" This is an ex
tremc case, but 10 we not all have our conn any
Manners Do we speak inst US gently and sweetly
to our children, to our husbands and wives. when
we are alone with them as when in the presence Of
the chance caller? Do we say TO q uansgressinq
Johnnieo or Katie Don't dO that, dear, or. "stoD
say please and "thauk YOU to each other and to
cur servants at ali times, or are these pleasing
little words held in reserve with the rest of our
company mannars?' 1t is only in the presence Of
strangers that we smilingy overlook or gently
chide the tTiAing faults of our children?
Oh thee company manneis,' They are the
ruination OF a household. They cannot always be
put on and Oft win. Traces Of the every day dis
cord and lack of harmony will manifest themselves
through the ahectation of all the mere company
manners one can assume Habitual politeness and
kindness and genteness should be the unWaverinQ
rule in every house even on blue Mondays"
! have been in homes in which it seemed to me
that every member ofthe household seemed bent on
seeing how hateful and dsagreeable they could be
to each other. The mott err would speak in a nag
ging lretflll Tone the father ordered everybody
around' the children quarrelled the servants went
around with their noses i'll the air ready and eager
for little tits with anybody and everybody How
WIetched such homes arel In some of them they
don't even have company manners"
Sometimes my wife and | say on Sunday: "Now
let las agree that viii not say single cross word
to any one this whole week. Let us be studiously
polite to each other and TO the children. Let us be
very mindful of the feelings of every person with
whom we may come into contact. Let us not fret
nor complain nor do anything that good, decent
well behaved Christians should not do And if
when the next Sunday comes we have, through the
grace of God kept this resolve it goes without say
ing that we have been happy and the world has
perhaps been made little better for being in it.