Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-05-29
Manners in Company.

Some people are so bashful that they
always find 1t a hard task to go into .
room full of company. We have known
persons who when calling in offices to
collect money would hang about the
hall, or find their way into a corner
and stand as still as if they were hung
up under the picture, waiting as it
seemed to US for an opportune moment
to ask the proper party to pay the bill,
! instead of walking, directly and in a
straight forward way, up to the person
and presenting him the bill. We have
| known such persons to go to social
parties, where they would show thei
timidity and bashfulness in variou
ways peculiar to themselves. For ia
stance they would act in such a wav a.
TO make the impression that they didn't
know just what to do with their hands
and feet, for they were always in their
way. We all have had to a greater or
less degree some such feelings under
similar circumstances. We have been
IN company in which we could not help
being shy, uncomfortable and angry.
and wishing we had never come, and
under such circumstances, and with
such feelings, it is almost impossible to
avoid being awkward, for we feel as If
we were in a scrape and wished to get
ont of 1t as quickly as possible.
Happy are they who have such con-
troll over themselves who can go boldly
where they know they ought to go, and
do with straight forward frankness
what they know they ought to do.
Persons who are not so happy as to be
IN possession of these qualities, NAV
find some comfort in the following adj
vice from DIR. Edward Everett Hale:
Il
" the first formal evening party at
which l had a good time Before that
had always hated to go to parties. and
since that / have always liked to 90.
am sorry to say L cannot tell at whose
house 1t was, but L could tell YOU lust
how the pillars looked between which
the sliding-doors ran, for L was stand
ing by one of them when my eyes were
opened, as the Orientals saw, and L re
celved great light. / had been asked
to tins party, as L supposed, and as | |
stll suppose, 10y some people who |
wanted my brother and sister to come |
and thought 1t would not be kind to |
ask them without asking me. | did |
not know five people in the room. So /
It was that | stood sadly by this pillar
md said to myself, you were a fool to |
'ome here, where nobody wants Won.
and where you did not want to come:
md you look like a fool, standing bv !
his pillar with nobody to talk to- At
ms moment, and as if TO enlighten the
loud in which L was, the revelation
iashed upon me which has ever since
ct me all right in such matters. Ex-
PRESSED III words, it would be stated
nus: You are much greater fool if
'ou suppose that anybody in this room
,nows or cares where you are
landing. They are attending TO
ttend to yours, quite Indifferent
S to what they think of YOU In this
l took immense comfort. and
has carried me through every form
4 social encounter from that day to
his. l don't remember in the least |
hat l did, whether / looked at the
ortfohos of pictures for some
eason, young people think a very poky
hing to do. but which like to do
neither | buttonholed some fellow
tudent who was less at ease than /. or
neither | talked with some nice old | /,
ldy who had seen with her own ewes
alf the history of the world which is
orth knowing. L only know that
tier i found out that nobody else at the
arty was looking at me or was caring
'r me began to enjoy it as thorough
as L had enjoyed staying at home.
''As 1t is with most things, then. the l
lie for going into society is not to
ave any rule at all. Go unconsciouslv.
r, as St Paul puts it, do not think OF
ourself more highly than you ought to .
INK Everything but conceit can be =
rglven To IA young person in society.
!. Paul, by the way, high-toned gen
eman as he was, is a very thorough .
Ilde in such affairs, as he is in most y
hers If You will get the marrow ont I
those little scraps at the end of his !
tiers, you will not need any hand .
'ok of etiquette" \