Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-07-04
MANNER.


others as you would that they should
do to YOU
It was the shrewd aphorism of one
of the most profound observers of
human nature that Manner is some
thing to all and everything to some"
AS indicative Of character, which
1t undoubtedly IS, to a certain extent,
it is we'll worthy the attention Of all .
youthful aspirants for the honor of
the world And though, like every |
other attribute. it should bear indub-
Itable marks of individuality, care
and attention, before habit has rem
dered change and improvement diff
cult, and will enable every man to
acquire that propriety and polish, in
this respect, the advantages of which
through life can scarcely be over
rated. It has been somewhat para
doxically said, that the fashionable
manner of the present day is no man
ner at all! which means simply that
the manner of the best bred people
are those that are least obtruded
upon the notice of others; the most
quiet, natural, and unassuming
There is, however, a possibility of
carrying this modlsh manner to such
an extreme as to make it the very
height of affectation Every ap-
proach to a rude, noisy, boisterous,
manner, is reprehensible, for the OBJ
vious reason that it interferes with
the comfort, and, consequently, with
the rights of others; but this is at a
wide remove from the ultra-modIsh-
ness that requires the total suppress
sion of every manifestation of natural
emotion, and apparently aims to con-
5 vert beings influenced by the motives,
5 feeling and principles that constitute
! humanity, into mere moving auto
0 maton. In this, as IN too many sim
f liar matters, Americans are prone to
. excess. Because scenes are cOnsid-
n cred bad ton in good society abroad,
h and because the warm-hearted hos
= pitality of Olden time sometimes took
e shape little more impressingly and
u noislly than kindness required, some
y of our fashionable lmitators Of Eur
t opean models move through the
81 81 world like resuscltated ghosts, and
is violate every law of good feeling il
Of an endeavOr to sustain at home &
80 character for modish Indifference
us Now take 1t as a rule through life
Sc that all servlle imitation degeneratel
,n into caricature, and my young friends
let your adoption and illustration o.
z every part of your system of life b,
modified by circumstances, and regu
p lated by good sense and manly indie
Is pendence. I need scarcely tell yor
q that true politeness is not so much
q thing of forms and ceremonies as o
70 right feelings and nicely of precep
4 ton. The Golden Rule habituall!
= illustrated in word and action woulC
# produce the most unexceptIonabl
D. good breeding -politeness so cosmo
Is pOlitan that it would be a passport It
N good society," everywhere.
% One Of the most polished and cele
" brated of American authors has givel
v us as fine and laconic a definition o
poIlteness as I remember to have me
% with:
~ SELF respect and a delicate regar,
n for the rights and feelings Of others
q The good breeding of a true gentle
- man is not an appendage put off an,
on at the dictate of caprice, or inter
n est, it is essentially a part Of himsel
"a constituent Of his being, as nue.
~ as his sense of homes ty and honol
81 and its requirements are no NOR
+. forgotten or violated than those @
;s any other essential attribute Of man
- hood. You will all remember 81
m Phillip Sidney's immortal action i
20 presenting the cup Of cold water
ct which was brought by his own SCI
Cd want to the dying soldier, while b
# himself was in a state Of exhaustion
On This was a spontaneous result of tn
r. habitual self-possession and self-re
straint that form the basis of a
IL good breeding. 1t is one of the mos
". perfect exhibitions on record Of th
an moral sublime; but it was also only
81 legitimate result of the insbinctiy
ne Politeness Of a Christian gentleman.
ell If only the instructor of the yout
wo possessed this essential attribute to
ID greater degree we would anticipai
ut more sociability and less dead school