The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-12-12
GOOD MANNERS.
How the Young Should be Taught Respect
for Age.

for Age.
A lady of wealth and culture once
said: when l get to be sixty years
old, am going to live in Paris. 1t is
only in France, unless you except
China, that old people are treated with
becoming Difference and respect"
But why is this? What is the reason
that in this enlightened republic, as
one approaches threescore years and
ten, his power subsidies, his influence
diminishes, and he is given to under
stand that he is of no more use in life
and would do well to mee1ly and pa
tiently occupy the background into
which he has been driven. Younger,
stronger, and more active ones, filed
with zeal which is often without
knowledge assume for themselves a
supremacy which experienced minds
know to be vain and unwarranted.
They take no thought of the culture
and refinement and wisdom of their
elders, but too frequently ignore their
presence and give no heed to their
counsels. In public and in private, the
latter are made to feel like intruders
where they were once highly honored
and esteemed, and deeply realizing
these numerous Sights they are fain to
retain their self-respect by retiring into
obscurity. Thus much of the gold of
wisdom, gathered grain by grain
through years of toilsome experience,
is lost to the world, and worse than
that, those of fewer years are cultivat-
ing a narrow, selfish, arrogant spirit,
highly injurious to themselves. This
tendency to irreverence and arrogance
toward those superior in age is, in a
great degree, the fault of parents 1t is
u reaction from the unnatural restraint
and repression practiced by Puritan an
cestors, together with the mistaken
idea that liberty means license to the
young to deport themselves as they
choose
The latter, untutored, undisciplined
in voice, in speech, in manners, iu their
youthful ignorance naturally conclude
that they know it all. With an exuber-
ance of spirits, unframed and reckless,
they are not aware that they are contin-
ually transgressing the simplest laws of
decorum. They'are allowed to suppose
that they are of paramount Importance,
and all their words and actions are to
be observed and admired. Thus vanity,
selfishness and disregard for their
elders is fostered In their souls.
Now, we would not return to the
stern methods of discipline practiced in
| former years. but we would have little
ones taught to use their freedom prop
crly. 1t is easier for child of two or
four years to learn to enter a room
quietly and gracefully and address
others politely, than it is after he has
been in the habit of romping about in a
sitting-room and interrupting conversa-
ton by his rude and boisterous Ian
guage. Gentle, polite, graceful man
ners should be taught at an age so early
that they become like a second nature
before he has learned the alphabet. OF
course he should have his times for loud
and active play, out of doors or in some
room set apart for the purpose, but in
the family and in the presence of their
friends, he should unconsciously, as it
were, behave as gentleman. Rever-
ence for age and the duty of especial
Difference to it, should be early instilled
into his mind cleveland Leader.