The Monitor., 1891-09-18
POWER OF POLITENEss.

perous city Of Peoria, from which at the
time, about all the atorigines excepting
Shaubbenay, John Powell and Micky
McCann had departed. The foundations
of my cducation-broad and deep they
were-were laid at Humans. Mr.. Hinman
had way of laying the foundations of
rudimentary education with slate frame
which few boys, be they so stupid, could
long resist. Albeit those eally lesson s
were not lost. THE drop that mingles
with the food, the sand dropped on the
seashore, the word you have spoken, will
not be lost" So we used to read in
Parker's Third Reader, and how true it
all is. You do not know where under the
everlasting sun they are, but they are not
lost. Nor is the collar button that you
cannot find. Somewhere they are, although
you may not believe it. Some day you
will drink that drop of water, when you
are in KaLsas and can do better; the sand
the grocer will send you concealed ia dol
lars worth of sugar; the lost, forgotten
"Okb VIII i1SS u r ~ ibdAU 1oht Aoit SAAi
in libel suit; and as you tnrn around you
will step upon the collar button and smash
it hatter than the new American comedy.
Into the turbulapt crowd that assisted
Mr.. Hinman in his gladiatorial recreations,
and stored the succeed ceiling with gems
of knowledge from geography, spelling
book and reader, ehewed up in plastic
wads, there came one day new boy. whose
parents had followed the trail Of the rivers
from the aesthetic orient. Rumor gave out
that they came from Provincetown, or
Wood S Hole, and it was known that
the new boy once attended school in
Boston. Before long every ody knew that
the new family had pie for breakfast, and
put napkins on the table when there was
no company. All these things betoken a
breadth of refinement, height of culture
and scope of wealth to which the grow
ing West WAS then stranger. The advent
of the emigres from Woods Hole into that
busy. toiling, growing town was like unto
the icy sweep of an Alpine glacier down In
a sunny valley. The benum bing chill of
company manners fell upon the neighbor-
ing community, like the deadenng grasp
of paralysis.
Influence of refined behaviour And yet
it taught us something. The mere presence
of the new boy at school was a continual
object lesson in refined behaviour, and in
sensibly We Young savages yielded to its
influence. Charles Manners, forit was he.
kept his hands clean, carried pocket
handkerchief on week days, and said sob,
SIR" Nhen he addressed the teacher, just
like good boy in Sunday school book.
By all the precedents and traditions of
Hinman S all this nonsense should have
been pounded out of him the first day it
rained SO that we could not enjoy ourselves
at any other pastime, but it was not done.
There was a power in his cultivated man.
ners against " hich We could not contend.
About two weeks after Charles Manpers,
for such was his name, became an inmate
of the school, the influence of his gentle
dCihNoiOA iAohCSd Amman ~
prcmulgate new iule. Before that time
"Old Hinman would have made a new
rule;" but now "Mr. Hinman promulgated
it," There vas to be no more whispering
in school, just as though school could be
properly conducted without whispering;
the old man was going mad. At evening
roll call each pupl-had been scholars"
heretofore was to report himself the
numb Der of times he had transgressed this
new commandment.
Charles Manners occupied seat between
myself and Bill Rodecker. We passed
the day in idle, but pleasant and instruct
i've conversation, and began TO think the
new boy might not be such bad-that is,
such good-fellow after all, and found
myself beginning to like him. At evening
roll call the unwonted quiet of the hour
impressed me dee ply and could butlisten
10 the voice Of conscience urging me TO con-
fess my faults and disobedience and be a
goed boy. resolved that would-grad-
ualy. So when my name was called l
owned up and answered "One;" meaning
thereby had " whispered once during the
day. There was general litter all around
the schoolrocm, so little encouragement
does one get frcm his fellow when he re-
solves TO 'ead a truthful life. Charles
Manners locked at me with panied ex.
pres sicn, AID | blusht d TO the ears. know
ing that lie must be inexpressibly shocked
at my evasi,e way Of covering up the
greater part OF the truth. Bill Rodecker,
taking his cue from NE, reported zone, '
ard Chail,s ManLt1s sighed so deeply
that Bill ard lookt d at each other Will
tears in our eyes, ard mutually resolved
that we should never giieve that nobls
heart again. Then Charles Manners name
was called. ard can never forget how hs
lifted his clear gray eyes 10 those of the
teachers's and in tone clear and sweet
and pure as The vibration of a Sabbath
morning ben, said Perfect"
The perfect boy. A murmnr ofapplause
ran round the room. in the midst OF which
the two bad boys, with rage and horror
burning in their faces, sprang to their feei
and shouted in the frse old way Of filing
complaints aud taking exceptions: