The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1892-04-23
POliteness of French Children.

The French child is taught that les
son from the beginning of its exis-
tence, and it is made a part of its life.
1t is the one thing that is never for
given. The shipwrecked Flenchman
who could not get into a boat, as he
was disappearing under the waves,
raised his hat, and with such a bow as
he could under the circumstances,
said, 'Adieu, mesdames . Adleu, mes
s.eurs y and went to the fishes. |
doubt not that it really occurred, for
have seen ladies splaslled by a cab on
a RAINY day smile politely at the dri-
ver. A race that has women of that
degree of politeness can never be any
thing but polite. When such exaspera-
ton as splashed skirts and stockings
will not ruffle them nothing will.
The children are delightful in this
particular. French children do not go
about %clamoring for the best places,
and sulking if they do not get them,
and talking in a rude, boisterous way
They do not take favors or attention
as a matter of course ana unack-
nowledged. The slightest attention
shown them is acknowledged by the
sweetest kind of a bow-not the dane
ing-master's bow, but a genuine one
and the invariable "Merci Monsieur !"
or madam, or mademoiselle, as the
case may be.
| was in a compartment with a little
French boy of twelve, the age at which
American children, as IA rule, deserve
killing for their rudeness and general
disagreeablenesS. He was dressed
faultlessly, but his clothes were. not
the chef charm. | sat between him
and de opeo window and he was eat
ing pt ars. Now, an American boy Of
that age would have dropped the cores
upon the floor, or tossed them out of
the window without a word to anybody.
B it this SIN Ill gentleman every time,
with Permit me, monsieur" said in
the most pleasant way, ROSE and came
to the window and dropped them out
and then, "Merci, monsieur" as he
quietly took his seat. 1t was a del ght
l am sorry to say that such small boys
do not travel on American railroads to
any alarming extent. Would they
were more frequent.
And when in his seat, If an elderly
person, or any one else, came i'll, he
; was the very first to rise and offer his
place, if 1t were in tie slightest degree
more comfortable than the one vacant,
, and the good nature with which he in
sisted upon the newcomer taking it,
{ was something ''altogether too sweet
for anything" as the faro bankers
would say.
: And this boy was no exception. He
> was no show boy out posing before
the great American republic. or such
, of it as happened to be in France at
the time, but he IA a sample, a type
! of the regulation French child. / have
> seen just as much %politeness in the
ragged waits of the Fauborg St. An
| tome, where the child never saw the
, blue sky more than the little patches
that could be seen over the tops of the
: sevenstoried houses, as / ever did in
: the Champs Elysee. One Sunday IL
st. Cloud, where the ragged children
' OF poverty are taken by their mo-her'
: for air and light, it was a delight t
fill the pockets with sweets to give
them. They had no money to buy
and the little human rats looked long
ing at the riches of the candy stands
and a sous worth made the difference
between perfect happiness and half
: pleasure. You gave them the SOU.
worth and what IA glad smile came t,
, the lips, and accompanied with it wa.
IL delicious half bow and halt courtesy
and invariable "Merci, monsieur.
One little tot, who could not speak
flied her tiny mouth with the unheart
! dellcacies she had received, and, to-
young to say "Merci," rut up her hp
to he kissed.