The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-09-08

lie csnnot fiatt.r, he.
An honest nina and plain-he must speah
truth,
an they will take It, SO; II not ne
plain. h'ng Lear
No one edmlres those society iau's'
GOperll and Regan, nor the huspahu'
Cornwall, who las after then nlhd' s''i'
as the Devil may quote Scripture, ana we
may gather honey from the weeds, VIC
may accept the truth when II comes rom
their company. although at The e~P'hse
of the most honorable Kent All frank
persons are not knaves; nor does rough
ness and bluntntss necessarily nsapeth
the pure ore of character and Mtcih-
gcpcc.
What we say Is worth considering, be-
cause not only in England and In the
State Of Virginia but all about me
world. this faIlacy Of the rough diamond.
not so bad as he gems, and the II
verted ambition ami posing OF rad
manners as the currency of the hisiest
virtue and sense, is altogether too COM
n1or After the old Scribes ana Phari-
secs, and Hypocrit,s, got 20 badly dis
credited. this new method OF putting the
queer in circulation was. begun. Ana we
all have seen men and Women-squires.
and Mrs. CandOvrS-that nave gone so
far into the frank and blunt and horny
hand business that Trey have absolutely
none of the other sort of manners or
sense at all when the occasion calls for
them.
When our Lord commended little chill
dren as types of the Heavenly life, lie
approved innocence. simplicity, freshness
honesty, naturalness, and kindness. And
the highest human cultivation and social
art aims and studies IN preserve their
character and divine quality, ana bTiilg
them Into fun and efIlorescent manhood
and wOmanhoOd. But the commonplace
world and selfish and ambitious influence
Of society is for the most part fatal u
all that And yet humanity ioyes chill
dren and Graves their loveliness. and
never forgets it's flavor. and is pitifuliy
fooled by the counterfoits Of childhood.
When good manners or bad manners,
good grammar OF bad grammar, are with
out a backing or suf-.-atum OF essen
tial amiability and respect and good
sense, neither are desirable. and both Will
repel Possibly the bad are TO be pre-
ferrcd because they are soonest gotten
rid of-rcjected, and do least harm. The
others are allowed. and stay and faint
their surroundings. So there is a kind OF
merit I'm the open badness. On the other
hand. 81 must be said Of the well-man-
nercd and well-spoken, though insincere,
that they. at least, have the merit OF
good behavior and decency. or assumed
virtue. which are both very good things,
or passabie.
Frankness and open-heartedness arc
manly things. ROughness, brusqueness,
and bluntness Indicate bad breeding.
and strongly suggest disrespect and UNI
kindness. They are cheap and common
place honesty. They are things 10 be
apologized for they, for the most part,
mean fight, and proclaim the etiquette
Of the beer garden
II Is not an uncommon thirG TO near
very good people profess TO dcspise forms
and conventioralities. and hate diploma
cy. Setting aside forms and obscrvances,
they relieve themselves of the RESPONSE
bihties of decercy propriety, and good
behavior: and eliminating diplomacy, they
show themselves devoid CT that tact.
consideration. and delicacy which are the
essential qualities. and necessary ele-
ments of pure and gentle hearts and
manly natures. IT was a true man THAT
gave the advice: "Be pitiful he court
eOus." And wise one that
said: LET not your g0of be
evil spoken Of" He that bears
hin self above the restraints ana common
ceremonials OF genteel life. has things
his own way: but IL is as a bun In
Cfina shop, or pig in a parlor." ana
is apt at last 20 be let alone severely.