Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1895-05-09

produce anything half SO pleasing. The
very perfection OF elegance is to initiate
nature how much better to have the
reality than the imitation. Anxiety
about the opinions of others always fet"
tiers our freedom and lends TIC awkward
ness. We would always appear well II
we never tried TO assume what we do not
possess,
Madame Celmart says: "The grand
secret of never-failing propriety of, good
manners and culture is to have an inten-
ton of always doing right.
The pathway of life is smoothed by
polite Why's, and pathway of this nature
includes the happiness and comfort OF all.
| desire especially to urge the lmpor-
lance OF good manners in our daily IN
tercourse with the world. want to
emphasize he conviction that the masses
must be taught the efficiency of good
manners in the battle OF life. Some are
born with gentle ways, and to such no
words OF admonition are needed; they
come into the world endowed with good
manners, and go through the world
admired and beloved by all; others are
born rough, and the most polished
surroundings hardly make an impression
on their brusque ways. OFTEN such
behavior brings them under the eye OF
the law. The consideration OF his class,
therefore, does not come within our
province.
There is, however, very large number,
a majority perhaps, OF our people who,
indifferent at the outset, may be made to
understand that for self-interest alone,
il no higher motive can animate them,
the observance Of good manners is advan-
tageous in life; and to this class the
words of my essay may be applicable.
By good manners ! do not mean the
requirement of formal rules laid down in
books on etiquette; good manners cannot
be acquired by the servile imitation OF
prescribed formulas, any more than one
can become good Christian by simply
following the forms laid down by the
church The primary evidences OF good
manners must be acquired in early HE
The child must get them with the earliest
words Of its language, and afterwards, IL
can be excited in the child's mind, the
foundation is laid upon which other
courtesies of life may be added.
One awakes to his own deficiencies IN
such matters by coming in contact with
the refined ways OF others. 1t will en-
phasize our impolite ways by contrasting
them with the polite ways of the people
a
familiar with the enthusiastic praise be-
slowed upon the japanese by the num-
erous writers who have, in various ways,
detailed their experiences in Japan. The
extreme politeness and simple courtesies
OF the japanese under all circumstances
are specially noted.
So rude are the Europeans and Ameri-
cans in he matter OF crowding, that hardly
a great public event occurs that women
or children are not seriously injured.
And how do the japanese manage such
matters? In Japan it is considered rude
to come into bodily contact with another.
Each one, from the lowest to the highest,
observes this simple act Of etiquette. The
result is that in the greatest crowds there
is no jostling or jamming. One can pass
through throngs OF thousands as easily as
one can pass through an open forest.
In Toxic the most attractive parts Of
the house are turned toward the gardens
in the rear, " lille with us the best rooms
are often on the noisy and dusty streets.
Fortunately We do not all sin in this
respect. vet We are familiar with the
pretentious doorway and the group of
statuary placed in the window, the worst
possible light for such an object. Let one
glance from the back window OF such q
house, and he sees the backs OF similar
houses on the next street, which may be
/ looked upon as the reflection OF the one
he is in; broken blinds, back yard
/ filed with barrels, piles OF ashes, tin cans
/ and shed roofs garnished with old boots
and backing bottles. A similar view
from Japanese house would show
picturesque gardens, quaint, rustic fences,
little bridges over tiny ponds, and a
similar vista greets him as far as his eye
can wander right and left.
The sense of cleanliness in Japan pre-
vents any one from throwing into the
streets scraps of paper, orange peel and
the equivalent OF apple cores, banana
skins and peanut shells In this respect,
We Americans are the most offensive OF all
people, as the appearance of our towns
testify. Consider how much grace and
1 beauty might he added to our streets and
avenues, il our people were more refined.
/ may add, a widespread, almost uni
versal, act OF vandalism peculiar to this
country is the deliberate smashing OF
every pane Of glass in vacant buildings.
We are often inclined to believe that to
the foreign element is largely due this
kind OF vandalism. AS matter Of fact it
is the young, native American who, law
less in his ways, and having some OF the
brutality OF his English ancestry, sets an