The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-03-06

- 10 tram MIN IN the way ne snoulo
go is taught to say please" and
thank you, and not to interrupt
But by what methods are they taught7
The natural method is by example. 1t is
several centuries since the race formu-
lated its wisdom on the relative value of
example and precept into proverbs, and It
will probably be many centuries more be-
fore it lives UP to It's own wisdom, says
Marion Foster Washburne in the Chicago
Times-Herald. s. stsf.sI
1t seems easy enough to insist that the
young baby, not yet attempting speech,
but already beginning to understand It,
shall hear none but courteous remarks,
and so from the beginning know only
courteous forms of speech. But in reality
such rule is much harder to live up to
than It Is to lay down. The only things
to begsaid in its favor are that 1t Is the
right rule and that, difficult as 1t is, it Is
easier than the usual method.
What is the usual method? We all
know it, what do you say to the kind
lady who gave you the banana, Johnny?
Why I'm ashamed of your us that
the way to ask for anything? You can't
have 1t urtil you speak properly Then,
in a. mortified aside to the unlocking
friend: I'm sure 1 don't know what gets
into that child, sometimes. I've been try
ing to teach him to say please and
thank YOU for six years. and he forgets
most of the time even now. Anyone
would think that he was a little heath
emf .s..,s-a....., .. -s.5
The poor little heather hangs his head
and is properly ashamed Of himself and
doesn't know any more than his mother
does where the trouble lies.
How Some Children Are Treated.
But let us go home with him. invisible
and silent, and see IL we can't discover
the cause for his rudeness We are on
the street cars, and presently a lady en-
ters who has to stand. Johnny receives a
fierce maternal yank and is pulled out of
his seat to the floor.
ss'Give the lady your seat, sir, at once.
Can't you see she needs it?''
Presently the home corner is reached.
Come on. Hurry up. Here's where we
get of. Where are your eyes? Let me
go first. Always ladies first; don't you
know that yet? Gracious, never saw
such boyP' CThis last for the benefit of
the passengers, to show that she is not
responsible for his bad manners.)
Home at last. i4 #~ @''''
s"Ring the bell. No, not that way-har-
der! oh, dear me, you don't need to pull
the house down, Haven't you any sense2
didn't ring the bell like that, Mary. 1t
was this bad boy here. Hang UP your
coat and hat, sir. Don leave your things
around like that, How many times must
1 tell you? Take my bag upstairs-and
here come back! You can take my gloves,
too. Put them in the top bureau drawer,
and mind you don't muss up the things
and so forth and so forth, ad nauseum,
From morning till night scarcely a
/ please" or a thank you" does the little
fellow hear. He is ordered to do this and
that in the baldest and briefest language,
/ and in a tone which would make the
toughest servant girl give notice on the
spot. OF course, there are families where
the tone of command is modified by re-
fnement, and there are even a few par
ents who make it a point to say please
and thank you," but even with these the
spirit of request is usually absent. even
when the form is present The child has
no option but to do as he is asked, and
the threat which underIies the formal
'if you please" is only too obvious. III
you please you may do IT, and If you don't
please you must anyhow is what the
tone of voice says. Is this the spirit of
true courtesy2 Is it the spirit which the
parent wishes and expects the child to
exhibit?
DON'T Interrupt a Child.
As for Interruptions, does there exist a
family that thinks 1t wrong to interrupt
a child? Does there exist family that
does not think it wrong for child to in
terrupt elders? Here and there may be an
idolized only child who knows what it Is
to tell a story to one or two sympathetic
listeners without interruption, but mos
children in falr-sized families grow &c
customed to telling their stories to a half
interested audience who bid them "cut Il
short" and hurry up" or possibly t.
keep still altogether. No one hesitates tc
leave the room at the most interesting
| point, OF to interrupt in any manner tina
may seem ID convenient. And then thu
fathers of such children wonder WHY
they cannot sit still and wait for some
thing to eat while column of the even
ing newspaper is read alond at the suppe
table. -...a ...s...-5..r. s.,......a ...f F.
It may be entirely plain to the adul
mind that there should be two laws o
conduct, one for grown-up people and on
/ for children, and that a well-regulatet
child should refuse to initiate his elder
except in a few particulars where imita
/ ton may be thoroughly agreeable to tn
initiated party; but 1t is far from plail
!. to the child. He tends with all the fore
, Of his nature to do unto others as the;
do unto him, and while 1t may be tn
: part of the regenerated to do as he woul
: like to have others do, still this is goo
d deal to expect OF a young child, with
; probably, no inherited aptitude in tina
I direction Moreover, If there be two law
Of conduct for the child ana the adult,
q seems scarcely fair to require more of tn
: | child than of the adult. If there Is to b
: any difference as to what constitute
y right for the child and the man surel
8 the mature, person ought to have the hal
Z der rule to follow. II, therefore, it is s
0 hard for the grown-up Individual to kee
d from interrupting the little one, he ougf
7 not to expect that weaker one to kee
il from interrupting him. If what the chill
= says Is Of no Importance to the grow
e man or woman, 1t must be remembers
4 that what they say Is equally Of no in
). portance to the child. If they, caunt