The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-04-21

takes her place on the school-board or
in the lccturc-room is frequently as
neatly and becomin9ly attired as her
sister at 4 tennis party or in her own
garden. Would that her manners
were always as becoming as her dress.
Elocution is an art that has increas-
ing followers: public speaking among
women has brought about regard to
manner such rs was never before
known If only the soft and pathetic
voice were in all cases the organ OF
conciliatorv spirit and generous
nature! Not that | wish the regard
for the amenities Of lite to discount
straightforward speaking. Some per-
sons, in their desire to he pleasant, are
prone to gloss over, or evadc, a dis
agreeable, yet necessary statement;
they conceal their own opinions, in
order not to wound the feelings of 4
beloved parent or much valued friend:
they refrain from giving the one word
Of advice or warning which might have
proved invaluable. and. in their desire
to hc >ymplth tic. III Y lose their
single emindcdness and love OF truth.
The balance should he strictly kept
between tactless manner of stating
unpleasant things and sympathetic
manner that is hiding lalschood; and,
above all. the speaker or worker should,
however unpopular it may make her,
hold fast to what she thinks right and
true.
Now as to the amenities of life in the
home
To the August number of the Nine
teenM Century Mrs. Hugh Bell con-
tributed 4 very original and pungent
paper on "A Plea for the Better Teach
inc of Manners in which she said:
"It urbanity were persistently taught
and practised in the home, there would
not be so n.u:h to learn, and especially
to unlearn, with regard to intercourse
with the world at large People would
not then have two manncrs-onc to use
in public and one in private. There
would be less self consciousness and
less atfectation. for these arise from
trying to do thing of which we are
uncertain. to assume a manner which
we have imperfectly acquired. | am
not saying, Of course, that in every re-
spect the code of behavior should be
the same at home as abroad; that
would be absurd: only the difference,
it seems to me, should lie in the direc-
ton of there being less reser:e in the
family circle than among strangers,
but not less gentleness and courtesy"
After all, why should good manners
appear only with our best clothes?
Why should anything be good enough
for home consumption? And, indeed,
why should not the work-a-day clothes
be clean, neat, pleasant to look upon,
and, ifpossible, graceful and attractive?
Then manners would have to suit them.
1t is really far more necessary to con-
ciliate those nearest and dearest to us
than the stranger whom we may seldom
see.
Home life can be made elightful or
the reverse by Observing or disregard
ing the amenities of life; for instance,
an evening when every member Of the
family contributes some iota to the
general cheerfuness of the hour, and,
in so doing, invigorates the weary
brcad-winner or hard-workcd housewife
for the morrow work, as opposed to
the fireside where each one sits apart,
engaged in his or her favorite pursuit,
oblivious of the fact that the evening
should be time of general recreation
and exchange of ideas,-thc hour of
poetry in the prose fife. This should
apply very particularly to the young,
who in these days Of extended educa-
tion and lofty pursuits are sometimes
contcmptuous of the little things that
make the old happy.
Boys are trained to he courageous;
why not to be courteous to their sisters
and sisters friend? Girls, who, running
their brothers hard at work and play,
are developing into splendid young
goddesses Of height and form, should
not forget to he gentle to their less
fortunate elders, who have not had
their chances with the tennis racket or
the golf club. Husbands and wives,
after the first few weeks of enhancing
conjugal felicity, should not startle,
maybe disgust, one another, by lapse
into carclessness, unmannerly ways
that rapidly degenerate into positive
rudcness.
Members OF the same family should
not taunt one another with remarks
upon their own performances and each
others shortcomings. When such
things rs early rising, cold baths, up
right chairs, regular exercise, and
peculiar diet, take the place, in peo-
pies minds, of exalted virtues or noble
acts, then You may be sure that the
amenities Of life will be hopclcssly dis
regarded. Edith takes to late hours,
reclining on sofas, rich fool, novel;
reading, to be as unlike as possible to
that troublesome Mary.
Wn Gn,w that hath n .r1,t kn, IN,