Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-12-07
Children's Manner.


Children's MannerS.
To my mind the most deplorable fea-
ture Of modern life is the decadence Of
good manners among children In the re-
action from the old Spartan prunes,
prismS, and blackboard school of deport-
ment, in which our grandparents were
brought up the pendulum has swung to
the opposite extreme Of no manners at
all and as a result the average American
child could give Pliute Indian points in
an exhibit of pure and unauthorized say
agery.
You see it everywhere Disrespect to
their parents, lack of Difference to age.
lack of courtesy to ladies. table manners
that would indicate they had been
brought up IN pig sly instead of a re
fined home; these are the salient charac-
teristics of the childhood of our day.
Robust LADS sit in the street cars while
old ladies' and gray headed men stand
Hotd corridors ing with children's
screams. Self-conscIOus little prigS inter
rupt the conversation of men of world
wide fame to interject their own crude
opinions. Not ole child in fifty can an
swer even politely when spoken TO.
This does net Uverstate the case one
iota. Worse STILL if possible, it is pain
fully apparent to every close observer
that that human boomerang, whom the
French describe as the "enfant terrible -
Is on the increase. You not only do not
know what the modern child is going to
do, you do not know what it is going to
say, or when you are to be treated to a
criticism Of your looks, or belongings,
whose brutal frankness you are expected
to enjoy and find amusing because it
emanates from childish lips
L, myself. nayp suffered < much from
this peculiar infection that | have long
felt Herod might plead eXtenuating cir
cumstances if he would come and repeat
his child massacre, but the other day
had the whole subject brought TO my at
tentlon again IN such a painful way |
cannot refrain from commenting upon it,
| was calling at a typical American
child-bossed home, where the head of the
house IS a pretty and bright little girl
of some ) or 8 years of age. She had
already ingratiated herself in my affee
tons by asking me how old | was. and
whether my frock was silk-lined like her
mothers, and how much my rings cost
and so on, when another caller entered
She was an old lady with snow-white
hair, and the gracious sweetness and dig
nifty of manner that bespoke the grande
dame bur she wore a shabby old black
frock, ana she leaned heavily on cane
She had scarcely taken her seat when
the infantilc grand inquisitor turned her
attention to the newcomer.
You are like witch. aren't you?"
she asked tactfully, leaning on that
cane
Il would like to be fairy godmother
to you, my dear replied the old lady.
rs that the best dress y0u have got -
pursued the tormentOr, you must be
dreadfully poor to wear ii fTCck like thai.
1t isn't as good as the one our cock
wears"
Il hope YOU will be more fortunate
than |, and never have to wear shabby
Clothes answered the old lady, and then
panied and Inundated. she got up and
left, and the mother, instead of taking
that child out and applying slipper in
the place it would do the most good, re
marked proudly to me:
Dear Mildred is such an observing
child. She sees everything
Every day | see children pointing to
someone who has met with a personal
affection, and who is MANNED or de
formed or blind. or who jeer at the poor
clothes of a ragged newsboy. or Il less
wel-Off companion, and | can but won
der at the lack of breeding it shows.
and the utter heartlessness and lack of
sympathy it displays in their parents.
These kind of children grow up into
the laundering Doors that go through life
wounding and offending all with whom
they come III contact. and that we are
expected to forgive for their OutTa ses on
decency and taste, because they don't
intend to hurt us. \ less awaiting excuse
was never offered. \ persons intentions
are his private affairs with which we
are his outward acts, aud unless he IS
taught to make these gentle and con
Slderate in childhood, he never acquires
the art.
The one thing that renders the indif-
ference Of mothers 10 how their chill
loo lS ha INN
lance Of the subject Good manners are
the most potent factor man can have
towards winning success. Without them
he never achieves much, unless he is an
actual genius. With them. with n mod
crate endowment of talent. he always
wins. They make friends for MIN at
every turn. They open doors that lead
to opportunities. They are Il letter OF
credit that the world accepts at its face
value
If had q son. and | could teach him
int one thing on earth. il would be good
manners, l would teach him how u get
III and ON of room: how to meet
people, to use the familiar phrase. how
Ia say the right thing to the right per
son, ard then / would turn him out on
society, certain that ne would be able
fully.
To a girl the matter is even more inn
portant. No education. 40 beauty. 10
WIZ. takes the place of suaye ana grace
lui manners Yet, it i surely possible
~ teach children by both precep' and
Example to conduct themselves quietly
On the street; TO refrain from personal
comment; 10 enter and withdraw quietly
from a room: to salute their parents
guests; To answer questions pleasantly
10 Ice neat Self-respecting and respectful
az the feelings Of others.
On this foundation. good manners are
Duiit. and soLletbing else. for "a is the
bedrock Of good morals. Cnseihshnes>
is the foundation OF both virtue and
>GaNity, and good manners are merely