The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-09-16
Copyright 1906 by the New Yrk Society offs Self Culture All right. reserved.


You never know how agreeable 70,
can be until o try. and l wish TO con
clude this subject OF ~agreeability b,
advancing this strong argument that i
is your duty and your business to try
My position not only now is, but al
ways has been and always shall be
that charm is q mere matter of gooc
manner. that good manner is an art
II that this art. i'll common with al
Others. is to be acquired by simple
force of diligent study.
During the years of medieval dark
ness in Europe nobody was to blame
for downright %illiteracy, because books
We're few and hoo We're far between,
but in this day and generation we
rightly feel only sovereign contempt for
the men who cannot read or the women
who cannot write. If they come to us,
deploring their lack of information. we
! disgustedly advise them to go to school;
or. if they are too big for school, we
suggest that they buy good books full
of learned lore, and educate themselves.
We no longer live in q century where
knowledge is considered a strange and
mysterious power, proceeding partly
from the evil one himself. and we are
fast getting to view the acquisition OF
social charm in quite h same light.
A Common Sense View.
just IIlsthe up youl llliA Alio S0a'
manner are bad. indeed, very bad;
Just come to a realizing sense that you
don't seem to attract and hold people
as you should; arrive fairly and square
~ at the point where you a see, With
quite painful distinctness. that for
want of charm you are failing to make
the successful career you planned out
for yourself, and then sit right down
and take a common-sense view OF the
situation. Waste no time losing your
confidence or courage, blu look the Sit
uation directly in the eye and say: Il
will study this art OF a~greeability just
as l would study electricity. or a
language, or dreSsmaking.
81 can't get on any longer without
it. and 1 find that there are first and
foremost excellent text books upon the
subject to be studieds the rules and in
formation In which will be to me of
inestimable value"
Having got this far along the right
and royal road to the attainment of
your desire. don't be either ashamed OF
afraid to go straight out and purchase
some excellent volume on correct social
usage. You can no more succeed with
out 1t than you can learn to discourse
sweet music without notes, or prepare
delectable dishes without the assis-
lance of al authorized volume OF APP
proved receipts.
Select carefully compiled and per-
fectly up-to-date works OH the best
and most modern etiquette by we'll
known authors, and do not be in the
least deferred from your study of rules
because you may be passing over first
youth or because you do not live In q
Fashionable community, where there
appear to be large opportunities for
practicing what you learn.
There is literally no time of life when
1t is too late to study and adopt the
principles of exquisite politeness. l am
proud to count in my list of friends a
man who made his m in Colorado
gold, and a large part of that gold he
dug and blasted from the rock with his
own big, strong hands. At forty-fve
he had a fortune, and he gave up the
mines, came east, bought a in
New York, and began to fit himself for
the enjoyment of q social life.
IT earned my money by some hard
licks," he bravely said, and now l am
going to earn my social position by
some more hard icks.
He was as good as his word. The
hard ticks he put in while earning and
and women were devoted to the study
of etiquette and a gradual application
of all its best rules. Today he sits at
the head of his own table, whereat he
entertains the best in the land, and his
kindly, graceful, genial and correct
manners are as great a credit to his
pluck and sound common sense as are
his millions.
Some Gratuitous Advice.
Now, If you wish to achieve as excel
lent results as my millionaire acquain-
lance, take your work on etiquette
seriously and study it with cheerful
diligence. Il guess it isn't any harder
to viii a soun reputation for good
manner than it is to win q solid bank
ooO1,,~f,t T NS,o1 hoo ri y, on ~ ~ O. y, o
friend from the west say, n If you
just keep that same philosophy in prac-
tice, you are bound ultimately to be
numbered among the well-bred ones
of this earth.
I advise you to remember, If you can.
a book that helps you to the attain
ment Of ~agreeability, just because it is
a fine sort of accomplishment to pos
sess. Keep well in mind that o study
your etiquette authority just as you
study algebra, or geography, or his
tory, because 1t contains information
that is going to be soundly and practi-
cally helpful to you all your days. in
business and out, by day and by night,
or wherever you mix with your kind.
Again, l am going to quote my friend
from Colorado, because on n occas-
sion, when we both stood in his library,
he took down a well-thumbed book
and regarded it CAREFUL
and regarded it half sadly, half adj
miringly.
1T is my authority on social usage
he said, and 1 wish very much 1 had
begun to study it and apply its rules
when I was fourteen instead of forty
five. 1 would have made my fortune
more rapidly and with less difficulty
han I did had / only known what a
help could be found in a little know
ledge of etiquette. I'll give this gratu-
itous advice to any young man., whether
he starts his career as a newsboy or as
a prodigy Of oratory, that the best
friend he can have in the making of his
career is a lot of safe information on
the good rules of etiquette"
How to Study the Art.
In as in mathematics, it is
nearly always details that count, and,
as in which, you can never go far Oft
the track of true politeness if you pay
strict attention to what others are
doing. If you keep your temper and ii
you follow the cut and dried printed
regulations as close as possible to the
letter.
Don't ever attempt to take any lib
critics with the good social laws as your