The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-09
| moral and adorn my tale, because they
were situated in circumstances not so

moral and adorn my tale, because they
were situated in circumstances not so
very unlike your own.
1.-The parents lost nearly every bit of
property in the civil war, and, with seven
children, they went to live on an Isolated
plantation, miles removed from any white
neighbors So great was their poverty
that they sometimes had no cloth for the
dinner table, but. when the five brothers
and two sisters grew up and went away
from home, there was not one who failed
promptly to become more or less cele-
brated favorite in society.
How It Was Done.
."Their sweet, friendly, engaging ways
won hearts everywhere. The brothers
slipped quickly into good business, the
sisters married admirably, and one,
welded to a man who afterward became
a foreign minister, assured me that not
until she was matron had she ever
been to real dinner party in her life
But how on earth was it done?" asked
my visitor with interest.
THAT father and mother did it right in
their home,'' answered. "Those boys and
girls grew up in daily execution of their
social duties. They were taught to take
the most unselhsh pains to be scrupulous-
ly civil to one another.
II have been at their table in their days
Of extreme poverty, and tho the cloth was
lacking and tho the best dessert they had
was fresh fruit or a corn pudding, the
| manners displayed there would have done
credit to a Chesterfield.
''Those young people knew it was their
duty to display more than decent habits
with the knife and fork. Not member OF
the household was allowed to drift In late
to a meal. bolt his food, sit moodily star
ing at his plate. and then slip away when
he had finished his own helping.
So1r L. I, Scft oce
of the house found hers: even a visiting
girl or boy cousin was paid special hon
ors, and at table there was conversation
and cheerful conversation, too. Every one
tried to talk his best, if only about tn:
simple duties and happenings Of the day
1.-The parents set an example in this tt
the children and when those young people
grew up they did not have arduously tt
learn how to talk and of what, how t.
listen with patient intentness and never tt
interrupt They had been habituated t
the pleasant duty Of entertaining eacl
other and they knew all the arts of drop
ping into conversation with any one int
|. whose company they were cast.
Their behavior abroad was just VIVA
it had always been at home and wha
rendered them, one and all, irresistibl
fascinating was that their sweet civility
their gracious friendliress seemed So per
fecty instructive and without effort.
they had been each and every one Dor
. with social charm. AS Al matter Of fact
, they were just common or garden Ameri
can folk given the proper training at tn
, proper time.
Company Manners,
The most helpful advice, therefore, tina
:; I can give you is that you go back to tn
1 mining town and institute your own littl
school Of personal magnetism in your moo
I est family circle. Don't worry about tn
! future. Make those children Of yours ur
derstand that they must display the mo:
p deferential courtesy at home and don
p teach them anything about company mar
I nerS.
e You might as well have company mo-
5. ais and company learning as compar
II manners. and the last named are broke
r reeds to lean on when you go out in 81
t ciety.
It 1.-THE future of society is in the han'
Of the mothers says De Beaufort, but
9 would have you. realize that the fathe
y share in this responsibility too. No
It when you go back home refrain from il
y sinuatns a course of instruction on tt
g basis of series of don'ts and cast ire
rules. Do you and your husband set tt
20 family the example
e I know no more awkward or unhapl
u individuals than those who We're broug
,r up to follow two codes of behavior
e. once knew man who came out of t
. backwoods of Minnesota to practice Ia
~ in the east and who won his way by for