Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-30
CHILDREN'S MANNERS

"An English Lady and gentleman who
visited mo recently, after q six months
tour Of the United Statea extending from
San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles 10
the east. were the most enthusiastic Tor
eignes with regard to the United States
and tho American people that ever met,
remarked Washington woman. During
the four days they spent with my husband
and mo their praises for what they had
seen hero were unceasing. But they mad
ono criticism, and only one. That cr1ticlsm
had to do with the public conduct OF Amer
lean children. They frankly declared that
nowhere in the world-and they are globe
trotters of years standing-had they seen
such utterly rude and unmannerly children,
of both sexes. as they found all over tne
United States-most particularly, tney
specified, the children Of well-tO-do parents
They narrated many stories concerning
the roughness of manner, contrar1ness, nat
disobedience, crankiness, dfsrespect 10 ei-
ders and pig-headed stubbornness Of chill
dren with whom they had come In contact
in their leisurely travels over the United
States. 1 am bound to say that their
stories perfectly agreed with observations
Of my own.
THE thing that appeared to surprise
these English folk the most was that Amer
lean mothers rarely or never corrected their
young children for rude or even vicious
Chicago hotel. a little six-year- girl in
bad humor in the dining hall. deliberately
knocked over the sugar bowl so that the
loaf sugar was scattered all over the floor.
The little girls mother hadn't single
word of reproof for the vixen; 1t seemed:
.Dawling. how could your was an sne
ly told her mother to shut up. an in1unc-
ton which the mother Immediately obeyea.
THE Englishman and his wife positivey
declared that in all Of their Wanoerlhss
oo;G OF
never once seen a misbehaving child cor
rected or even severely reproved.
Il am. as my husband says. mighty
sudden woman when hear any criticism
of the United States or the people Of the
United States, and l believe l am some.
what quicker even than some Of my most
intensely patriotic neighbors to resent crlti-
cism from the tongues of foreigners
Yet, in all fairness, / was and am pound
to confess that there was a very great deal
of truth in these remarks or the EnsLsh-
man and his wife respecting our chiiofeh;
American children are rough and rude ana
willfuI and disobedient, and Whosoever Ialls
to perceive that they are becoming more
so every year is simply blind. There Is al
together too much mothers congress maud
illness employed in the rearing or chidren
In this countrywide much OF the so-caileo
moral suasion business. There may De
children in the world somewhere Who are
amenable to treatment by the moral sua-
sion method, but l have never happened 10
run across any of them myself, and nave
reared and married of brood OF SIX OF
them myself quite aside from the fact that
l used to be child myself Too many
women are deriving their ideas or now 10
raise children from the more or less maWk-
ish periodical literature penned on that SUD-
ject, and the corrective rod, together with
the eminently effectual slipper and hair
brushs back have been made obsolete for
the purposes for which they used to be en-
ployed. Take look around you and count
how many nice, well-mannered, respectful,
obedient young children you know, ana you
will be surprised at the conclusion you are
bound to arrive at. Nor Is 1t at all neces-
sary to suppose that children have got to
be priggish to be well behaved. nate TO
have to own 1t, as an American woman and
mother. but it is a simple fact that mas
come under my own observation In the
course of several visits to England that
English children are far and away the
best-mannered children in the world. The
boys are manly, rugged little chaps, not
'sissies' by any manner Of means, but of
respectful demeanor and infallible good
conduct when in the presence Of their ED
ers They are strictly taught, too. to be
fair and square with each other when at
play with their boy mates. The little girls
are lively and even hoyden1sh, but they are
extremely sweet and amiable to the point
Of being 'old-fashioned, In their manner
toward their parents and all older persons.
English children. in brief, are perfectly and
entirely lovable. And the fact is not to be
overlooked that with regard to English
boys, at any rate. the institution known as
the birch is still a prominent article OF
furniture in English households.
There is entirely too much sentimentaGty
in the appearing of American children; and
too much sentimentality and patience and
indulgence Is making rowdy, leering youths
of our boys and self-willed, impetuous and
wholly selfish young women of our girls.
Il didn't admit as much to my English
friends but thought 1t.