The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-02-13
. ARENTS. train your children to be
y agreeable! 1t can be done; you owe
A 1t to Them to their future, and re-

agreeable! 1t can be done; you oWe
1t to them, to their future, and re-
La member. II you please, that the
habit Of good manners, like love and
languages, is most easily and most per-
manently acquired in extreme youth l
bring no startling nor unusual charse
against the American child when / say
that it Is the exceptional very young Cit
izen who Is blessed with the meritorious
habit referred to above. At this present
moment the young American enjoys al
most an international reputation for what
1 might euphemistically call unconven-
tional behavior. Not to mince matters,
and just between ourselves, I will go q
step further and say that the manners Of
our average small boy and girl leave al
most everything to be desired.
Nevertheless there Is something to be
said In extenuation Of their grievous and
conspicuous unpleasantness; the fault Is
not wholly theirs. Our children, If the
truth must be told, don't enjoy but half
a chance to grow up otherwise than as
healthy little savages. They suffer in the
possession Of such peculiarly undutiful,
unreasonable and neglectful parents; and
thereby hangs my lecture.
Etiquette In tho Nursery.
hold a real grudge and complaint
against the careless Indifference of the
American father and mother They take
q good deal Of trouble over and pride in
their knife and fork. to wipe their feet
on the door mat, and to answer with
common civillty when addressed, but be-
yond this elemental point parental energy
and interest In nursery etiquette Ian
cuisines. Now 1 give you my word that I
have seen trained animals who had been
taught as much as that. Monkeys, ETC..
can and do learn all such tricks, but for
the sake Of the children the parents really
should go step further.
l can see reason why, along with
their A, B, C's and multiplication table
the little folk should not learn what charm
means and how to exercise 1t. Most OF
them do not, however, and grow up tC
find that without this excellent talisman tC
success and happiness they are greatly
at a loss and disadvantage. Then they sci
about alone to acquire the art Of pleasing
the art Of unsehsh social consideration
which means so much, and which Is sc
hard ornetirnes for the adult to practice
Nursery etiquette need not be a compl1-
Gated system productive Of pr1gs. Proper
instruction will produce instead genera
ton Of delightful, companionable little
folk who no matter how poor or how
plain they may be, will have the blessing
of q manner that Is sure to make wonder
fully smooth and pleasant for them thei
path thru life.
Incidentally this manner will contribute
q great deal to the comfort Of everybod!
with whom the child Is brought in con
tact. I wish parents would think of tina
phase Of the social present and futur
Of their progeny and take pains accord
ingly.
A Typical Offender.
can strengthen my argument and atti
tude on this point by the recital Of an in
stance that came very recently under m.
personal observation, and which goes t.
show the well-nigh cruel injustice of tn
parent to the child where a question O
manners Is involved. The case In poin
IS that Of typical offender, Of a sma
uneasy compatriot with whom I crosse
the Atlantic. His table manners, I con
TESS, were very good. and he was hand
some little lad of years Of age, wit
an unusual amount Of intelligence an
fine sturdy character Of the best sor
shining in his big brown eyes. With hi
undeniable beauty and quick wit and goo
principles he should have been a prim
favorite with all, whereas, from tn
captain to the cook, we grown-ups aboar
cordially detested and I think We almos
feared him.
There Is no gainsaying that he was
genuine Yankee boy; cheerfully disre
spectful, frankly disobedient, meddlesom
pushing, Dragging and quite patheticall
ignorant Of the fact that all Of his be