The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-05-24
CULTIVATE REP0SE
FRIENDLY ADVICE TO THE FID-
GETTY SCHOOLGIRL.
Serenity One of the Most Charming
of Giriish Traits--Anger Foe to
Health and Happiness--The Art Of
Sitting Still Gentle Courtesy
Robs Life of It's Friction--As Ma
ton, We Are ALI Marching ON the
Double Quick.
BY MARGARET Il. sANGsTER.

BY MARGARET Il. SANGSTER.
4 doubt very much whether girls be
tween Il and l6 ever appreciate tn,
: Importance OF knowing how to sit still
This Is one Of the lessons we learn a
school, and 1t is fully as valuable al
any lesson in science or literature, o.
any other department In which we ar,
instructed. Girls are often fidgety
j jumping up and rushing about wher
there Is no need for restless activity
and changing their posture until look
Ing at them is fatiguing to other peo
pie. Unless We learn how to sit Still
when We are young, we seldom master
the art successfully when we are older
| can think of famous man who5s
name is honored wherever 1t Is heard
He has one fault of manner that he
has never overcome; he cannot sit still
In drawing room he wriggles and
hdgets and actually when excited
/ bounces up and down like ball, and
wise hostesses invariably take the pre-.
caution to seat him in their strongest
chairs. In church he slips down in
front Of the pew leans his head on
/ the railing. comforts himself in queer
| fashion, and furnishes entertainment
| for his neighbors and annoyance to the
/ minister. All this could have been al
tered had anybody taken pains to teach
the man how to sit still in his boyhood
One of the most charming things 10
girlhood is serenity. 1t would pay
father should he spend much money
In having his pretty daughter laugh.
outward repose
"How can | be calm and placid?"
asks Josephine, when | am bubblinF
up and effervescent inside? How cal
look tranquil when am angry ami
disturbed?"
The questions are well put, although
they touch opposite aspects of the case.
1t is natural that girls should be bub-
bling up with gaiety and high spirits
dull, stupid girl. who has no fun in
her and who does not care about good
times is SO exceptional that we are
sure she is i'll and, If we are sensible,
send for the doctor to look her over
and tell us what to do But one may
be bright and cheerful, may laugh ami
be. merry. and yet be so .self-restrained
that she will not let her fun break in
upon the quiet of her friends, or so ia
forget herself as 10 force 1t upon them
If they are In different mood. A girl
who has learned 10 sit still controls
her fun Just as she does every othe.
act and state of body and mind
As to being angry and disturbed, 1
must say plainly that such tempers in
gfr,hoOd are very unwholesome. Anger
In most circumstances is foe to
health and happiness. and is like
snake in the grass or an enemy within |
the gates in its effect upon character |
Very few people can afford TO indulgs |
anger. 1t Is the most poisonous and |
of passions, and leads to no |
end of misery Neither should a gill |
let herself be disturbed when things |
go little wrong. They are bound to 60 |
wrong now and then, and when thee |
do we must be philosophical and make
the best of It. You remember Charles
Dickens and his "Five-and- Twenty |
The absurd name be
longed to a charity child, who lived 10
the house Of a philosopher. and whcn
she threw herself into a fit OF frenzy
as she sometimes did, the good MAJ
told her to count five and twenty be-
fore she said a single word Some Of |
rs would have to county five and TWEEN
ty several times before we had quit.
our vexation, especially II
we had never learned how to wait aud
be patient The wise man said in thu
Proverbs, Better is he that ruleth hi
spirit than he that ,aketh a city" AMI
20 truer word was ever spoken.
One advantage given TO girls who
learn TO dance and to boys who are
taught military tactics is found in the
control they gain over their muscles
and the fiexibility and poise that cons
through movement in harmony with
rhythm and law. An equal advantage |
would be gained should girls ana boy
practice sitting still. As. however, we
hardly expect so much repose in the
brothers as in the sisters, the latter
must try TO set the finer examples.
In the art of sitting still may be com
pretended the low tone that is so de
lightful a thing in speech. and the
gentle courtesy that robs life Of fric-
ton. am constantly hearing people
say that they are too busy to do this
Dr the other thing. that they are so
hurried that they cannot get through
he days tasks. and that they are tired
before the day begins with the mere
thinking Of what they have TO do.