The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-05-17
CONCERNING couRTEsIEs.
Modern Lack of Manners Due 20
Careless Rearing OF Children.

Modern Lack of Manners Due to
Careless Rearing OF Children
There is a continual complaint aris-I
ing from all sides that manners are
deteriorating, and that courteous bear
ing is obsolete. If this is so, whose
fault is it but that of the parents who
have brought up their children In the
wrong way. The child is father
to the man" is true In more senses than
one and few grown men and women
can acquire a certain delicacy Of be-
hasior, absolute ease of manner and
forbearance toward associates which
has not been inculcsted In esrly youth
1t is great mistake, but one often
made by mother, says the Philadel-
phia Ledger, when she thinks that her
little son or daughter is too young to
know how to be polite, too young to
realize that other peoples feelings are
hurt by rude speech, too young to
know that discourtesy toward an inferi-
or is the greatest form of impertinence
This Is net SO. At recent woman's
club meeting speaker declared that
moral training OF child should be
thoroughly instilIed before the child
is 5 years old In order for right doing
to become habit If this is not too
young for a child to realize the differ
ence between right and wrong. it Is
certainly not too early to begin few
lessons In politeness.
A little fellow, years old. when
walking with his nurse recently. met
two friends of his mothers and, with
the gravest dignity possible, managed
to don his little cap with a comical i'm
itation Of father which caused the two
ladies to laugh a great deal. This they
certainly should not have done, for q
child hates to be laughed at; but their
amusement at the little act went to
prove that such behavior on the part of
small boys was unusual, to say the
least.
The writer once knew a great boy. Q
years old, who Invariably selected the
most comfortable chair in the room and
never dreamed Of Offering it to his
mother when she came IN; nor. was he
ever corrected for the omission, al
though his father and other members
of the family might be present. Later
on that boy was dubbed a selfish prig
with little respect for women. How
was he really to blame? How should
he know any better il be was not
taught to show Difference to his own
mother?
These are all little traits by which
the boys family is the chief sufferer.
but what about a child's behavior to-
ward the servants? A boy may Sian
his sister and she promptly slaps back.
But what happens If he slaps his nurse
or is impudent to the wa;nesse Does
any one reproye him? Very rarely, and
| the victim must bold her peace or lose
her situation; and, worse than that, the
child is quick to realize this fact and
to take advantage OF 1t unless early
taugt. a few lessons In ''noblesse
oblige."
Sometimes, 1t Is to be regretted. the
child learns superciliousness from his
parents example. He hears his father
bluster at the cool, because the core
is bad, or bis mother rail at the nurse
for neg,actin0 har cbarga and natur
ally an imitator. the thouehtless little
scamp nroceeds IN follow the examn,s
Of his elders. He does not understand
| that he is younger and should leave
fault-findine to others. probablv hr
| thinks If Is "groun-nn, and "heing .