The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1908-05-18


forms OF social
Would raise its tail up etiouette Heav-
=" INC "". en- forbid! No
one detests meaningless ceremony
more than I do. But the courtesies
that spring from the heart, that are
the outward manifestations of u desire
to please or to be of service to Its OBJ
ject, are entirely different. To the true
gentleman they are as natural as the
circulation of his blood. He can no
more dispense with them thar he can
with his breath. 1t is a pity that so
few of us are true gentlemen. Most Of
us are selfish to the bone, and genuine
courtesy is an evidence of forgetful-
ness of self, a virtue which we have to
cultivate. If it is worth while to be a
gentleman at all-and | never heard
anybody express any doubts on that
point-it is certainly worth while to be
a gentleman at home. The good opin-
ion of your wife is Of more Importance
to you than the opinions of all h
rest Of the people of the world put to-
gether. Yet you would fail to show to
her the courtesy which you would be-
stow upon another as a matter of
course and feel ashamed If you were
remiss in the least particular,
Cultivate Home Etiquette.
No, you can't do a better thing than
to treat your wife at least as well as
you do your neighbor's. She will APP
preciate 1t. | can say that with en-
phasls, for nothing hurts a woman
more than the apparent loss Of that
fine consideration which distinguishes
the wooing days. No matter If she
does feel sure of your love, no matter
If you prove your affection in number
less other ways, she who has reigned
as queen is never fully satisfied with
less than the honors due to royalty.
| And 1t Is so easy to crafty her. 1t Is
| only necessary to keep in mind all the
time that your wife Is a woman and
| that good breeding works as well in a
smoking jacket as in a dress suit.
/ have a very strong recollection OF
a blacksmith who lived in the little
village where l went to school when a
boy. He was a great, brawny, rough
looking fellow, whose face and hands
we're grimed by the smoke Of the forge.
He seldom wore @ coat and never a
collar except ON Sunday, but he was
one of the truest gentlemen | have
ever known, and his wife was envied
by every other woman in the village
simply because of his Difference to her
In private as wen as in public. He was
a rustic Bayard, but his chivalry was
as pure and true as that of any broad
cloth attired city man. No. my son.
genuine courtesy Is lot a matter Of
dress or of ceremony, and In practic-
ing it at home you don't have to sacrf-
fee your own comfort to an extent
worthy of consideration. On the other
hand, 1t pays wonderfully in the pleas
ure 1t gives to your wife and. by refec-
don. to you. 1t pays In the grace It
gives to your own character. and. bet'
ter than all else, it pays in its influence
upon the character Of. your family
Some of these days, unless you are diff
ferent from the majority of mankind
you will be a father. Your children
will be very much as you make them
and your actions will have more to dc
with the making than your commands
They will, consciously or unconscious
ly, copy your faults as we'll as youl
virtues. and the courtesy you display
In their presence will. in some part a
least, become fixed habits with them
Your own training has been such that
! l do not fear you will 60 far wrong II
this particular, but Notwithstanding
this | have seen evidence that you are
not holding up to the old mans stand
ard, and l want you to be right-al
right.
But Don't Overdo II.
Now, John, don't misunderstood me
l don't want you to be a jumping jacl
In the box at home or anywhere else