The Washington herald., 1908-01-12
- lie ARnITER-

popular seat for institutions OF learning
Every year several new schools are added
% those already established. and it is
needless 20 refer TO its fine universities
No city on the continent. surely has its
advantages as an educational center. All
that the school catalogues claim for it is
true. Its society is superior 10 that of
other American towns in many ways; is
better ordered. more dignihed. less osten-
tati0us. The city itself is beautiful and
the temptations and the rush and tumble,
the haste and excitement of a great COM
mercial center are lacking. It's literary
and scientific institutions offer many ad-
vantages. while its environs. so easy Of
access, furnish a great playground. This
sounds very much like a paragraph from
a school prospectus, but is written as an
introduction 10 the assertion that Wash
ington is peculiarly adapted for the edu-
cation Of young women. especially those
Of wealthy parents who look forward 70
playing a role in society when they are
finished" SO obvious are its advantages
that already this class has been attracted
here in such numbers as TO make them a
conspicuous element.
There are in the neighborhood of
thousand young women, who come from
every State IN the Union. from big and
little towns and country districts, brought
up under many different social conditions,
at the various schools here. To these
girls it has long been The Arbiter's in
tention TO address himself and give some
hints for their guidance in matters OF et-
quette, a subject that is too often over
looked in the school curriculum. which
may inspire them to look upon it less
fippantly than does the average young
person Every girl studying in Washing
ton should be a missionary and carry
back to her sisters at home who have
not had her advantages all that she has
learned that will help them to a higher
standard in culture and respect for the
conventions of life so that one day
American women may become as noted
for their grace and elegance Of manners
as they are now for their beauty and
charm. As though anticipating his tnten-
tton, The Arbiter recently received the
following letter:
Dear Sir. VIII you not write a srecial article for
the boarding school girls Of Washington and vin
the gratitude OF many Of them who have read what
you have said with interest and pr0fted bv us
There are 90 many of from different parts Of the
country and 50 differently brought up that taken
all IN all, We form queer lot I am from Boston.
my room mate Is from Texas Ny father was a
scholar and statesman. her father was a miner
and slll speaks bTOgue. though he has become very
reh. Nora can tame a broucho shoot any Kind Of
On 4rfrsa Hgr faH-
been very cGrseTTstiYey brought no By mv Puritan
parents and permitted buJ little liberty. OF c0urss
l was taught 20 ride and play golf and tennis in
ladyhke way, but I was never allowed 10 70 about
IN a big town alone. Ny room mate wears the
richest clothes and an abundance Of jewelry while
my gowns are Of the simplest description and the
only leWelrY | possess are a few brooches a little
ring that belonged 10 my mother and the watch
she wore when az school. Nora speaks a language
cannot understand. ard once I heard her swear
I, naturally. talk Bostonese Please don't think me
8 ssob, for / love the girl I room with: she has a
great biz heart and many. many good qualities
hit, really now aren't We a funny couple % T1J
t0getherI And ] haven't told yOu half. She l3Ils
IN a chair when the teachers enter the room where
she happens 10 be. nlshes past them in the hall
adopts the most familiar tone I'm speaking 10 them
has queer table manneIs-it's no use irving I could
never tell You all her queer ways WiH you not
do something fer those girls who have never been
taught the niceties Of etiquette? Very truly yours
A BOsTONIAN.
A certain Mrs --, who was educated
in one Of the large colleges. says that she
had only been there a few months when
the students We're asked 70 meet in the
chapel after dinner to listen to a talk by
the lady principal. You can never i'm
agine my surprise" she exclaimed, in
telling the story. when I was told that
the subject Of the lecture was to be Good
Manners and I was very indignant too.
for I thought good manners should be
learned al home and not included in a
college curriculum. I was more indig-
nant-in fact, I felt insulted-when we
were told such things as not to drink our
coffee with the spoon in the cup, not to
drink our soup from the point Of the
spoon, not TO play with tNe table utensils
or roll our napkin rings across the table,
10 say please and thank you 70 the
maids, not TO rise before the teacher at
the head of the table gave the signal. and
a thousand other things I thought every
body was born knowing. But the next
morning at breakfast 1 noted that every
little sin, or. better. breach of etiquette.
that we had been warned against was
committed by some of the girls, and my
Indignation was Immediately cooled"
This story points the moral that no one
should be offended at hints not intended
FOR them but for those who need them.
Good breeding IS the privilege OF the few.
though good manners can be acquired. 1t
has been my misfortune, however, TO
meet women educated at the finest schools
who lacked the culture they should have
acquired simply because they had no re-
spect for the manners and cOurtesies
which mark the difference between the
well and the III bred woman. Their atti-
tude toward their teachers and their bet
ter bred associates was. Il am Just as
good as you are. and a little better, de-
spite my manners" These women had
never learned what was said by Aristotle.
that manners are the lesser morals OF
life, or that a lady is known only by her
manners and habits. Good manners give
so much happiness and comfort TO those
with whom we come in contact that they
are worth acquiring at any cost Now.
II the little Texan who so shocks her
Boston roommate, and others OF her ilk.
VIII put on the beautiful robe Of humility.
be on the outlook for advice, not resent
il when given, and seek the society of
her supeTiors, she will become the grace
ful, cultivated woman that all girls in
their hearts should hope to be-
The first duty of a schoolgirl is LOYALTY
20 her alma mater. She should say moth
ing, 10 nothing. and try to think nothing
TO its discredit. A lady not long ago re-
moved her daughter from school be-
cause she said its pupils behaved so badly
on the street. Their conduct may have
been mere thoughtlessness, or it may have
been lack OF training, but whatever the
cause il cost the school one pupil directly.
and indirectly many others. An opposite
case is as follows: A stranger from out
of town, noticing at the theater one even
ing number Of young ladies seated to-
gether. accompanied by two older women.
was much interested in their pleasing ap-