The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-04-24
P0LITENESS.

In this world OF rush, push, hurry and Worry.
what pleasure it Is and again to come across
polite person. and the pleasure is all the more If
the person happens to be young for experience tells
us that many of the young Of both sexes nowadays
are sadly lacking in one of the principal external
graces of neutrality-suspicious.. Emerson tells US
that beautiful behavior IS better than beaut-
full form; it gives higher pleasure than statues
and pictures; it is the finest of all the fine arts.
Poiteness is nothing more or less than beautiful,
behavior. a polite man or woman is courteous,
sincere kind and truthful to every, one especially
to those placed in a lower rank than themselves.
There is nothing of the swagger or the brag about
then, and they have the happy faculty of always
placing self in the background Rudeness and vul-
garity in any shape form things altogether
foreign to their nature. and to say or act unciviy
is not in their composition. knowledge of the
languages, the arts and sciences makes up the edu-
cation of boy A knowledge of the languages. es-
pecially her own. with a knowledge too, of house
duties, make up for the most part the education
of girl; but if the boys or girls education in
cludes not that which tends most to make their sue
cess in life a certain quantity. of that which
leavens social -polteness-then. though
they may know all subjects which appertain to their
special walk in life, still their name ever will be
rudeness Take the polite boy. no matter what walk
of life he belongs to- Just watch him walk down
one of our thoroughfares. He does not elbow and
push and trample everyone that has the mis-
fortune to come in the way of my Lord Superbus.
He has great respect for the aged those of the
genter He does not cape and grin or give
vent to the loud laugh which speaks the vacant
mind" He does not stand at the street corners
the pavement with his hands thrust deep in
his trousers pockets and cigarette in his mouth.
looking rudely into the face of every passer-by
He does not affect the swagger which new suit of
clothes and patent leather boots and the latest
fashion in ties gives to so many of our modern
dudes. No, he does none of these things: he walks
and about his every footstep there is sound
which speaks the man; about his conversation there
Is tone which speaks the gentleman Aye. his
every act and gesture speak robustnessSand manli-
ness of character.
Manners not idle but the fruit
Of noble nature, OF loyal mind"
The best school of politeness is the home. and
the best teacher is the mother The gentle. pa
tent loving mother, the mother who is an example
in every way to her children especially In her con
sideratOn for the feeling of others and in the hap
Ply. nice way she performs all her duties that moth
er we have no hesitation in saying will bring up DO
lite children. But the vain silly. gossiping snob-
Dish mother. who peers through the glasses of dis
dam at the poor and lowly at the weak and HELM
less with toss of her empty head and shrug of
her shoulders, that mother will bring up her chill
dren dudes totally bereft Of that politeness which
st Francis de Sales say resembles water-'best
when clearest, most simple and without taste y
Yes music painting and the fine arts are indeed
sources OF pleasure; they will no doubt. improve
the taste and lnclte admiration; but one single DO
lite action. done in the sight of men, will exert a
more saiutary influence, viii stimulate the charac
ter more to imitation than all the painting of the
Louvre
we must be gentle, now we are gentlemen"